The purpose of the special issue is to collect papers related to Brazilian and Portuguese literatures of the XIX century, in order to systematize recently developed reflections about the works of the main writers who produced their works in this period: Machado de Assis, José de Alencar, Camilo Castelo Branco, Eça de Queirós, Alexandre Herculano, Aluísio Azevedo, Raul Pompéia,

The International Journal of Arts provides an international forum for research in the field of the art and design education. It is the primary source for the dissemination of independently refereed articles about the visual arts, interior architecture, design, aesthetics, creativity, crafts, and art history, in all aspects, phases and types of education contexts and learning situations. This special issue welcomes articles from a wide range of theoretical and methodological approaches to research, also welcomes curriculum research in art and design education and encourages submissions from the broader fields of education and the arts that are concerned with learning through art and design education.

Crucial aspect of the concerns of the modern theater, the break with the optical box, was defended as useful to remove the viewer from his passive condition. Creators guided by distinct poetic, as Artaud, Meyerhold, Piscator and others, were united on the need to change the spatial relationships between actors and assistance. Today, the concerns are still part of the artistic investigations of numerous groups in all the world.

A panoramic view, there are performing experiments outside the European tradition that keeps alive and never adopted the front stage. On other hand, we find adaptations for use of rooms of conventional shows, new multifunctional spaces and performances in unique environments, between contemporary productions.

The Special Issue devoted to the subject, should bring to light theoretical analysis and historical discoveries about modern experience; current practices and points of views on the place of scenic area in the art of spectacle; and the intersection between the ethical and aesthetic aspects from the abandonment or renewal of the "black box".

The particular moment, as well as description and texts creation is historically important because historical forces shape literary texts and the texts reflect the historical forces. The subject of this issue is to show the relation between romance and history in historical novels which brings fiction and history together. The novelistic genre from its origin has functioned in between two discourses: fictional and factual. The historicity of texts basically refers to the cultural specificity, the social embodiment of all modes of writing whether it is social, political and economical or religious–not only the texts that critics study but also text in which we study them. This issue is trying to find out the historical and social perspectives behind works of literature and how they are depicted within the texts.

Given the significance of animals in cinematic representation and philosophical inquiry in the past two decades, this special issue purports to explore the question of the screen animals in modern technoculture. Many philosophers mediate the animal by seeing it as an instance of “poor-in-the-world” (Heidegger), aporetic animot (Derrida), facelessness (Levinas), bare life (Agamben), rhizomic becoming (Deleuze and Guattari), or co-evolution (Haraway), to name a few. However diverse their variegated configurations of the animality are, they do have one thing in common: the desire to see the animal, or its animality, as it really is. Animal filmmakers, on the other hand, have also put no less effort to capture the image of the real animal, ranging from man’s best friend (Lassie) to man’s worst nightmare (Jaws). No matter which range the animal representation falls in, it always seems to be inevitably associated with death, killing and sacrifice at all levels of cinematic inquiry in the interest of human beings. The anthropocentric orientation of animal films is perhaps further enhanced by the introduction of computer technology (e.g. CGI animals) into the show business markets. With their “passion for the Real” (Badiou), philosophy and cinema in an era of virtual reality seem to confront not so much the absence of the animal as the radical alienation from the animal.

Places of cultural significance enrich people’s lives, offering a deep and inspirational sense of community and landscape. Historic towns and cultural landscape have shaped our societies and are considered invaluable assets for the present and future generations. To preserve the cultural identity and historic characters of such towns in the light of the transformation brought by the forces of globalization and urbanization as well as progress in production technology present severe challenges to relevant stakeholders. Urban conservation through area revitalization will enhance local economy, improve built environment, maintain sense of community and regenerate local arts and crafts, which will eventually promote sustainable community development.

The broadly discussed, but still open, issue of the chronology and effects the Theran volcanic eruption caused on the Mediterranean trade routes will be the main subject of this issue. The merchants of the international port of Akrotiri (Thera) were acting as the intermediates between Egypt, Crete and the easternmost part of the Mediterranean basin. The depiction of the roared ships on the fresco frieze from the West House at Akrotiri gives the evidence for the Theran media used for that long sea trips, while the finds (pottery, stone artifacts, artistic influence on the Egyptian and from Israeli sites frescoes) scattered all over the shores of the Mediterranean, come from everywhere else but Thera. Therefore, the lack or the small quantities of Theran exported artifacts raises questions on the form of the Theran trade in comparison to the contemporary markets in Crete, Lebanon, Israel, Cyprus and Egypt. The catastrophic volcanic Theran eruption changed suddenly the then established trade routes and there was a long time that had to pass before these routes were established safely again.