Alix Didier Sarrouy

Biography

Drummer and percussionist holding a PhD in Sociology of Art and Culture from Sorbonne Nouvelle University and Minho University (2017). MA in Culture and Arts’ Policies from Paris Diderot University (2012), and BA in Culture and Arts Mediation from Sorbonne Nouvelle University (2010).

Currently, I am a researcher at the Instituto de Etnomusicologia – Centro de Estudos em Música e Dança (INET-md), and coordinator of the thematic line Power, Politics and Activism. In 2020 I was awarded a highly competitive individual grant for a 6-year research project titled “IncArt – Migrants and refugees in Europe: arts as tools for sociocultural inclusion.”, from the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT). Between 2022 and 2023, I was the Principal Investigator of the project “YouSound – Music education as an inclusive tool for underage refugees in Europe” (2022-2023, link), also financed by FCT. In parallel, I am an associated researcher at the Interdisciplinary Centre of Social Sciences (CICS.NOVA), of the same university, for which I was an assistant researcher on the project “ArtCitizenship – Youth and the arts of citizenship: creative practices, participatory culture and activism” (2019-2020). Since 2020, I have been an invited professor at the High School of Arts and Design from the Polytechnic Institute of Leiria (ESAD.CR), teaching Sociology of the Arts as well as Art and Culture Mediations. I have published articles in specialised journals and chapters in international books (Link to Open Access publications). In 2022 I published two books: one as the author, titled “Atores da educação musical: Etnografia nos programas socioculturais El Sistema, Neojiba, Orquestra Geração” (Published by Edições Húmus-CICS.NOVA); and a second one as a co-editor and co-author, titled “A arte de construir cidadania: juventude, práticas criativas e ativismo” (Published by Tinta da China). I have co-edited two thematic issues in international journals: “Collective artistic practices and their socio-political potentials”, in Cadernos de Arte e Antropologia (2020, link); “Music education among refugee and migrant youths: sharing, belonging, including”, in Music and Arts in Action (2024, link).

Since 2020, I have been an invited professor at the High School of Arts and Design from the Polytechnic Institute of Leiria (ESAD.CR), teaching Sociology of the Arts as well as Art and Culture Mediations. I have published articles in specialised journals and chapters in international books (Link to Open Access publications). In 2022 I published two books: one as the author, titled “Atores da educação musical: Etnografia nos programas socioculturais El Sistema, Neojiba, Orquestra Geração” (Published by Edições Húmus-CICS.NOVA); and a second one as a co-editor and co-author, titled “A arte de construir cidadania: juventude, práticas criativas e ativismo” (Published by Tinta da China). I have co-edited two thematic issues in international journals: “Collective artistic practices and their socio-political potentials”, in Cadernos de Arte e Antropologia (2020, link); “Music education among refugee and migrant youths: sharing, belonging, including”, in Music and Arts in Action (2024, link).

Research projects

• Scientific Coordinator (2024-2025): “RESONANCES – The resonances of intercultural exchanges between students on their music teaching practices and methods.” Financed by Haute Ecole de Musique de Genève, Fundação NEOJIBA, and Instituto de Etnomusicologia – Centro de Estudos em Música e Dança. (link)
• Principal Investigator (2022-2023): “YouSound – Music education as an inclusive tool for underage refugees in Europe”. Financed by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (Ref. EXPL/SOC-SOC/0504/2021) (link)
• Associate Researcher (2023-2026): “Pericreativity – Peripheral Creativities: youth, art and public policies in segregated territories.” ( 2022.08993.PTDC) (link)
• Researcher and Consultant (2023-2024): “Sounds of a Revolution”, a participatory project between 50 youngsters from Artallis Music School and the Gulbenkian Orchestra. Financed by the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation. (link)
• Associate Researcher (2019-2020): “ArtCitizenship – Youth and the arts of citizenship: creative practices, participatory culture and activism.” (Ref. PTDC/SOC-SOC/28655/2017)
• Associate Researcher during PhD (2013-2017): “GOVDIV – Multilevel governance of cultural diversity in a comparative perspective: EU-Latin America.” Financed by Marie Sklodowska-Curie actions (Ref. FP7-SP3-PEOPLE).

Supervising Master’s and PhD thesis concerning:

• Music education as a tool for social inclusion.
• Music, emancipation and citizenship.
• Music, power, politics and activism.
• Music in multi-inter-trans-cultural contexts.
• Music and intersectionality, namely through comparison and triangulation between methods, literature, epistemologies and cosmovisions.
• El Sistema inspired music programs around the world.
• Drums, percussion, and rhythm from an interactionist approach.
• Culture and artistic mediations/facilitators.
• Music, underage, youth, and LGBTQIA+ studies.
• Grounded theories along with sociology, anthropology and ethnomusicology approaches. Transdisciplinarity.
• Qualitative research methods with a high focus on ethnography and art-based research methods.
• Extensive international field works using four main languages: Portuguese, Spanish, French and English. (I am fluent in all four)