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On Friday 6 June 2025, the second edition of The Catties (since its evolution from the Film Awards) took over Catalyst with its signature mix of celebration, unpredictability and creative fire. What began as a more traditional awards night focussed on film, it has since grown into a vibrant recognition of all our programmes – part awards ceremony, part creative showcase. This year’s awards recognised outstanding work across our music, film and acting programmes, highlighting the cross-pollination of disciplines that fuels our community.

Guiding us through the night were third-year acting students Aisha Kalymzhanova and Ilja van Ravels, whose sharp timing and magnetic stage presence kept the energy alive from start to finish. Both are soon to present original solo works at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival – Aisha with her satirical musical comedy Kazakh Princess Diaries, and Ilja with Down the Hole, a raw, physical exploration of queer identity and memory.

One of the night’s most moving moments came with the Spirit Award, presented to a Film Production student, Eliano Tonev, for quietly embodying the connective tissue of our creative ecosystem — lifting others up and making the invisible visible. 

Meanwhile, the legendary Golden Gorilla Award – a Catalyst classic and tribute to gorilla filmmaking and fearless experimentation – was awarded to a Creative Audio Production & Sound Engineering student Oracle Ollor for redefining the limits of form through bold and surprising work. Oracle's boundary-pushing work earned them a Certified Music Hackspace course of their choosing.

"It was a great honour to receive the award — I’m still reeling from the experience and incredibly grateful to have been thought of and selected. Particular shoutout to my parents and my sister — without them I wouldn’t be the person I am today.”

Recognising the standouts in Music & Sound

A celebration of collaboration, innovation and bold vision – made possible by our incredible partners.

In the School of Music & Sound, our Electronic Music Production & Performance student Ashley Maurice was awarded Outstanding Collaborator, sponsored by iMusician. Ashley received a one-year Amplify+ subscription in recognition of their commitment to creative synergy and community building.

Arsenii Zinukov from our Creative Audio Production programme took home Producer of the Year, with support from PlaylistSupply and Booking-Agent.io — earning a three-month subscription to both platforms for outstanding creativity and technical skill.

“The awards were powerful, but what stayed with me was what came after — the student-led performances, the collaboration, the community showing up for one another. It wasn’t just a celebration of achievement; it was a glimpse into the creative culture we’re building here at Catalyst. It made me deeply proud.”

— Georg Hilmarsson, Programme Lead and The Catties jury member

The Best Large-Scale Project award, sponsored by Music Hackspace, went to a Creative Audio Production & Sound Engineering student Lucas Waterbury, whose ambitious and technically refined work pushed the boundaries of production. The prize includes a one-year Going Deeper subscription.

In Music & Sound Design for Visual Media, Alisa Nedashkovska received Outstanding Achievement for interdisciplinary excellence and conceptual clarity. The prize, supported by KW Institute for Contemporary Art, includes an annual pass to KW.

The Outstanding Creative Vision award, presented to Nino Theys from our Electronic Music Production & Performance course, recognised a fearless approach to electronic music — blending innovation and originality in ways that inspire others. Sponsored by Music Hackspace, the prize includes a one-year Going Deeper subscription.

In the School of Film & Visual Media, the Screenwriter’s Evolution Award, sponsored by Celtx, was presented to Gabriel Lopez, celebrating growth, storytelling passion and a collaborative spirit. The prize includes a one-year Celtx software subscription and a swag bag of creative tools.

The Vision Award, supported by 25p Cine Support, went to the Film Production student Zoya Nur Zadkiel for their consistent creative leadership and ability to elevate those around them. The award includes a €500 equipment voucher and a 50% discount on further rental costs.

In Visual Effects, Digital Art and Animation, Viktorija (Leo) Andermane was honoured as Best Creator, earning access to the full course catalogue at The Node Institute for innovative, collaborative and technically exceptional work.

A handful of moments refused to play it safe – works that shifted tone, deepened questions or simply hit differently.

The Best Film award was shared between “Little Bird” by Lina Dziovenaite and “Those Who Left, Those Who Stayed” by Arezu Khanicheh. Both received the Catalyst Distribution Award, supporting future screenings and festival runs.

In the MA Creative Production (Music) programme, Agona Shporta received the New Directions Award, honouring a bold and thoughtful approach to artistic research.

In Acting, Felix Mangold won Best Actor for "Downward Spiral... The Benji's Mind Show", a performance noted for its emotional range and originality. The Charm, Vivacity, and All The Cheese In France took home Best Ensemble for their electric onstage chemistry and unified storytelling.

"Winning the Best Creative Production award for Echoes was an unexpected and deeply meaningful surprise. The film explores the lasting impact of war, the loss of home, and the difficulty of moving forward after such experiences." 

— Lara Khattar, Creative Production (Film) MA student and Best Creative Production award winner

After the awards wrapped and the applause quieted, the night shifted into something more electric. The Pulse party transformed Funkhaus into a vibrant, multi-sensory playground — alive with sound, light, and movement — crafted and performed by the very artists who breathe life into Catalyst.

A highlight this year was the late-night dancefloor shaped by Alec and Tristan — their third year turning an ordinary classroom into Pulse’s signature heartbeat. Their space was raw, immersive, and buzzing with energy, a sanctuary where the night truly came alive.

“The talent across both dancefloors was wicked to hear, and it was beautiful to see students and staff busting out their moves. By the early hours, the whole vibe felt like a proper DIY rave—pretty epic for a university party, if you ask me.”

That dance floor became home to unforgettable performances from Nino Theys, LUCKY4U & goldmund.99, Parallel Processing, and Ventral Vagal x Tamo. 

Earlier in the evening, the Theatre and Social Stage showcased sets by MALINA MALINA, Dusk Saffron, Stereo Hues, Dub Field, Dune Serrano Ambrozo, and Sonarium. Special guest SnSe, hailing from Santuri East Africa, closed the pre-midnight wave with a genre-defying, deeply resonant set.

Immersive installations wove throughout the night, with works like “Dissolution” by Leo & Nicolas Sales and “July 16, 1945. The Trinity Test” from the VFX, Digital Arts & Animation class adding layers of reflection and texture. Meanwhile, Catalyst Cinema offered a tightly curated lineup of student films — Al Vacio, HOLE, Crier au Loup, and Matter — each packed with emotional depth.

The Vinyl Market in Co-Mingle added another layer of creative expression and connection, with Catalyst DJs spinning into the late hours.

The Catties 2025 weren’t just about the accolades – they were a reminder that creativity is collaboration, that risk leads to resonance and that sometimes, dancing is just as essential as directing.

Congratulations to all the nominees, the winners, the behind-the-scenes fixers and the spark-throwers. You made it one for the books.

A heartfelt thank you to all our sponsors for supporting this year’s Catties and championing the bold, brilliant work of our creative community.

The Catties 2025 brought cross-school celebration, surprise wins and a wild Pulse afterparty. Here's how it all went down.

The Catties 2025 – Creativity, Community & Controlled Chaos

The Catties 2025: celebrating creativity, community and a whole lot of chaos

Visual storytelling is not just about what’s the viewer sees. It’s a reflection of the artist behind it, their obsessions, their influences and the tools they choose to shape their world. We sat down with three students from our Visual Effects, Digital Arts & Animation programme to explore techniques, software and core ideas at the centre of the artworks. We chatted about how their broader networks, influences and creative environments contribute to their artistic endeavours.

Being a visual artist in 2025 is about more than mastering the craft – it’s about expressing your unique vision, utilising tools and building worlds that say something about who you are. These three portfolios reveal how deeply personal visual art can be when artists are empowered to explore. Keep reading to learn about snow-covered memories, twisted love letters to Berlin club culture and redefined versions of purgatory.

“Instead of relying on combat or judgment, I created a meditative space for inner dialogue.”

Second year Visual Effects, Digital Arts & Animation students create walkings sims as part of their studies. Here is Eliza's reimagining of Dante's Purgatory.

Visual Effects, Digital Arts & Animation walking sims – Eliza's purgatorio

Rewriting purgatory through contemplative design

Eliza’s walking simulator Purgatorio reimagines Dante’s Purgatory. Rather than a place of punishment or judgement, her rendition is as an endless field for quiet exploration and personal reflection. By choosing a complex reference with a lot of symbolism, Purgatorio seeks to blur the boundary between interactive art and traditional game design. The player takes on the role of “The Pilgrim” a lost soul navigating a vast, open landscape. Rather than basing the game mechanics on conflict, hierarchy, or overt religious metaphors, players engage in escapism through environmental storytelling. 

The immersive mood of Purgatorio is shaped through sound as well as visuals. Eliza collaborated with Creative Audio Production & Sound Engineering student Lucas Hochar and Electronic Music Production & Performance student Jasper Ewing to create a audio landscape that supports the meditative nature of the game. “The sound fit perfectly to the overall mood of my game” reported Eliza.

Music video for New York based artist duo NONSENSE 

Abstract 2D animation about the cycle of life. Act of birth - conversation - confession - act of death. In a monochromatic world, an abstract, hand-drawn man comes into existence, emerging from a swirling mass of ink. This simple, yet expressive shape begins its journey, exploring a stark landscape filled with other geometric forms—each moving and changing, yet remaining in shades of black and white. 

Visual Effects, Digital Arts & Animation showcase "I am still alive" by Elizaveta Abramishvili

Expanding both creative practice and network

Using TouchDesigner this year for the first time has opened many possibilities for Eliza. She has found it is the perfect tool for blurring the line between technology and expression. It has also opened new realms of possibility, including new media art, audio-visual performances, VJ sets and interactive installations. The combination of creative coding with visual programming has opened up a new path in her practice. 

As has her time at Catalyst so far. Our vibrant and deeply collaborative environment has pushed her to her boundaries and beyond. Eliza has found constant motivation when surrounded by like minded artists from all over the world. Our school has also redefined what making is for her, as she has moved from solitary creation into a more interdisciplinary production mode.

For example, take “Inter[ ]linked”, her collaboration with Electronic Music Production & Performance student Rudik Mkrtchyan. The immersive audio/visual performance created a space where people come together to listen to music, experience immersive visuals, and contemplate on reflective questions. The music played with the sounds that happen between words in a conversation, while the visuals focus on abstract faces and mimicry - elements that link human communication.

“During a small snowstorm, everything was slightly distorted. My goal was to recreate this special atmosphere in the game.”

Second year Visual Effects, Digital Arts & Animation students create walkings sims as part of their studies. Here is Dave's reimagining of a core-memory.

Visual Effects, Digital Arts & Animation walking sims – Dave's Snowdome

Recreating a cherished memory through landscape design

Dave’s walking simulator “Snowglobe” began as a way to revisit a winter spent in the mountains with friends. He began building with precise, open-source LIDAR Data of the Swiss Alps, processed in Houdini. But limitations led him away from creating a geographically accurate render. The project then moved toward a more stylised, atmospheric world.

Playful collaboration meets street-level inspiration

Physical environments have other ways of turning up in Dave’s projects. He collaborated with grillz artist Dima Peletskiy, making 3D rendered dental jewellery fly over Berlin. In another short video, Dave animated some balloon-like graffiti by 1UP float off the wall and above our creative city. “I’ve walked past that graffiti every day” he told us, “I've often asked myself… what if these balloons detach from the wall and fly away?”. The Visual Effects, Digital Arts & Animation programme gives you the tools to bring those ideas to life.

Three clips from Visual Effects, Digital Arts & Animation student Dave Juker. Showing us the behind the scenes view – what you see vs. what the designer sees.

Visual Effects, Digital Arts & Animation showreel by Dave

“What if you were stuck in a place you love, but everything is completely different?”

Second year Visual Effects, Digital Arts & Animation students create walkings sims as part of their studies. Here is Sophie's twisted love letter to the Berlin club scene.

Visual Effects, Digital Arts & Animation walking sims – Sophie's HORRORHALLE

Building the uncanny through visual storytelling

Sophie’s walking sim “Horrorhalle” is based on Sisyphos – a club just two tram stops away from Catalyst. Rather than an exact replica of Sophie’s favourite weekend spot, Horrorhalle is inspired by the two floors she visits the most – Hammehalle and Dampfer. The world she built in her virtual labyrinth is one of confusion and isolation. “It’s empty”, she tells us. “I wanted to make a familiar yet unsettling experience. What if you were stuck in a place you love, but everything is completely different?”

To achieve her goal, Sophie experimented a lot with textures, lighting and architectural cues. Cinema 4D was central to the process, and metallic textures and lighting was mainly processed in Redshift. “The goal was to create something that felt immersive yet unsettling.”

Sophie first opened TouchDesigner a few years ago and was completely overwhelmed. “But now I’m absolutely in love with what it can do,” she says. A self-described beginner, she credits the software with having a major impact on her practice. Instead of relying on pre-edited loops, she can now generate visuals live – adjusting aesthetics more organically and keeping each performance dynamic.

Her journey into VJing began right alongside her studies at Catalyst. In fact, it’s one of the reasons she chose the Visual Effects, Digital Arts & Animation programme. Soon after the semester started, she teamed up with a close friend. Since then, she has been performing at parties, eventually finding the confidence to perform solo. After the end of year VFX showcase, Sophie reflected on the difference between performing live versus in an exhibition space. In a club, “there’s always a bit of unpredictability since you never really know what the DJ will play next”. Installations on the other hand were much more meditative. 

Below, see how Sophie animated her Gigeresque "heartbug". Both soundtracks are by altjira.

In this short video, Visual Effects, Digital Arts & Animation student Sophie Holder shows us a glimpse of her production process. This animation became the basis for her artwork for the end of year Visual Effects, Digital Arts & Animation showcase.

Audio: Altjira - Flux Serpent

How Sophie animated her Gigeresque heartbug with Redshift

... and the Visual Effects, Digital Arts & Animation students that made them.

Three stunning game design projects

Three stunning game design projects and the Visual Effects, Digital Arts & Animation students that made them

Blockbusters in the cinema, binge-worthy series at home or a viral post on your For You Page all have one uniting ingredient – a powerful story. In films, series, video games, podcasts and interactive media, someone built the world and gave voice to the characters. That someone is a screenwriter. 

Imaginative film-sets, talented actors, riveting screenplays – this is what primarily draws customers to the big and small screen. Alongside the director (and in some cases the actors), the screenwriter is the most powerful role in a production. Where the screenwriter invents and defines the universe, the director brings it to life and the actor embodied the story.

Over the past decade, screenwriting has evolved far beyond its traditional home in film and television. Major platforms are commissioning hundreds of new scripts each year. Video game companies are hiring writers to build immersive, branching narratives. The skills of a screenwriter have also snuck off the screen: podcasts  often begin with carefully crafted scripts. Even emerging media like virtual reality and augmented reality are opening new doors for storytelling experimentation.

How to become screenwriter during it's golden age

The film industry is bouncing back from pandemic-era disruption. Within that industry, the original screenplay remains the champion. For those excited to work in smaller production companies, 2023 was the first year that smaller production companies outweighed the output of the major 6 in the United States. Decentralised and indie-film making is not just more accessible, but also more impactful than in the past thirty years.

Meanwhile, television and streaming continue to surge – with hundreds of new scripted series released every year. Narrative and character design in video games are reaching new depths as that industry is expanding. Podcasts and VR is opening up new storytelling frontiers beyond traditional screens.

What does this mean for you? Opportunity. Across continents and mediums, writers are in demand to bring characters, worlds and ideas to life. Our Screenwriting Short Course and Screenwriting Bachelors / HE Certificate provide you with framework to learn the craft, as well a community with which to practice it. 

Studying Screenwriting at Catalyst

To be sure, new technologies are changing the screenwriting scene – as well as just about every other industry on Earth. While some respond with uncertainty, others have adopted what is possible with the newest tools in our hands. 

You can utilise AI models specific to scriptwriting. "ScriptBook" and "Benjamin" were both fed scripts and can advise on technical details like plot of dialogue.

Southpark created a "Deep Learning", a co-written episode using ChatGPT. The partly computer generated dialogue was given meaning and structure by the very capable Trey Parker.

Black Mirror's Charlie Brooker regularly comments on AI in his hugely successful Netflix series. In season 7's "Hotel Reverie" episode, viewers saw how the AI technology might help live more fulfilling lives.

Some screenwriters have used the tools to help create the scripts, others have provided a commentary on the effects it has had on our society.

What’s driving the global screenwriting boom?

We’re in the middle of a massive content surge. Screenwriting is no longer just about Hollywood films or cable television. Storytelling is now central to a wide range of industries and platforms:

Film production has bounced back to pre-pandemic levels. 2,358 feature films were produced in Europe in 2023, just 19 less than in 2019.

TV and streaming are still expanding. Hundreds of new series released annually, putting writers in high demand. That includes everything from miniseries and telenovelas to international co-productions. 

The video game industry is continuing it's expansion. Although there are many genres, the majority now rely on a captivating storylines and characters as part of the experience.

Podcasts and audio dramas are exploding. Low-budget demands doesn't mean low quality! A microphone, solid script and soothing voice sprinkled with some audio treatment is a recipe for success.

New formats like VR and interactive films are redefining what storytelling can be – and they need writers with imagination and flexibility to shape these experiences.

Europe has a deep history of writing for stage as well as screen. Although Hollywood has dominated the silver screen for many years, production companies are streaming over the Atlantic.

Streaming services like Netflix, Prime Video and Disney+ are investing heavily in local content across Europe. Which is no surprise, seeing as together they take up 85% of European streaming traffic.

Berlin has become a magnet for filmmakers, writers, and digital creators. Our international mindset and collaborative spirit is just part of it. Being in the centre of Europe makes connecting easy. Major film festivals like Berlinale, Cannes and La Biennale help our writers network with industry professionals from around the globe.

Becoming a screenwriter. What skills does are needed in today’s industry?

Sure, storytelling talent matters. But professional screenwriting is about much more than good ideas. It’s about learning to:

Build compelling, character-driven narratives

Understand the mechanics of dramatic structure

Write across formats – short film, series, interactive game, podcast, branded content

Collaborate in a Writers’ Room setting – pitching, brainstorming and editing with others

Meet tight deadlines and write under pressure

Adapt your writing for different production contexts – working with actors, directors, and sound designers

Think critically about representation, ethics and cultural context

These aren't just writing skills. They help us across the board within the creative production ecosystem.

What does learning to write for screen actually look like?

Here’s what our practice-led, project-based screenwriting programmes at Catalyst look like:

Weekly writing briefs and writing rooms with peers

Exercises in building scenes, dialogue, monologues and scripts from scratch

Exploring genre – from horror to romcom to social realism

Workshops on adaptation, serial storytelling and writing for games

Collaborating with film directors and actors to see how scripts translate to the screen

Pitching your own projects and getting comfortable in front of a creative audience

Feedback loops – write, revise, reflect, repeat

In short: it’s about all about learning by doing, and not just reading about it.

Where do screenwriting graduates go next?

Not everyone becomes a showrunner overnight – but the skills you gain as a screenwriter can lead to all sorts of roles and career paths:

TV writers, staff writers and script editors

Narrative designers in the gaming industry

Writers for podcasts, audio dramas and branded content

Freelance storytellers creating content across formats

Founders of their own indie productions or web series

Plus, screenwriting can be the foundation for other creative roles – directing, producing, even arts education.

The future of storytelling is yours to write

The screenwriting landscape is shifting, opening up to diverse voices and new formats. If you have stories burning inside you, now’s a good time to start shaping them. You don’t need to have it all figured out. You just need a place to begin – a community, a challenge, and a keyboard.

Whether you're looking to write your first script, switch careers, or simply explore the craft more deeply, the screenwriting world has room for you. 

New storytelling platforms like VR, AR, interactive streaming and audio fiction are expanding what it means to be a screenwriter. At Catalyst, these frontiers aren’t afterthoughts – they’re integrated into your learning journey.

As the lines between formats blur, your skills will translate across industries and into careers that haven’t even been invented yet. Because storytelling will always be needed. And so will those who know how to shape it.

Find out if screenwriting is a good career for you in our industry summary.

Perfect time to become a screenwriter

The world needs stories. Why now is the perfect time to become a screenwriter – and how to break into a booming industry

Artistic research is a powerful tool. It gives form to questions we can’t answer with data alone. It maps emotion, memory and culture in ways that traditional research cannot. At Catalyst – Institute for Creative Arts and Technology, it is the beating heart of our Master of Arts programmes in music and film.

Our annual Postgraduate (MA) Symposium is the culmination of this work — a public platform where Catalyst students and invited practitioners explore creative research across performance, sound, image, movement and theory. This year’s theme, Multipli-Cities, asked how place, identity and artistic practice intertwine across disciplines and borders.

Below are just a few glimpses into the work presented.

A platform for artistic research in action

Unlike traditional exhibitions or end-of-year shows, Catalyst's MA Symposium is a live research environment. It’s a space for sharing work-in-progress, testing ideas, and exploring new forms of knowledge production through performance, sound, film and installation.

At Catalyst, artistic research is central to our pedagogy. Our MA students are not only honing their creative craft, they are investigating complex questions through hands-on inquiry — from diasporic identity and decolonial practice to AI-human co-creation and participatory sound design.

The MA Symposium is where all this comes together — where personal, political and poetic work meets public dialogue.


Participants in the 2025 MA Symposium included emerging and established voices from Catalyst - Institute for Creative Arts & Technology and:

How can we understand a city through sound? What does memory feel like in the body? These artists and researchers explored place and identity through sonic, poetic and performative methods — using listening, journaling, theory and storytelling to investigate how we experience and reconstruct space.

Sounding the Moment – Claire Dickson (Catalyst, MA Creative Production: Music) - A hybrid performance-lecture and vocal diary exploring embodied journaling, daily sound practice and relational composition over 200 days.

Sonic Sanctuaries – Martin Heslop (PhD in Creative Writing and Music, Newcastle University)- A spoken presentation drawing from walking, listening and writing workshops with newly arrived sanctuary-seekers in Newcastle, UK.

The House of Asterion – Oguz Baran (Scientific Artistic Research, Filmuniversität Babelsberg KONRAD WOLF) - An affective cartography of memory and space, weaving essay film, poetics and myth into a layered spatial narrative of personal and cultural memory.

Expanding Artistic Practice in Filmmaking – Shoshana Simons & Kaixiang Zhang (Catalyst, MA Creative Production: Film & Music) - A collaborative, cross-disciplinary presentation reflecting on hybrid methodologies in experimental film, incorporating ambient music and ancestral research.

Sonic Maze – Fede Ciotti (MA Computational Arts, Goldsmiths University of London) - An exploration of mark-making as performance, using Max/MSP and sensor-based interaction to translate drawing gestures into a live sonic experience.

Relativity – Morgan Hickinbotham (Catalyst, MA Creative Production: Music) - A performance using field recordings from Icelandic glaciers to explore time scales of climate change and the shifting sonic landscape of our environment.

These works use filmmaking as a research methodology, where narrative, collaboration, and experimental form converge to explore identity, memory, trauma and collective experience.

Looking For The Self – Marta Tiana (Catalyst, MA Creative Production: Film) - A poetic docfilm exploring identity and perception through non-linear storytelling and immersive sound design.

Esther, Rivke, Chayale – Shoshana Simons (Catalyst, MA Creative Production: Film) - A meditation on intergenerational Jewish identity, told through archival footage, poetic monologue and original music.

LOVE – Paula Okuneva (Catalyst, MA Creative Production: Film) - A short personal reflection on the role of urban space in personal transformation, framed by themes of vulnerability, honesty and self-discovery.

Beyond the Output – Chen Wang (PhD in Music, University of the Arts London) - A sonic collaboration between human voice and AI, exploring generative systems, authorship and the dynamics of creative feedback loops.

Pay & Erase – Thais Mancini, Paula Okuneva, Shoshana Simons, Lia Lyutakova (Catalyst, MA Creative Production: Film) - A speculative satire examining how technology might erase historical crimes — and what we lose when we delete memory.

Points of View – Benjamin Green (PhD by Practice, Manchester School of Art) - A collaborative documentary with secondary school students in the UK, reflecting on place, coming-of-age and poetic authorship through radical pedagogy.

Echoes – Elisa Pereira Martins & Lara Khattar (Catalyst, MA Creative Production: Music & Film) - An experimental nonfiction film using archival audio and fictional visuals to explore war trauma, memory and sonic affect.

Through installation, participation and embodied process, these artists investigate the politics of space, belonging and performative resistance — transforming rituals, landscapes and social behaviours into creative research.

Cairene Car-Culture – Abla Abdelnaby (Master in Media Design, The German University in Cairo) - A sonic ethnography of Cairo’s traffic and automobility, investigating how urban structures reflect and shape social behaviours and soundscapes.

Fence Choreographies – Anita Araujo & @de_colonialanguage (University of the Basque Country / Gothenburg University) - A collaborative project exploring how fences frame public-private relations and everyday movement through site-specific choreographies and public letters.

Ritual as Multi-Dimensional Architecture – Kaixiang Zhang (Catalyst, MA Creative Production: Music) - A participatory music performance using ritual as a spatial framework for holding presence, form and collective improvisation.

Reasons to Scream! – Juli Saragosa (Catalyst, Film Production Programme Certificate Lead) - A queer-feminist “audio-film” created by a collective of superhero*ines addressing gendered violence and power structures in the film industry.

Dream Forum – Dárida Rodrigues (PhD in Performing Arts and Moving Image, University of Lisbon) - A participatory installation and dream lab that invites visitors into collective imagination and urban reflection using rest, ritual and storytelling.

An Improviser's Guide to Film Music – Kostis Fanaras (Catalyst, MA Creative Production: Music) - A hybrid presentation linking open-form scores and improvisational film composition, rooted in jazz, photoplay and experimental sound.

Transit Cadence – Federico Torres & Alp Seyrekbasan (New Media Design MA, University of Europe for Applied Sciences) - A performance reimagining the rhythm of urban life through audiovisual abstraction, language and speculative sound systems.

Epistemic Empowerment through Participatory Music-Making – Ivan Chaparro (PhD in Music, UdK Berlin) - A decolonial approach to collaborative music-making with newly arrived migrant youth in Germany, exploring sound as a tool of agency and inclusion.

Smoking Mirror: Aethereal Resonances – Juan Duarte (PhD in Arts and Design, Aalto University) - An immersive performance-lecture using weather data, obsidian mirrors and mythology to reawaken ecological listening and ancestral technologies.

void•form – Zaak Kerstetter (Catalyst, MA Creative Production: Music) - A live generative performance system blending algorithmic sound, human touch and unpredictability — exploring presence, risk and sonic expression.

The Catalyst Symposium features contributions from internationally recognised artists whose practices reflect the depth and relevance of artistic research today.

Ariel William Orah — a Berlin-based Indonesian artist, community catalyst and co-founder of the Sōydivision collective — presents a keynote exploring transdisciplinary approaches to memory, identity and resistance within diasporic contexts. His work merges sound, performance and socially engaged practice to investigate how place is shaped by trauma, ritual and collective storytelling.

James Perley — an American composer, technologist and interactive media artist — joins Orah and others for the closing panel Multipli-cities in Artistic Research Practice. Together, they reflect on how artists navigate multiplicity through hybrid methodologies, collaboration and contextual awareness.

Their contributions frame the Symposium’s core question: how can artistic research serve as a tool for engaging with complex cultural, social and political realities?

Discover Catalyst's approach to artistic research

At Catalyst, artistic research is more than a teaching method — it’s a driver of cultural inquiry and transformation. As contemporary artists face global challenges such as displacement, identity, digital innovation and climate disruption, practice-based research becomes a powerful way to investigate, reflect and respond.

Through our Master of Arts in Creative Production (Music) and Master of Arts in Creative Production (Film), students develop the critical and creative tools to turn bold ideas into meaningful, socially engaged work. Whether working in sound, image, performance or installation, artistic research bridges theory and practice, connecting creativity with real-world impact.

The work doesn’t end with the MA Symposium. It’s part of a larger, ongoing ecosystem of learning through doing — supported by Catalyst’s Dolby Atmos Studio, in-house cinema, ensemble rooms, and 29 custom-built music production studios.

Explore how our MA programmes empower artists to investigate, collaborate and lead:

MA in Creative Production (Music)
MA in Creative Production (Film)

Explore how international artists, academics and MA students at Catalyst Berlin use artistic research to engage with identity, space and social practice.

Catalyst MA Symposium 2025 | Artistic Research in Berlin

International artists and academics join Catalyst MA students to explore artistic research at the 2025 MA Symposium

Walking simulators have challenged and altered how video games are played, experienced and defined. In an attention greedy industry, their break from traditional game mechanics bought criticism. Since their introduction, perceptions of the genre have shifted focus from what they don’t have, to what they do differently. Today gamers playing walking sims have come to expect strong narratives and engaging exploration, while the industry on the whole has adopted their ideas.

Our second year Visual Effects, Digital Arts & Animation students are assigned the project of building their own. Today we’re sharing Programme Lead Awu’s top five walking sims. We’ve identified what makes them truly special – both as gaming experience and as learning tools for our students. 

Originally created as an academic experiment by Dr Dan Pinchbeck, Dear Esther might seem like an unlikely game to reshape the industry – but that’s exactly what it did. Released commercially in 2012, this haunting first-person experience broke the mould by stripping away traditional game mechanics. There are no puzzles to solve, no enemies to fight – just a voice reading letters to a woman named Esther as you explore a remote, windswept island. As you journey toward the summit, you slowly piece together a story of love, loss and longing. What started as a university project has since become a landmark title that influenced how developers use exploration, space and atmosphere as storytelling tools in modern games.

Dear Esther presents a powerful lesson for students on both our Visual Effects, Digital Arts & Animation and our Film Production programme. The game offers a powerful lesson in how to build a story through space. The island isn’t just a backdrop – it is the narrative. Every flicker of light, weathered cave wall and distant landmark adds depth to the emotional landscape. Without NPCs or cutscenes, the story emerges through mood, colour and movement. This is an immersive, visual poem that unfolds at the player’s pace. It is rare to find such a good example of world-building, where the world itself does the talking.

Walking sim with the best visual language

Firewatch is a first-person, single-player mystery set in the Wyoming wilderness. Players start by learning and making decisions about the life of protagonist Henry. Then, over the course of the summer, Henry has to unravel a years-old mystery with another fire watcher and boss, Delilah. So what can our students learn from Firewatch? Aspiring digital artists will be interested to hear the starting point of Firewatch’s outstanding visual language.

The starting point for the visual language of Firewatch tells an interesting story for artists interested in gaming. The game was directed by Sean Vanaman and Olly Moss, best known for reimaginings of movie posters, and produced by Gabe McGill and artist Jane Ng. The starting point for Jane when modelling the game’s environment was based on a single painting by Olly, resulting in impressionist-like scenery. The design then drew further inspiration from iconic 1960s National Park posters and field research conducted in Yosemite National Park. 

Firewatch reminds us that great game design begins not with code, but with imagination and artistic intent.

Creator Jenova Chen designs games to provoke emotional responses and move beyond the typical "defeat/kill/win" mentality. Journey invites players to feel small in a vast, awe-inspiring desert as they travel toward a distant mountain. Along the way, they may encounter others on the same path. but with no speech or text, communication happens only through a musical chime that shapes the environment and enables progress. Critically acclaimed for its visuals and emotional impact, what stands out most for us at Catalyst is how music plays a central role in that experience.

The music, composed by Austin Wintory, acts as an emotional co-pilot. The soundtrack feels responsive, adapting in real time to your actions and interactions within the game. Instead of assigning themes to places or characters, Wintory scored the entire game around a single theme that evolves with you. The cello – representing the player – weaves through an orchestral landscape that shifts like sand around you. The soundtrack  was nominated at the 2013 Grammy Awards and has gone on to be recorded with the London Symphony Orchestra.

For our Music and Sound for Visual Media students, Journey offers a masterclass in scoring with intention, emotion and immersion.

What Remains of Edith Finch is a pushes forward narrative design and emotional storytelling. At its core, it’s about legacy and loss, memory and mystery. You step into the shoes of Edith Finch as she returns to her sprawling, strange childhood home. With each creaking door and hidden passageway, you uncover the lives – and untimely deaths – of her relatives. The house itself becomes a kind of living scrapbook, echoing with stories waiting to be told.

One of the extraordinary features in this game is the storytelling methods. Each chapter is a first-person vignette that shifts in tone, visual style and gameplay mechanics, offering a kaleidoscopic look at mortality. In this way, the game explores fate, free will and the blurred lines between memory and truth. For our students, it’s a powerful reminder of how interactive storytelling can defy convention, elevate emotion and blur the boundary between game and art. That’s exactly why it earns its place on our top 5 – as a benchmark for what’s possible when narrative and design work hand in hand to deliver a lasting emotional impact.

Of course, bringing these ideas to life takes a whole team. Now imagine this: a Screenwriting student writing a character’s emotional arc – while a VFX artist brings it to life through a shifting environment. This is the world we're building at Catalyst.

The Stanley Parable puts you in the mind-numbingly beige shoes of Stanley, whose job is to push buttons... until one day, no instructions come. His coworkers vanish. The office is empty. And then, we hear the narrator. But here’s the twist: you can listen to him – or you can disobey. Take the door he tells you to? Or sneak off and see what happens? Each decision leads to wildly different outcomes, all laced with absurdist humour and philosophical undertones. This is storytelling that breaks the fourth wall, bends expectations and dares the player to ask “what if?” at every turn.

At its core, The Stanley Parable is a clever interrogation of traditional game design, presenting a looping maze of questions about choice, agency and control. And behind all the surreal twists lies something vital for everyone involved in creativity: problem solving. As we’ve seen in the other top picks, taking well considered risks can have a big reward. The Stanley Parable shows how subverting expectations can lead to some original storytelling moments, as well as subject for discussion after the fact.

Study Visual Effects, Digital Arts & Animation at Catalyst

At Catalyst, you'll learn the tools and techniques to bring your ideas to life and apply them to the demands of the film, gaming and design industries. We value the inherently creative process of storytelling, both on the dedicated Visual Effects, Digital Arts & Animation BA programme and across the programmes taught at all of our Schools. What better place to grow as a creative than one in which you are within arm's reach of broad-minded musicians, talented screenwriting specialists, up-and-coming filmmakers and actors ready to step onto the set.

Visual Effects, Digital Arts & Animation programme lead selects their favourite ever walking sims.