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Above: BORA performs at Signals Festival 2021. Photo by Ian Margio.

First-year Electronic Music Production & Performance student Susanna Steinfeld kicks off her series of Signals Festival 2021 artist features in an interview with French artist and Catalyst Berlin alumna BORA. Plus, scroll down to watch BORA and ROMEO & HELLION's thought provoking performance. 

The Funkhaus building is still quite new to me, as are the people walking through its mile-long hallways and historic studios filled with mysterious sound-producing buttons and cables. Still, today feels different: I am not going to class. Signals Festival, Catalyst’s annual showcase exploring art and technology, has transformed the vast, somewhat empty spaces of the Funkhaus building into a lively festival venue. Booming and pulsating, it’s filled with live performances, installations, film screenings, workshops, and in-depth dialogues – all held by artists and experts emerging from the creative institute’s diverse community.

Signals Festival 2021, which took place on the 15th and 16th of October, asks whether we are heading for a utopia or a dystopia, and how art and technology can determine that direction. What is our responsibility, as a community of artists, to transform social, political, and industrial landscapes into more sustainable and inclusive spaces? And most importantly, how do we translate it into art? Avant-garde sounds resonate in the hallways; mind-blowing visuals transform our classrooms; brilliant young artists are coming together to push the boundaries of their art forms, eager to find the answers.

But before I tell you more about all of this, let me introduce myself. I am Sue, a first-year Electronic Music Production & Performance student. I was born and raised in Rome, Italy, and I am passionate about pop culture, spicy chords and harmonies, and – well, of course – electronic music. This year, at Signals Festival, I had the chance to chat with a few artists and experts about their creative processes, dive deep into their vision, and find out how the Catalyst community has forwarded their artistic journeys.

Behind the Scenes at Signals Festival 2021 With BORA

My first interview is with BORA, one of Signals Festival’s live performers – and let me tell you, it’s a conversation I shall never forget. I am glad there is video proof of this moment [above], otherwise you might not believe me. BORA, wearing flame red lipstick, a bright orange feathered hat, and a fluffy, baby-pink bathrobe, is surrounded by her live show collaborators, the performance artists known as ROMEO & HELLION (Miriama Kardosova, Jan Durina and David Certansky), who are dancing and jumping, screaming and moaning, hugging and gently stroking BORA – all while  flaunting bizarre and flamboyant balaclavas. Every two minutes or so, BORA gets distracted by them, bursts out in enthusiastic laughter, and tenderly shares a hug with them. I am absolutely thrilled. The interview itself is a piece of art – an ode to freedom and sharing, honest, odd, and wildly entertaining.

BORA is a multidimensional artist and former Electronic Music Production and Performance student at Catalyst, whose practice captures sound, performance, sculpture, and paintings. Her art is an immersion into an organic process where human beings are explored, in all their bodily and mental fluctuations: the layers of their identity, their flesh, core, and unconscious. Her quest? Creating a safe space for intimacy and merely existing, for all bodies, and all emotions. And so, she gives me a glimpse into her beautiful inner world and shows me how she found her artistic voice through vulnerability. 

BORA, ROMEO & HELLION /// Signals Festival 2021

“Your imagination is more powerful than you think – let it guide you”

When I ask BORA who her artistic parents are, she doesn’t give me an answer. Instead, she explains that she constantly draws inspiration from her surroundings and from a wide array of different artists, especially the artists she collaborates with: ROMEO & HELLION.

But most of all, BORA trusts her own imagination. Some of the characters that inspire her the most are her own creatures. She confronts them and lets them guide her in finding her own authentic expression.

“For example, the one that I created for my 3D work [video below]. They don’t exist “in the real world”, but for me they do. I consider my inspiration coming from my imagination. I see imagination as a confrontational space. Most of my inspiration comes from my daily life and the people I meet. Of course, I admire many artists but I can’t tell you how they influence me because I don’t exactly understand it. But I could say that imagination is my main inspiration.”

BORA - WE HEARD FUTURE IS A NAME NOT TO SPELL

“Find your ‘tribe’ of like-minded people and explore all the feelings, together”

There is a lot to be learned in creating art together. Of course, one of the most difficult parts of collaboration is finding artists who are on your wavelength. But if you keep looking for the right people, you are in for a powerful chance to grow both artistically, and as a human being. BORA and ROMEO & HELLION influence each other by being together and keeping a constant stream of communication. They are “in complete acceptance of each other”. They are each other’s safe space in which they can be and express themselves without judgment or shame – the best prerequisite for truthful, honest art.

“I knew it already, but I learned again that together we are stronger. We help each other to liberate ourselves, to explore boundaries and chaos without suppressing or neglecting feelings, and most of all, with a lot of love. That is what I am striving for.  We love each other, we build narratives together. That means the world to me.”

During her studies at Catalyst, she met wonderful people, some of whom changed her life, BORA says. It is an incredible opportunity and a rare gift, to share your artistic journey with your best friends.

“Vulnerability is a strength – embrace it”

Being vulnerable can be challenging at first, but it is easier if you can explore your vulnerability in a safe space. This is exactly what BORA aims to achieve through her art and performances: Creating and unravelling a safe space in which all emotions can be felt – the good, the bad, and the “ugly” (all emotions are valid, but some certainly do feel “ugly”, don’t they?). BORA sees art as a ritual, an attempt at existence itself.

“We believe that vulnerability can also be a strength. The people that attend our performance are allowed to feel everything. They can feel vulnerable, they can feel empowered. For me, the aim of this performance is not to hide anything – just to be real, to feel all the dimensions of yourself and just embrace them all.”

Even fear and anxiety! All the emotions that are considered to be “not ok”. We should express them as they are necessary, and precious in getting to know ourselves and each other.

“The more you believe in something, the more you shake things into changing”

BORA believes in a future where bodies are free to be and exist without being oppressed and neglected. But sometimes it gets hard to stay positive and believe in change when we witness homologation, objectification, and oppression on a daily basis. Art can serve as a vessel for new narratives and activism. This is the purpose of BORA’s performance at Signals: Shaping the present and projecting the future.

“We are far from being there. At the same time, I don’t want to be negative because the more you are negative, the less you believe in something, the less you shake things to change. I think we are on the way. That is why, on stage, I work a lot with bodies, with nudity, with intimacy, without censoring it, and without objectifying bodies, sexually or in any other way. It’s not about that. It’s just about naturally existing.”

“Remember you are meant to take up space”

The way to strive for this ideal in which all bodies are free to exist without judgment, and all emotions are being explored without being filtered, is to believe in it, to dream it, to confront each other, to step on stage and engage with each other.

“Personally, it has been a whole process as my body type is not considered “the norm”. For me, it is activism to go on stage and to affirm that “this is my body, it is not normative but still, it’s beautiful”. This is the message I want to convey. All bodies are meant to exist. You should make space for yourself because no one is going to give you that space. My wish is to empower others to do the same.”

BORA certainly conveyed her message – in a wild, immersive, poetic live performance that left the audience mind-blown and utterly moved by her honesty and truth. She had us thinking that maybe, after all, we do have the power to build a future that is fearless and fluid, where art is respected and recognized, uncensored, open, and embracing of diversity.

Susanna Steinfeld interviews French artist BORA. Plus, watch BORA and ROMEO & HELLION's thought provoking Signals Festival 2021 performance.

How to Find Your Artistic Voice With BORA, ROMEO & HELLION

We’re part of the official CTM Vorspiel 2022 programme! Onsite and online from the 27th to the 30th of January, Field Conspiracy x Catalyst Berlin presents a transformational series of music industry focused events for up-and-coming artists. Check out the full programme.

While competition may build the fastest rocket, it’s collaboration that takes it to the moon. That’s why Catalyst is thrilled to be welcoming cooperative record label and arts collective, Field Conspiracy, to planet Funkhaus from the 27th to the 30th of January to co-host a series of special events. From panel discussions to a radio takeover, these sessions will be open to the public and live streamed by our Etikett Radio student team. It’s all part of the official CTM Vorspiel 2022 programme – the celebrated city-wide festival of digital art, culture, experimental sound and music. 

Boldly sharing our collaborative philosophy and passion for community, Field Conspiracy’s mission is to spark conversations that lead to the development of practical concepts for cooperative strategies in music label management. They understand that if we want to solve the economic and social problems that artists are currently facing, then we need to encourage creative minds to collectively reimagine and restructure the music industry.

“[Field Conspiracy] is a space for artists to inspire each other and work together in order to allow them to lead the life they want to live. Only through collaboration and cooperation can we manifest a reality where our management systems are defined by the interests of the community and, thus, provides everyone the space to be free in their creativity.”

Ready to change the game? Check out the full Field Conspiracy x Catalyst Berlin programme below. 

A quick note on COVID: the availability of the onsite sessions will be determined by the current Berlin Corona traffic light status. 

Field Conspiracy x Catalyst Berlin Programme

From 27-30th January 2022, Field Conspiracy takes over Catalyst Berlin to host a series of events as part of the official CTM Vorspiel programme.

Field Conspiracy x Catalyst Berlin - CTM Vorspiel 2022

We Collaborate With Field Conspiracy on a CTM Vorspiel 2022 Event Series

We reflect on the fantastic opportunities our Film Production students recently gained as a result of Catalyst’s partnership with ArteKino Festival 2021: a spot on the festival’s European Youth Jury and an enlightening interview with the winner of the European Audience Award, Karin Heberlein.

He applied, he succeeded, he collaborated, he learned, he networked. That’s how brilliantly first-year Film Production student Tiago Felício’s December panned out after he won a place on ArteKino Festival 2021’s European Youth Jury. The judges – all aged between 18 and 25 and selected from a handful of partnering film institutes, including Catalyst – were given the opportunity to award one film from the competition. 

“The experience has been great!” Tiago tells us. “I decided to apply because I really love cinema and I am always interested in what festivals have to offer because they are usually films I would have no opportunity to see otherwise. So far, the most rewarding part was probably the Zoom call we had with all the members of the youth jury to decide on the winner. It was very interesting to discuss these movies with other passionate people and to listen to everyone's opinion.” 

The sixth edition of ArteKino Festival took place online throughout December, presenting 12 European films in six language versions on the ARTE website and ARTE Cinema Youtube channel. The goal of the festival – an initiative of ARTE France Cinéma, ARTE GEIE, and Festival Scope – is to give greater exposure to original feature films which might otherwise have difficulty finding distribution in European movie theatres, despite critical success and inclusion in festivals. 

SAMI, JOE AND I written and directed by Karin Heberlein                                               produced by Abrakadabra Films, Zurich - 2020                                                          SJI_TLR_DE-EN_PRORES_2.0.mov

SAMI, JOE AND I - Trailer, 115 sec, english

The winner of the European Audience Award – as voted by the public – was Swiss writer and director Karin Heberlein. Her feature film Sami, Joe and I (2020) follows three friends who are ready for a truly epic summer after finishing school. But what is to come is diametrically opposed to their expectations and of a different magnitude then they anticipated. Determined to stand up for themselves, the trio find out how right Leyla’s mom was when she told them: “Always keep more dreams in your soul than reality can destroy.”

Heberlein initially trained as an actress, working for various UK theatres, co-writing and performing in a number of ensembles and touring festivals across the globe. Her focus later shifted to film, after a masterclass and a scholarship ignited her passion. 

What did she learn from creating her first feature film? As part of Catalyst’s partnership with ArteKino Festival this year, a group of our Film Production students were blessed with an hour of Heberlein’s time, in which they were free to fire off all their burning filmmaking questions. 

“The collaborative parts are the best parts, where the magic happens”

First-year student Viktorija Baltusyte led the upbeat interview. “One of the most vital steps of making a truly good film, as mentioned by Heberlein, is to discover and to really solidify its core,” Viktorija gives as her major takeaway. “What is its essence? Once that is defined, you become the ‘keeper of the heart of the film’ and are able to stay true to the message that you want to deliver, whilst still being open to new ideas and spontaneous change.”

Spontaneity, in fact, was one of Heberlein’s favourite parts of the project. When Viktorija asked her what she wished she knew before she started her first feature film, she emphasised the value and beauty of a filmmaker not knowing all the answers when they are starting out. 

“Knowledge comes at the price of innocence,” she said. “When you don’t know how to do things, you just do them because you don’t know what problems can occur. In a way, my first film is a kind of coming-of-age story. I feel very grateful for the experience of having been able to do that.” She stressed that a director should never be embarrassed on set if they don’t know something: “If you don’t know something, ask. If you don’t know, the actor will know. If you both don’t know, try to find it together.”

One thing Heberlein learned about the creative process during the course of the project was the true power of collaboration – our favourite word at Catalyst. “All the people that you meet along the way give so much to that project and I think that didn’t cease to amaze me up to the editing, to the colour grading, to the last sound mix,” she explained. “All those stages, all those different people that come in, and each one has a different perspective on that same thing and adds their knowledge… The collaborative parts are the best parts, where the magic happens.”

Jayden Bailey, who is currently working on his final-year film, Slow Rush, was impressed with Heberlein’s approach to one potentially challenging collaboration: directing children. “Karin’s sensitivity and care for the youth story is an inspiring reminder of our connection to our childhood and furthermore its importance,” he says. “Working with younger actors is a challenge I'm very much looking forward to in future. Karin reminds me of the beautiful possibilities that can surface from that challenge.”

“The more stories we tell, the richer and more inclusive our culture gets,” Heberlein pointed out. Still, “how can you tell stories if you don't have a life?” Indeed, in order to tell great, culture-enriching, stories, it is important to seek out remarkable experiences. At the time Heberlein came up with the idea for Sami, Joe and I, she was leading storytelling and filmmaking workshops for 16-year-olds, which reminded her of her own experience of growing up, whilst also giving her new, inspiring, perspectives on young womanhood. 

“From a writer’s perspective, Heberlein’s question inspired me to explore and experience life around me,” Lior Klein reflects, “and not to be afraid to write about personal and meaningful events in my life, because these are the kind of stories only I can tell.”

In December, our students won a spot on ArteKino Festival’s European Youth Jury and met winning director of 'Sami, Joe and I', Karin Heberlein.

Catalyst Partners With ArteKino Festival 2021

Catalyst Students Get Involved With ArteKino Festival 2021

Yes, leadership is for creatives too! And not just for creative bosses. In fact, it’s essential for creative practices and developing a rewarding career. Here’s why we’re proud to offer a Self-Development & Leadership course to our students – and why you should consider taking it.

Want to get ahead in the creative industries? Allow us to talk about one of the most underrated skills for today’s creatives: leadership. Whether you’re carving out your own business or entering the fiercely competitive employment market, leadership skills are an essential level-up. As Catalyst founder, David Puttick, puts it, “leadership is one of the most important skills you could acquire in order to build yourself a sustainable future.” That’s why our institute is proud to offer a game-changing Self-Development & Leadership course, designed to magnify the potential of everything else you learn at Catalyst. 

“However you measure it and whether you work in music production, sound engineering, film making, visual FX or acting, most of you would like to achieve success with your creative practice,” says David. “From successful completion of a profound artistic exploration all the way through to financial security or a global audience. You will need to develop many skills in order to achieve this success, but leadership is the ‘rocket fuel’ which will help you realise your chosen future. Leadership to complete your creative project, leadership to bring your work into the external world and leadership to attract an audience to share, appreciate and follow your work.”

Still not sure leadership is for you? Scroll down to hone in on some of the most important applications of leadership skills in today’s creative industries.

Welcome to the era of possibility. Thanks to the exponential advancement of digital technology, creatives have more opportunity than ever to carve out their own careers. Social platforms have enabled us to express ourselves in new ways, curate our public image, reach audiences directly and build communities around our creations. The powerful democratisation of the creative industries couldn’t be better demonstrated than through the recent explosion of NFTs and the increased popularity of self-releases. You can cut out the middleman and make a living doing it – but you can’t do it well without some level of entrepreneurship. 

Creative entrepreneurship is driven by leadership. It’s the ability to step back from your project and put on an objective ‘hat’, to find an unclouded or unbiased viewpoint from which to work out the next steps towards your goals. With leadership skills, you can clearly and compassionately communicate tasks to yourself and your collaborators. You can overcome obstacles with the power of self-awareness. Giving full play to your strengths and abilities, you can stimulate your creativity to the maximum extent and increase your profits. You’re not just a creator, you’re the creator of your own success. 

Companies need creatives. Creative skills are in major demand in industries across the board, with artists being called upon to work in consulting, designing services, curating customer experiences and creating content. Filmmakers and actors are no longer confined to the film set, musicians to the stage or studio, or VFX artists to the special effects department. 

In today’s professional environment, it is invaluable to be adaptable and to have transferable skills. Think active learning, problem solving, originality, initiative and – you guessed it – leadership. If you want to score yourself a job, it is no longer always enough to be talented or well educated. In order to differentiate yourself from the others, you’ll do well not only to have leadership on your CV, but to put it in practice to drive innovation within your organisation. 

The four foundational factors of Catalyst’s Self-Development & Leadership course are: integrity; authenticity; being given being and action by something bigger than oneself; and being cause in the matter. During the 10 weekly sessions, you’ll deep dive into what leadership truly means and transform your creative outlook. 

“As a progressive education institution, we believe that providing frameworks for you to develop your human attributes and self-knowledge will be seen as a core responsibility of learning organisations in the years to come,” David adds. “This course has the potential to completely transform your approach to your life and your creative endeavour.” 

Here’s why we’re proud to offer a Self-Development & Leadership course to our students – and why you should consider taking it.

Self-Development & Leadership Course For Creatives

Why Our Leadership Course is More Essential Than Ever

Here’s to the blossoming outside the comfort zone. Join us as we look back on some of our community highlights of 2021.

We all know what they say about comfort zones: life begins at the end of them...they are the enemy of courage…they don’t change you because they don’t challenge you. Well, it’s safe to say that thanks to the big ‘c’ word, we’ve all been out of our comfort zones for long enough to truly experience the accuracy of those statements. While 2020 was a shock to the system, 2021 was the year that we rose, like the lotus flower, from the murky water and blossomed. We looked to the light and made it happen – whenever and however we could make it happen. 

For our community, that concentrated creative energy resulted in some of the most interesting projects, performances and events we’ve seen in the history of our institute – from a live-streamed theatre show to the triumphant latest edition of Signals Festival. And there’s one powerful factor that underscored the success of them all: collaboration. 

Before we turn the page to an even fiercer, go-getting, new year, join us below as we look back on some community highlights of 2021. 

Header photo: Behind the scenes of 'Rabbitfolk,' photographed by Olesya Fedulova

Member State - Promo

In January, our third-year Screen Acting students launched their crowdfunding campaign for their feature film Member State, directed by programme lead Adam Donald. Member State explores how a crumbling European Union begins to wreak havoc on the interpersonal relationships of a group of young expats in Berlin. The cast even had a hand in shaping the plot! By February, the talented troupe had finished shooting it. We can’t wait to see the final product. Keep up with their journey on Instagram.

Patch Notes: Soft Crash ft. Imaginaria

Amplify Berlin February mentor Phase Fatale was so impressed by our Funkhaus studios that he decided Catalyst was the perfect place for he and Pablo Bozzi to perform their Fact Magazine live set as the duo Soft Crash. They made it extra special by commissioning Visual Effects, Digital Arts & Animation tutor Paulina Greta, aka Imaginaria, to provide some cool visuals – which she created with the assistance of her student Freddy Gutierrez. What’s more, Film Production students Alfredo La Corte, Dico Baskoro and Jur Kunaver filmed the set.

The Sickening - PROMO

Is it possible to sing and dance your way through a global pandemic? This is the question Film Production student Jur Kunaver asked in his final-year filmThe Sickening, a 30-minute musical comedy which he began shooting back in March after a successful crowdfunding campaign. The film tells the story of two performers, a clairvoyant, an office worker and the Devil. What could possibly go wrong?!⁠⁠ 

CAP Selects is a series dedicated to showcasing the outstanding work of our Creative Audio Production & Sound Engineering students. The original singles featured were created from scratch by students from both our one-year Certificate and three-year Bachelor courses.

Find out more about our Creative Audio Production & Sound Engineering courses at catalyst-berlin.com

CAP Selects: Singles S2 by Etikett Radio

Throughout the spring, we spotlighted some of our second-year Creative Audio Production & Sound Engineering Bachelor students' inspired singles and albums in our second season of CAP Selects. The tracks were created as part of an assignment to write a seven-track album towards a creative vision. The only prerequisite: two of the tracks should be collaborations and another two tracks should be covers or reinterpretations of original work. 

Creative Production (Music) Masters Projects

VIBKO - 3 tracks live set in the studio. Pulsar 23, Easel Command, Digitakt, Digitone, Continuum

In April and May, we spotlighted two brilliant Creative Production Music MA projects. Ole-Jacob Sand, aka VIBKO, explored the possibilities of improvised live performances in his practice-based research, resulting in a super-interesting final paper and a masterful collection of accompanying musical pieces. 

Shehryar Ahmad, aka Outlier, deep dived into the subconscious effects of ambient sound, in order to investigate how it might introspectively affect one’s peace of mind, mental wellbeing and imagination. His fascinating work utilised the cutting-edge 4DSOUND equipment of our neighbouring venue MONOM to measure levels of sonic immersion.

UJT Podcast episode 1 

In one of their first assignments of the year, our Screen Acting second-years decided to write, film and star in a six-part miniseries, with each episode addressing an area of toxicity they see in action in the film industry. Since they were unable to film the miniseries due to COVID, they thought on their feet and recorded six awesome podcasts on the topics instead, under the banner of Uncle Jerry is Toxic. They were so passionate about the subject that they took the initiative to crowdfund and shoot the miniseries over the summer break!

Lemonade Sorbet

When life gave them lemons, our Screen Acting Certificate students didn’t settle for making any old lemonade. They wrote, directed, starred in, promoted and presented Lemonade Sorbet, a tantalising online menu of 11 live performances which mixed the fizz of theatre with the sharpness of creative technology. Hundreds of viewers tuned into Lemonade Sorbet on the evening of the 7th of May to discover the up-and-coming international talents. And, wow, was the audience impressed with the diversity, range and creativity they were served.

VFX19 - Second Year Final Projects

In July, our second-year Visual Effects, Digital Arts & Animation students presented their end-of-year projects. The exciting array of interactive installations explored one of the most exciting emergent applications of VFX technology. Showcasing the possibilities of everything from motion-capture technology to VR to laser light sensors to cymatics, the exhibition encapsulated emergent storytelling at its finest.

We’re thrilled to unmask the second edition of our collectible cassette series, Volume One, which documents an unprecedented year of music production at Catalyst. 

Whether you choose to load it into your tape deck or listen online, this remarkable and eclectic selection of tracks created by our students during the pandemic will fill your ears with the sound of creative triumph.

Tracklist:

Side A

Neublau / Your Turn to Run (By Malaria!)
@darkatthree / Heathen
@naviekk / Rackt 4
@parallel_processing ft. Duhne / Tĕta-Lenvers
@daniel-rudolf-418711152 / Outbreak
@schwarzbild_condition / Introspection
@jackstripmusic / Psysolation
@misterbloo / The Others 
Luvz @user-3775345 / Misplaced Ace

Side B

@loud-lemons / Dub’s On My Team (dub)
@misterbloo & Luvz @user-3775345 / Golazo
@morelmusiq / Floyd Von Waak
@harianthe-theohare / Back & Fill
@mo_e & @critical_p / Slasher Flic
@reynadeyna / Heavy
@pondermars / About The Boy Who Woke Up In a Forest
@nicolozilocchi / Quantize
@egillgun / Far Heimur Far Sæll
@burnside-music / Strangers (Alone Mix)

Read more about the individual tracks on the blog: https://catalyst-berlin.com/stories/catalyst-cassette-volume-one

Tracks mastered by Eve Tera(soundbetter.com/profiles/341877-eve-tera)
Artwork designed by Victor Yrigoyen (yrigoyen.me)
Berlin, summer 2021

Catalyst Volume One / Unmask an Unprecedented Year of Music Production by Etikett Radio

In the summer, we were excited to unmask the second edition of our collectible cassette series: Volume One. While the inaugural Volume Zero celebrated our school’s transition from dBs Berlin to Catalyst, Volume One documents an unprecedented year of music production. The remarkable and eclectic selection of tracks created by our students during the pandemic filled our ears with the sound of creative triumph.

Oneiro Hiraeth - An Audiovisual Project by Maya Rain and Olívia Mamberti | INTERFACE 2.0 WINNER

For the second year running, we joined forces with fellow renowned audio production school, Spirit Studios, to facilitate the Interface Project, an exciting multidisciplinary collaboration between four pairs of our students. The winning project of Interface 2.0, an audiovisual work by Catalyst Creative Audio Production & Sound Engineering student Olívia Mamberti and Spirit Studios student Maya Rain, was presented as an installation at Signals Festival in October.

Mo Van Zandt ✧ hurt.heal

After launching their all-female collective Ora Berlin back in July with some impressive debut releases, fellow second-year Electronic Music Production & Performance students Alicia Miquel, Harianthe and Mo Van Zandt kept expanding their creative horizons in collaborations with other artists. In October, this spirit culminated in Mo Van Zandt’s powerful choreographed music video, filmed in collaboration with a talented group of Film Production students. 

The official trailer for my short folk horror, Rabbitfolk.

ʟᴜɴᴀ ᴛʀɪᴇs ᴛᴏ ʙᴇ ᴛʜᴇ ᴅᴀᴜɢʜᴛᴇʀ ʜᴇʀ ғᴀᴛʜᴇʀ ᴡᴀɴᴛs ʜᴇʀ ᴛᴏ ʙᴇ, ʙᴜᴛ ᴛʜᴇ ʀᴀʙʙɪᴛ ɪs ᴄᴀʟʟɪɴɢ ᴀɴᴅ sᴏᴍᴇᴛʜɪɴɢ ɪs ᴡᴀɪᴛɪɴɢ ғᴏʀ ʜᴇʀ ɪɴ ᴛʜᴇ ᴡᴏᴏᴅs.

RABBITFOLK OFFICIAL TRAILER

In November, Film Production Bachelor alumna Cleo Spiro released the trailer of Rabbitfolk, the film she completed in her final year of study. The horror folk short is about a young woman named Luna who lives an isolated life with her protective father in a small cabin close to the woods. A painful secret begins to unfold and it all comes back to a mysterious rabbit.⁠ The film stars Screen Acting Bachelor student Julie Kjaer as the protagonist and was crewed by some of Cleo's fellow students. ⁠Rabbitfolk is currently being submitted to festivals so stay tuned on Cleo's Instagram to find out where you can watch it on the big screen! ⁠

“In a connected world, we are all alone.
There are those who suffer from it, those who make it their strength, and those who do not think about it at all.”

Director/DoP/Editor: Giulia Lomuscio 

Sound Editor: @damiandhaeur 

Actress: @crunchsalat 
Actor 1: @damiandhaeur 
Actor 2: @toomanycam 

Styling: @homefullofclothes 
Technical support: @catalyst_film_acting 

Music by: EMI Music / David Bowie - Modern Love 

#modernlove #shortmovie #blackmagic6kpro #filmmaking #bymyself #ubahn #davidbowie #colors #underground #film #berlinstyle

MODERN LOVE

We fell in love with this short film by Creative Production Film Masters student Giulia Lomuscio when she released it in November, which beautifully explores the concept of connection in Berlin. If you’ve ever romanticised that ‘Berlin feeling,’ you’ll fall for it too.

Fishnet Collective, founded by a group of Catalyst students, dropped its first breakbeat, electro and techno release in October, Fishnet Records VA 01, from which seven tracks were created by students or alumni. A month later, they joined the nostalgia wave and released it on cassette! We’re looking forward to seeing what this collaboration-focused collective gets up to next.

Join us as we look back on some of Catalyst Berlin music, film, acting and VFX students’ creations of the year.

Celebrating Some of Our Favourite 2021 Moments

We Celebrate Some of Our Favourite Moments of the Year

Applications for the 2022 course year are now open. Here’s everything you need to know.

“Next year is going to be my year.” The last couple of years made it pretty hard to keep faith in that statement. Yet, if you ask some of our thriving current students, who plunged head-first into courses at Catalyst despite the uncertainty of the pandemic, they’ll tell you that next year can always be your year – if you make it happen. So allow us to add a huge opportunity to your horizon: 2022 applications are now open!

If you’re ready to kick-start your career in audio or music production, filmmaking, visual effects, digital arts and animation, or screen acting, apply by our Priority Deadline of the 29th of April, 2022, to secure your spot. Read on for more information.

[Header photo: Screen Acting Bachelor alumnus Daniel Straube by Aurélie Nydegger]

Now is the time to apply for Catalyst Berlin's 2022 course year . Here’s everything you need to know about the process.

Information About the 2022 Application Process

Make 2022 Your Year: Applications Now Open

Signals Festival, our annual community showcase, took place on the 15th and 16th of October at Catalyst’s Funkhaus campus. Revisit selected live streams and photography by Rita Couto and Ian Margio in our recap of the utopia/dystopia themed event.

The word ‘utopia’ is a pun. It was coined from the Greek ou-topos, meaning ‘no place,’ which is almost identical to eu-topos, translating to ‘a good place.’ Though we have come to define utopia as a perfect world, the word itself suggests that such a state of perfection can never exist. The same can be assumed for its inverse, dystopia. But as art and technology continually blur the lines between the real and the imagined, in the future, what’s to say that we won’t find ourselves in one place or the other? 

At our annual community showcase, Signals Festival – which took place at Catalyst’s Funkhaus campus on the 15th and 16th of October – our diverse artist line-up explored this fascinating question through live performances, audio and visual installations, film screenings, workshops and in-depth dialogue. Having honed their talent in our vibrant corner of Berlin, a melting pot of culture and creativity, our roster of emerging artists showed us a flash of the future they are shaping. 

Signals Festival co-organisers Hannah Deans and Suzana Benesova once again encountered the hurdle of COVID, but the exciting hybrid event succeeded in making the whole pandemic situation feel much less dystopian. The festival was a breath of fresh air and, above all, a testament to the creative resilience of our students, alumni, staff and special guests. The most amazing part (other than the exceptional work, of course) was that we got to dance! A huge thank you to all who were part of the occasion.

Want to relive some of those special, bordering on perfect, moments? Watch selected live performances and dialogue below.

BoLs/sLoB presents 'THE SLOB SHOW' /// Signals Festival 2021

Gina Lo & Felipe Vareschi 'A Temple in Space' /// Signals Festival 2021

Sarah Kivi /// Signals Festival 2021

Solving Mazes /// Signals Festival 2021

Ytotiany & Shoro /// Signals Festival 2021

elisanyhm /// Signals Festival 2021

Imaginaria + Alessandro Adriani present 'IGNES FATUI /// Signals Festival 2021

Richard Scott /// Signals Festival 2021

Signals x Videophilia - conspiracies, psychedelia and the virtual end-times

Watch selected performances, dialogues and photos from Catalyst Berlin's annual Signals Festival at Funkhaus Berlin.

Signals Festival 2021: Revisit Our Community Showcase

Signals Festival 2021: We Look Back to the Future of Art & Technology

Big news! Citizens of the EU, migrants and refugees can now apply for student funding at Catalyst via Bafög (German state funding). Funding options for Scandinavian residents are also available via the respective nations’ funding organisations. Here’s everything you need to know about applying for student grants and loans. 

Further opening up our institute to creatives of all backgrounds, eligible citizens of the European Union, migrants and refugees who live (or have the prospect of living) in Germany can now apply for student funding at Catalyst via BAföG. 

Funding options for residents of Sweden, Norway, Iceland and The Netherlands, via the nations’ respective funding organisations are also available. 

Ahead of our recruitment round for the 2022 course year, opening at the end of November, find out all you need to know about funding options for BA and MA study at Catalyst below. 

A word to the wise: we recommend that you submit your application to Catalyst by March 2022 to allow yourself plenty of time to apply for funding or a visa.

BAföG: Germany, the EU and Migrants/Refugees 

You don’t need a German passport to apply for BAföG, the Federal Training Promotion Act in Germany. Citizens of the European Union, migrants and refugees who live in Germany can also receive BAföG as financial support during their studies.

The basic rule is that if foreigners have the prospect of staying in Germany and if they are socially integrated, they are considered eligible for funding. These are, for example, persons with a right of permanent residence under the Freedom of Movement Act / EU, a permit for permanent residence in the EC or a settlement permit. 

You can also apply for BAföG as a recognized asylum seeker, a recognized refugee according to the Geneva Refugee Convention, or as a beneficiary of subsidiary protection. Refugees who are only tolerated must have been legally permitted or tolerated in Germany for 15 months before they are eligible for BAföG. Asylum seekers whose asylum procedure has not yet been completed cannot receive BAföG as it has not yet been sufficiently clarified whether they can stay in Germany.

BAföG funding is delivered to eligible students monthly, half as a grant that does not have to repaid and half as an interest-free loan from the German state, to applicants who meet the following requirements:

Your parents and/or partner earn comparatively little.

Age limit: 30 years; in the Master 35 years (exceptions are possible)

The maximum monthly BAföG rate for students is 853 euros. Half of the loan must be repaid, but no more than a total of 10,000 euros.

See a further breakdown of BAföG financial eligibility and potential funding options for students here.

During the BAföG application process, you will be prompted to search for your desired programme of study. As shown in the gallery below, do not search for “Catalyst.” You must instead search for one of the following Catalyst course names:

Electronic Music Production & Performance 

Creative Music Production & Sound Engineering 

The following organisations can provide financial support for BA or MA study at Catalyst: CSN in Sweden, Lín in Iceland, Lånekassen in Norway and DUO in The Netherlands. If you are from The Netherlands, you can also apply to BAföG.

Our monthly Ask Admissions sessions are an opportunity to ask any questions you may have regarding our application procedure. 

In case you need further advice or assistance regarding applications, funding and visas, don’t hesitate to reach out to our admissions team.

More details on our application process, course fees and entry requirements can be found in our Info Hub.

Our next recruitment round opens in November 2021. No matter where you’re from, our Priority Application Deadline for the 2022 course year is the 29th of April. Apply by this date and we guarantee you’ll get a place on the course, providing your application meets our entry requirements. As mentioned above, if you need to apply for funding or a visa, we recommend submitting your application to Catalyst by March 2022 to allow plenty of time for the funding or visa to be processed.

The standard application deadline is the 1st of July. Please be aware that after the 29th of April, course places will be available on a first come, first serve basis.

Want to get a taste of our school from the comfort of your home? You’re invited to our official Virtual Open Days taking place in November (19th) February (4th) and April (1st): a live tour of our spaces and facilities combined with programme-specific group sessions with our tutors and students. We also have a selection of Taster Workshops for those of you interested in getting to know our tutors and learning approach. And in the meantime, feel free to check out our spaces in our guided virtual tour below.

A safe space to dream big... join us in Berlin!

Funding options for EU and international students to study in Germany via BAföG, CSN, Lín, Lånekassen and DUO.

Student Funding Options Available at Catalyst

Our Definitive Guide to Student Funding at Catalyst

For the second year running, Catalyst joined forces with fellow renowned audio production school, Spirit Studios, to facilitate an exciting multidisciplinary collaboration between four pairs of our students. Learn all about Interface 2.0 and the resulting projects, one of which will be presented at Signals Festival this October. 

Two of Europe’s most progressive musical cities. Two renowned audio production institutes. Two unique creative perspectives. Connect these things and not only do you get a convergence of ideas, but an explosion of creative possibilities. 

Catalyst and Manchester’s Spirit Studios joined forces to launch the Interface Project in 2020. We gave a group of students from each of our schools the opportunity to pair up and remotely collaborate for 12 weeks on a project of their choice – be that creating a film score or shooting a music video. The goal: to creatively cross-pollinate and mutually push for innovation, despite the limitations of the COVID lockdown situation. 

The project was such a success that this summer, we went for another round: Interface 2.0. This year’s point of creative exploration was the dichotomy between the utopia and the dystopia, which as you’ll soon find out, resulted in some absolutely stunning work. 

Just like last year, the four selected pairs were competing for a slot to exhibit their work at our annual community showcase, Signals Festival – taking place on the 15th to the 16th of October, 2021 – plus additional support to realise their project in the real world. The two students who won second prize would each receive a piece of tech relevant to their course. Catalyst’s Charlie Baldwin and Spirit Studios’ Damion O’Brien, both electronic music production tutors, mentored the students throughout the project.

First-year VFX and Digital Arts student Ethan Ho brought his 3D skills to his collaboration with chiptune extraordinaire Matthew Creighton, aka Copilot Claude, to create a deep sea-inspired audiovisual piece. Second-year Creative Audio Production & Sound Engineering student Olívia Mamberti, whose talents include singing and songwriting, film composing and video making, teamed up with vocalist, composer and sound designer Maya Rain on an immersive audiovisual experience. First-year Creative Audio Production & Sound Engineering student Freddy Corazzini collaborated with fellow musician David Pani on a ‘90s inspired, percussive synth track and accompanying skateboarding video which, in keeping with their pre-internet concept, were processed and recorded on cassette. First-year Creative Audio Production & Sound Engineering student Anton Líni Hreiðarsson combined his soulful vocals with Ana-Maria Chipaila's EDM elements to create an upbeat pop song, accompanied by nostalgic video clips from their journey together. 

Above: Spirit Studios team at Interface 2.0 Zoom presentation

“Everyone really impressed us,” says Catalyst events and student experience lead and Signals Festival co-creator Hannah Deans. “They all had quite amazing learning curves and seem to have gotten a lot out of it, not to mention future collaborative partners.” 

Keri and Nyree, who coordinated the project at Spirit Studios say that being a part of Interface 2.0 was fantastic: “Each student brought something unique and memorable to the table, and the final projects were all astounding! Thank you to every student who put their heart and soul into this project, you have made this year one to remember!” Keep an eye out on the Spirit Studios blog for their upcoming podcast with the participants.

All four pairs created such a high standard of work that it was tough to choose a winner. In the end, one of the deciding factors was a crystal-clear communication and execution of the brief and vision, making Olívia and Maya’s piece a brilliant fit for an installation at Signals Festival. Ethan and Matthew came a close second and were awarded with a Leap Motion Controller and an Arturia MiniLab MKII respectively. 

Ready to be amazed? Watch all of the pieces below and find out more about the students’ creative processes.

“The project that I worked on with Maya for this year’s Interface edition was inspired by our intent to originate an art piece that would depict the dichotomy between utopia and dystopia, which are the themes for Signals Festival this year,” Olívia explains. “The summer months we spent working together completely remotely on Oneiro-Hiraeth consisted of a lot of meetings and sending material back and forth to each other. I’d go to the studios one day and record short ideas with improvised vocal harmonies and melodies and then Maya would develop them into longer songs with sampling and vocal processing, which were essential to evoke the whole audio identity of our project.

The name is a combination of the Greek word Oneiro (meaning “relating to dreams or dreaming”) and the Welsh word Hiraeth (meaning “homesickness for a home which you can’t return to or never was”). Therefore, putting those words together it translates to Oneiro Hiraeth: “Dreaming of a home that never was,” which is the main nostalgic feeling we wanted to encapsulate with the installation.

Regarding the visuals, I got my younger brother, Joaquim Mamberti, involved in the project to do the graphic design, illustration and visual character development for the videos we did for each chapter of the narrative, which then were used by me to be animated and distorted through experimental video editing, syncopated with the music for each chapter of the story.

Winning Interface 2.0. means a lot for both of us and having the opportunity to present our work on Signals made all the effort and hard work we both put into it feel beyond worth it.”

An Apocalypse Humdrum Among Long-Dead Cetacea

“Matthew, my partner for the project, and I decided very early on that we wanted to dive deep into the weird stuff and create something special,” Ethan tells us. “And we quite literally dove deep by deciding to revolve our project around whale fall and other creatures at the bottom of the ocean. 

Personally, this was a huge challenge as I had to create a 3D environment, model sea creatures, animate them etc. all in a couple of months. This pushed me to come up with new ways to streamline my production pipeline and achieve something that would normally take me at least half a year to do. We broke down our idea into sections and tackled them one at a time with Matthew leading the way with music and me following up soon after with accompanying visuals. We took it one step at a time and gathered all the pieces we needed before putting them together and the result is something we are very proud of.

From this collaboration, I learned that just because I’ve been doing something a certain way for so long, doesn’t mean I have to stick with it, I can push myself to grow still and step out of my comfort zone.”

Scanning with My Eyes Closed

“From the beginning of the project, me and David really hit it off. We realised we were into the same music and shared a lot of similar references,” Freddy explained during the project presentation. “So we started throwing ideas back and forth and, once a week, we would call each other and see what we were up to. Then, at one point, I got a grasp of this idea on the road and recorded that. So the whole thing started progressing from there. I did a drum track and then David added drum machines to it and bassline, then we did effects with synths and a bunch of other stuff. It was really nice and smooth. I’m super happy with the final project and I think David is too.”

Anniverse feat. Anton Líni - Feel

“We decided to go for a pop song and make a video that shows behind the scenes,” Anton said during the project presentation. “We started with Ana making a house beat and then we thought how we could make the vocals explain the utopia and dystopia theme. The vocals are composed to be more uplifting and happy. Midway through, it’s like ‘don’t change your mind.’ It’s trying to stay positive through hard times… [For the video] we decided to film the whole process about how we made the song. We could also translate it to utopia/dystopia with the idea of performing from inside the studio. And by recording our Zoom sessions, we could show that we were working from different countries in these hard times.”

Read about our audio production institutes' collaborative student audiovisual projects and who won a slot at Signals Festival 2021.

We Collaborate With Spirit Studios Manchester on Interface 2.0

Interface 2.0: We Announce the Winners of Our Collab With Spirit Studios

Everything you need to know about applying for a BA or MA course at Catalyst if you’re from Sweden, Iceland, Norway or The Netherlands.

Are you a resident of Sweden, Iceland, Norway or The Netherlands looking to enrol in a  BA or MA course at Catalyst in 2022? We recommend that you apply to our school early in spring, in order for our admissions team to support you in facilitating the  necessary funding or visa documentation on time.

Fun fact: over 50  of our current students are from these Nordic countries, bringing their  famously out-of-the-box thinking to our wildly international creative  community.

If you’re umming and ahhing about how the current  health crisis might affect your application, never fear.  Life in Berlin is returning to normal and all of our courses are currently running onsite with distancing and hygiene protocols in place. For more information, check out our COVID-19 FAQ.

Our next recruitment round opens in November 2021. No matter where you’re from, our Priority Application Deadline for the 2022 course year is the 29th of April. Apply by this date and we guarantee you’ll get a place on the course, providing your application meets our entry requirements. If you are from Sweden, Iceland, Norway or The Netherlands, we recommend submitting your application by then to allow you plenty of time to apply for a visa or funding. 

Interested in applying to Catalyst? Here's what Sweden, Iceland, Norway and Netherlands residents need to know about applications and funding.

Read all about it

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We Celebrate Some of Our Favourite Moments of the Year

Make 2022 Your Year: Applications Now Open

Signals Festival 2021: We Look Back to the Future of Art & Technology

Our Definitive Guide to Student Funding at Catalyst

Interface 2.0: We Announce the Winners of Our Collab With Spirit Studios

Application & Funding Information For Sweden, Iceland, Norway & The Netherlands

Coming Soon to Catalyst: What to Expect From Signals Festival 2021

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