Read all about it

The latest from Catalyst. From student work and events, to news and think-pieces.

Catalyst news and stories

We're still buzzing from this year's edition of Signals Festival, our annual showcase and gathering of creative communities from Catalyst and beyond. Here are some of the highlights from the event's live performances, installations, screenings, workshops and in-depth dialogue.

While annual events like the Catalyst Film Awards highlight student film and acting projects internally, films screened at Signals Festival sit within the larger community: alongside the industry’s rising stars, tutors and award winning teams. Screenings included the Catalyst Presents sessions, in which tutors and alumni submitted work that addressed the festival’s theme, such as Stephanie LeBolt’s dance film “Lady in White”, that put a feminist twist on a classic German fairytale or “Vaugahyde”, Adam Munning’s portal into the Berlin underground queer scene. Two independent festivals with international audiences - the Berlin Student Film Festival and LA Fashion Festival - both turned up with full programmes of prizewinning films from their festivals. A Signals Festival first this year was the addition of performing arts to the roster - Shanice Trustfull‘s live monologue Digital Flora unfolded the growth of social disconnection caused by the increased use of social media.

"The audience was both curious in the process and engaged in the message of the film" 

A key moment from the screenings was the Portuguese feature length film HARD PAINT by Filipe Matzembacher and Marcio Reolon. The intimate and erotic narrative of a cam boy’s online and offline personas was followed by a Q&A session with the writer/directors. The session brought light to the motivations and some challenges faced by them in producing this highly acclaimed film. “The audience was very present and were asking questions up to the last minute. They were both curious in the process and engaged in the message of the film. It was a delight to discuss the film like this”

Eight site-specific installations probed this year's theme from different angles. John Waldron used a pre-digital collection of artefacts to grieve the passing of a medium in “Gitti’s Wake” and drawing connections to human behaviour in pre-digital times. The festival chill-out zone was enhanced by Inphloxication and Bureau Klas Alman’s living sculpture that combined CGI and floral art. Meanwhile, on the first floor people queued throughout the festival to experience their body becoming a stage on which a concert is played in Nina Pixel and Ground Tactics’ Vibrational Hyper-Stimulations. 

Tamas Marquetant teamed up with Sebastian Dürer to present Haze Shifting - open ended and interactive, Haze Shifting was a meditative practice, a critical listening tool and a play with functions, roles and hierarchies within a studio environment. Full of contemporary references for an internet savvy audience, this installation captured the imagination of first year student Pedro Freitas, “I feel I’ve discovered new boundaries by seeing how creative the audio scene can be. Looking at [Haze Shifting], it’s like I have permission to just do crazy things and experiment with audio”.

Over both days, industry heads and recognised organisations hosted eight separate workshops. Covering a range of topics including; “Art of DJing” with Un:seen collective, “Sound for FMOD” with the creators of Harold Hailbut, and “Introduction to spatial sound” delivered by our Funkhaus neighbours Monom. We were glad to welcome back alumni Felipe Vareschi and Enyang Urbiks for sold out workshops, addressing workflows in field recordings [Vareschi] and mastering [Urbik]. “Most of all I enjoyed learning about the mindset and philosophy behind mastering. The workshop has helped me give words to concepts”, said Nilgün Gül, a music student and Signals team member who attended Enyang’s workshop. 

Another workshop that filled all the available spots was “Improvising Live with Lady Starlight”, in which live techno icon Lady Starlight returned to Catalyst to join alum Sarah Kivi to lead a live improvised jam session featuring a Theremini and Grandmother from Moog alongside a host of Elektron and Korg equipment. Also in the jam were Akkamiau, Peter Kirn, The Allegorist and Catalyst alum VIBKO. While there were many moments of note, watching the room of engaged musicians enjoying themselves made the workshop a very special experience.

The Allegorist turned up for more than just the session with Lady Starlight - the multidisciplinary artist also talked through her far reaching artistic vision during an open discussion into her creative process, hosted by Peter Kirn of CDM. A musician and visual artist with training in oil painting, the talk was essential listening for artists who move between disciplines. In the early afternoon on the following day, the floor opened to a panel discussion that put the festival’s theme at the centre of discussion. Over the course of the chat, Gozi, Portrait XO, Sam Madhu and moderator Caren Miesenberger talked about going viral, battling mental health issues within social media and much more. 

Ahead of her phenomenal “New Music Syntax (in testing)” live set, techno artist Kyoka had a deeply insightful conversation hosted by Beate Kunath. The talk was framed by Kunath’s documentary RAW CHICKS.BERLIN about womxn in electronic music, which came out seven years ago. Very fittingly, Kyoka spoke about how taking time to reflect was an essential part of her process. With the hindsight of the past years, Kyoka discussed how earlier in her career she worked more intuitively, following a rather emotional response to noise. Lately, however, she has taken steps towards rationalising the emotion, diving into neuroscience to support her creative endeavours. You can read part of the interview in Attack Magazine. 

Third year Creative Audio Production student JD Alvarado played many vital roles at the festival, including the technical support during the Kyoka dialogue. He said, “It was really amazing to see the research behind Kyokas's productions, but also the reasoning and the concepts behind them. Once you understand where it is coming from, you begin to perceive it differently, which makes her music more approachable. It’s not usually my style, but knowing the background allowed me to fully enjoy the performance later and has given me the drive to explore more of it.”

Listen back to extracts of recordings made at Signals Festival on reboot.fm! Podcast includes the talk between The Allegorist and Peter Kirn and the live jam session with Lady Starlight and friends.

Catalyst’s cavernous performance area - known on a school-day as ‘The Void’ - was the centre for live acts and DJ sets and as the October sun went down, the acts began. Across 17 wide-ranging and diverse performances the audience was invited into a new and at times deeply personal world - using the space to test an idea, finesse a skill or gauge a reaction. 

After setting the scene during her dialogue, saying how each piece of equipment for her live sets brings a different character, Kyoka wowed a full room with a set that travelled through different emotional states. With a strong feeling of empathy towards the audience, in her performance Kyoka reflected the overriding emotions of the listeners. A heartfelt thank you to Elektron who made this techno emotional joyride possible at Signals Festival. On the screen behind Kyoka, Catalyst Electronic Music Production and Performance alum Wei Kang Bei programmed live visuals that mimicked and danced with Kyoka’s eclectic sound. 

In stark contrast to Kyoka, who faced the audience and moved with them, in Dana Reason, AudeRrose and Renée T. Coulombe’s live and improvised scores to “Cinema’s First Nasty Women”, the focus of their performance was on the century old recordings projected on the wall. The trio’s performance temporarily transformed the dancefloor into a cinema with a strongly feminist stance. “I think it was a little different to other acts at the festival”, Renée said later with a wink.

On Friday night, wearing a boiler-suit and armed with a bass guitar, violin bow, strega and a host of other gear, Ireen Amnes stepped onto the stage drenched in red light. Anyone who has seen Ireen Amnes DJ would associate the red with a warning - industrial techno ahead. Signals Festival, however, was treated to an ambient live set. Yes, at times the red glow in The Void fed into an overall atmosphere of rising tensions, as Amnes stood in a powerful pose and pulled the violin bow across the bass or bounced from instrument to instrument, but using the strega for a process called “wave shaping” Ireen Amnes was able to manipulate and tame the audio into a set of ambient and highly experimental electronic music. Satisfied with the huge applause at the end of her performance, she later reported with a smile, “this is the first time I’ve used my bass in this way”.

At first, Sofi Paez’s performance seemed similar, as she used a classical instrument in an innovative way alongside live and cutting edge digital processing. But where Amnes bought an ambient drone founded on a training in prog-rock, Paez’s “contemporary classic” took festival attendees on a beautifully different journey. Student and team member Laura Lengua agreed, “Sofi’s performance was a highlight for me. I assisted Sofi in setting up her Ableton sessions in the weeks before the show - while doing that she explained her approach to the performance. This combination of live performances with pre-recording is not something I see often within neoclassical music. Seeing the full picture come together in her live performance was very inspiring.”

The expansion of this year's festival added many new faces to the Catalyst community; over 40% of the artists have not studied or taught at Catalyst. Many thanks to all performers who weren’t mentioned in this article, you can find the full programme and more detailed profiles of each artists submission here. As well as artists who participated - travelling in some cases from other countries for the event - there was a whole host of team members and without them the event wouldn’t have been possible. From transforming the space for all the festival guests and working essential roles throughout the weekend to preparing our halls and classrooms for lessons on Monday, many Catalyst students pitched in to make this event a success. For some, this was the first time seeing the kind of work that goes on behind the scenes of an arts and music festival, others took on organisational roles to develop their understanding. A big moment on the yearly calendar with over 1,000 people, Signals Festival was a highly social event. Nilgün Gül Özer said during the Saturday evening “More than anything I enjoyed meeting other students. Getting to know my peers has been a big plus - I’ve already set up studio sessions with some of them!”

Signals Festival 22 had a place for everyone. With support from Orchestral Tools, the event, along with the crafted worlds presented by the artists, were made accessible to attendees with modest incomes. Whether you were a Catalyst alum, returning to share some of your creative labour or an established artist adding your ideas to an audience  hungry for new perspectives. An enterprising student eager for events experience or a budding performer passionate for having their art experienced by others. Or simply a reveller hearing what magic is being cooked up at Catalyst.

Read all about our highlights from Signals Festival arts and technology festival

Signals Festival 22 broadened our horizons

Broadening horizons at Signals Festival 2022

Here’s everything you need to know for applying to the 2023/24 academic year:

“This 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: 2023 applications are now open!

If you’re ready to kick-start your career in audio or music production, sound for media, filmmaking, screenwriting, visual effects, digital arts and animation, or screen acting, apply by our round one deadline of the 31 March, 2023, to secure your spot. Keep reading for more information.

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

Now is the time to apply for Catalyst Berlin's 2023 course year. Here’s everything you need to know about the process.

Information About the 2023 Application Process

A guide for native and international students moving to Germany

Citizens of the EU, migrants and refugees can now apply for German state funding. Options for Dutch and 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. 

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

Read on to find out all you need to know about funding options for BA and MA study at Catalyst. 

A word to the wise: we recommend that you submit your application to Catalyst by 31 March 2023 latest to allow yourself plenty of time to apply for funding or a visa.

1. Germany & EU citizens (non-EU citizens subject to prerequisites): BAföG

BAföG is a needs-based German state funding, granted if a student, their parent, or their spouse, do not have the financial means to pay for living expenses during their studies (tuition fees are not covered). Half of the financial support is usually a grant and the other half is an interest-free loan that needs to be repaid. Successful application of BAföG funding also allows you to apply for an exemption from paying Rundfunk­beitrag (radio tax). See a further breakdown of BAföG financial eligibility and potential funding options for students here. 

Note: the below information is not exhaustive. If you have any questions about BAföG, you can reach out to studierendenWERK BERLIN on 030 93939 - 6000. They handle the processing of applications. For any questions related to Catalyst, please contact Jennifer Vaz at payments@catalyst-berlin.com. 

German citizens studying a full-time Bachelors or Masters course at Catalyst.

EU citizens (including Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Iceland) studying a full-time Bachelors or Masters course at Catalyst can also apply, subject to any one of the conditions below:

You have worked in Germany for at least 10 weeks at 12h/week at a minimum (you must hold on to the job during the course of study)

Your spouse or parent is an EU citizen who is currently employed

You are in possession of permanent residence permit in Germany (usually granted after living here for 5 years)

One of your parents worked in Germany for at least 3 of the last 6 years

Citizens of other countries can qualify for BAföG funding if:

You are officially recognized as a refugee or asylum seeker

You are married to a German citizen or the child of a German citizen

You, your parent or your spouse has permanent residence from working in the EU for at least 5 years

You must apply on the BAföG digital portal. To find the unique identifier number of your course, click here and look for Catalyst under AUSBILDUNGSSTÄTTE. 

During the BAföG application process, you will be prompted to search for your desired programme of study. As shown in the picture above, 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 

(*Although our course is VFX, Digital Arts & Animation, you need to select "Visual Effects")

If you have any questions about the BAföG application process, you can make an appointment with studierendenWERK, here. It takes 2-3 months to process applications, with summer being the busiest season. So do plan in advance, keeping in mind the tuition fee deadlines in August.

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

Student Funding Options Available at Catalyst

Funding possibilities for students living in Berlin

What is a master’s research proposal? What should it contain?

Before filling in your application form we strongly advise you to get an initial overview on terms such as artistic research and practice-based research. These are contested terms, and not always simple to grasp, but you will understand what is expected for a masters level programme such as ours at Catalyst, which is explicitly structured around a practice-based artistic research framework.

In terms of “framework”,  the subject and contents of this framework are up to you to propose and determine, in negotiation with your MA supervisor. 

To guide you in preparing your MA project proposal and application, below you will find some useful definitions and discussions to consider. Feel free to go as far as you like! The discussions get more complex as they go down, but we will discuss such ideas in more depth on the course itself, especially at the beginning, to help you get going, design and initiate your project.

Research is: ‘a process of investigation, leading to new insights, that are effectively shared’.

According to David Gauntlett, practice-based researchers explore their research questions through practice. They have to make things and experiment, and that is a necessary and essential part of the research process. They couldn’t do their research without doing this hands-on creative work. Read more about practice-based research from Gauntlett here.  

In this short introductory video from artistic research specialist Ned McGowan, we dive deeper into the meaning of artistic research and what it means to be involved in this creative practice: 

Here is a quite sophisticated discussion of the methods and approaches you may want to consider with Dr Helen Kara from the National Centre for Research Methods (NCRM). 

Here are two more detailed discussions from peer-reviewed journals. Do you know what peer-reviewed means? If not, it is time to find out!

When asked about your inspiration we don’t just want to know that you love music or film, that is all fine but it really doesn’t tell us very much about who you are. 

We want to understand your motivation - what do you want to explore and communicate - how might this go further than your own work? 

You can engage with this how you like, but you might for example think of approaching this section as similar to a short Statement of Purpose. Here you will find some successful graduate school statement of purpose examples, expert tips, and strategies to help you create your own effective proposal.

“If you don’t know or understand yourself, your history, and your unique point of view, how can you possibly create work that is meant to explore these same themes in others?”  -Jennifer Jo Stokka, Catalyst MA student.

We do want you to be creatively and practically engaged with music, sound, filmmaking or cinematography, but it is important that the project is not purely an artistic project; for example an album, film or a collection of songs. Pure artistic projects are great, but finishing a record is not the same as doing a master’s degree. Similarly, it should not be purely an academic or technical project. So what else should it contain?

Ideally a question, or a clear point of initial focus. You can’t just say “emotion,” “film music,” "lighting" “finding my vision or sound,” "writing my story", “synaesthesia,” “improvisation”, or “using hardware for performance.'' You would need to tell us, for example, exactly what you mean by these terms, how they are useful to your project, what questions or problems you bring to the table and how you might address these questions via your artistic practice?

A research aspect. Yes, your project may itself already be a kind of research, but you would need to tell us how and why, and how you intend to take it further? 

Some idea of artistic context. E.g. what other artists or artistic currents might have explored similar ideas, can you locate your project in history? 

A broader context, for example, social, technological, philosophical, political. Music is never just music. Film is never just film. How might your project interact with the wider world of ideas? 

A proposed process of investigation - i.e. a method, a research process. Clue, don’t just say you will read a lot. What will you read? Why?

Tell us why you want to do this as a master’s degree, rather than just something you are interested in. And why at Catalyst?


We hope that you have found these descriptions and ideas helpful! If you missed our project proposal workshops, you are welcome to request a recording by reaching out to our Admissions team. Once you submit your application along with your project proposal, you will receive feedback on whether your chosen direction is suitable for the framework we provide. 

Giude for Artistic Research and Practice-based Research within the framework of our Creative Production Masters (M.A) programme at Catalyst.

What is a Master’s research proposal and what should it contain?

What is a master’s research proposal and what should it contain?

Interested in teaming up with Catalyst students or alumni? Got an opportunity you think might benefit our community? Here’s what you need to know.

Reflecting the professional industry, our music, film, acting and VFX institute is oiled by collaboration – from the micro level of group work to the interdisciplinary macro level – keeping ideas flowing, projects turning and connections building. Need a filmmaker for your music video, a soundtrack for your film, an actor to motion detect in our green screen studio? How about crewmates, bandmates, event buddies, or colleagues? Everything is possible. 

You needn’t be at Catalyst to collaborate with our students or alumni. Everyone carries a piece of the puzzle – the more connections we make and the more projects we share, the closer we come, as a thriving creative community, to the bigger picture. 

If you’d like to team up with our students or alumni, or if you have an opportunity you think would benefit our community, read on for more information on how to connect. 

If you’d like to connect with our Film Production, Screen Acting or Visual Effects, Digital Arts & Animation students, you are welcome to join our Catalyst: Crew Call Facebook group. This is a community for support, encouragement, collaboration, networking and constructive feedback (when it’s requested). In order to be accepted, you need to read the group rules and answer the questions correctly.

You have a project (please post the type of project, available/needed positions, shooting dates/locations, contact info, and any other useful information)

You are looking for a project (cast, crew, musicians, composers, producers etc; please post your portfolio/showreel/examples of work plus contact information)

You’d like feedback or ideas on a work in progress

You have a work or work experience opportunity (please make hours, working conditions and payment clear upfront)

You’d like to promote your work or an event that might be of learning or networking benefit to the community

You’d like to share the result of a collaboration formed in this group

Catalyst: Audio/Music Network is a collaboration hub for all music production, sound engineering and performance students at Catalyst Berlin – and anyone else who would like to connect and work with them. This is a community for support, encouragement, collaboration, networking and constructive feedback (when it’s requested). In order to be accepted, you need to read the group rules and answer the questions correctly.

You are looking for a project (please post your portfolio/showreel/examples of work plus contact information)

You have a work or work experience opportunity (please make hour, working conditions and payment clear upfront)

Interested in teaming up with Catalyst Berlin students or alumni? Got an opportunity you think might benefit our community? Find out more.

How to Collaborate With Our Students & Alumni

How to collaborate with our students and alumni

Budget-friendly food, accommodation assistance, access to workshops and creative spaces, and more! As of the 1st of April, we’re joining up with StudierendenWERK to give Catalyst students access to a wide range of extra living benefits and cultural opportunities.

We take care of the learning experience, studierendenWERK does the rest. To add even more value to the student experience at Catalyst, we’ve partnered with the governmental organisation for student affairs in Germany. studierendenWERK provides public services for the economic, social, medical and cultural support of students enrolled at German universities. In particular, they run university cafeterias and dormitories, and provide the BAföG program to finance studies with grants and loans (more details about funding here). These benefits – as well as a whole range of exciting training workshops, cultural opportunities, events and more – will be available to BA and MA students from the 1st of April, 2022.

You can find the full range of services on the studierendenWERK website. For updates, sign up to their newsletter. Scroll down for our overview of the benefits that we think will be most appreciated by our students.

Canteens and Coffee Bars ☕️🍽

From Monday to Friday, food trucks drive to studierenWERK’s various halls of residence and canteens all over the city (interactive map here, or download the Apple or Google apps). They’re loaded with delicious meals (including vegan), cakes, drinks, snacks and coffee specialties. Payment is made using studierendenWERK’s MensaCard, which is the payment method in all of their facilities. Other payment options are available for guests (non-students). 

Access to locations for creative projects

We Are Kulturwerk Berlin

Students will have access to several Kulturwerk Berlin locations to use for creative projects, as well as being able to regularly visit events and exhibitions. Kulturwerk Berlin also offers a cultural programme with free events and low-cost workshops. Students are invited to create content and get on stage, as well as make connections through their Get Together programme. Stay up to date with Kulturwerk Berlin’s events by subscribing to their newsletter.

The KUNSTRAUM project offers additional spaces at various locations throughout the city. Students can express themselves artistically with exhibitions, installations, performances and media works. There’s also the opportunity to get involved in international artist residencies, explore virtual projects, and take KUNSTRAUM creative courses.

studierenWERK’s free training workshops offer students the opportunity to deepen existing knowledge, develop new skills and put them into practice, while advisory services provide useful tips on tax, labour law and social security for students. For those who have to work during their studies, training courses are also offered to provide additional qualifications and knowledge and improve chances on the job market. Further easing the transition from study to career, events cover practical topics such as employment law, tax return tips and correspondence training.

Finding an apartment: the dormitory portal 🏙

Though the waiting list for studierenWERK’s affordable student housing can be lengthy, this is a potential option to consider for students who are enrolling in three-year Bachelor courses and wish to plan ahead. Here, you can also find a useful search tool for shared accommodation (WG) and sublets.

Counselling centres and workshops at studierendenWERK BERLIN

studierendenWERK counsels on financing studies, studying with children, academic writing and mental health. The organisation is also supports studying with special needs.

Catalyst Berlin student access to StudierendenWERK university services and benefits in Berlin, Germany

StudierendenWERK: Living Benefits For Catalyst Students

We’ve Teamed up With studierendenWERK on Student Living Benefits

Watch this beautiful video from our 2020 and 2021 graduation ceremony, with music by Electronic Music Production & Performance alumna Chantal Saroldi, aka Pnksand. 

Fond Memories From Our 2020 & 2021 Graduation Ceremony

Double the graduates, double the triumph. On our latest Graduation Day, which took place back in September, we had two sets of achievers to celebrate: the classes of 2020 and 2021. For those who, due to restrictions, had to wait a year to don their gowns and mortarboard hats, the day was also a firm reminder of their enduring place in the Catalyst community, despite the distance of recent times. As students became alumni, old classmates became future colleagues, and creative careers began an exciting new chapter. Press play on the video above, created by Canan Cengel, to relive the wonderful occasion, made even sweeter with music by Electronic Music Production & Performance Bachelor alumna, Chantal Saroldi: Pnksand - ‘Cosmo.’

“I felt so proud seeing all of my peers and friends going up the stage to get their certificates,” Screen Acting Bachelor alumna Milena Rendon reflected after the ceremony. “Knowing that, after that moment, my life and theirs had officially changed after three years was a bit nerve wracking. It is the end of an era and the beginning of a new one. I am so excited to see what the future brings for all of us and thankful that I now have friends I can call my family. I am happy to start a new chapter full of new experiences and adventures but I will definitely miss all the amazing teachers and people at Catalyst with so much love and creativity to give. ⁠⁠Thanks to everyone! We did it!”

Milena’s former classmate Daniel Straube echoed her sentiment: “And just like that, one phase comes to its end, whereas another one starts. I feel immensely grateful and privileged for these three years of experience and for graduating as a screen actor. We discover the nature of our particular genius when we stop trying to conform to our own or to other peoples’ models, be ourselves, and allow our natural channel to open."⁠⁠

To all of this year’s graduates, we wish you the greatest success in the next part of your journey. 

On our latest Graduation Day, which took place back in September, we had two sets of achievers to celebrate: the classes of 2020 and 2021.

Watch Our Graduation 2020 & 2021 Highlights Video

Fond memories from our 2020 & 2021 graduation ceremony

This summer, join us in vibrant Berlin to set your creative career in motion. Find out more about our beginner and advanced short courses taught by industry veterans. 

Did someone say summer? If you’re hearing the call to be in Berlin in its greenest and greatest season – chilling at the riverside, partying in the parks, and connecting with one of the most vibrant communities in the world – then we’ve got the perfect excuse for you to visit. We offer a range of beginner and advanced summer short courses to kick-start or level up your creative career. 

Four intensive and transformational weeks of music production, studio recording, mixing and mastering, filmmaking or screen acting – taking place from the 20th of June to the 16th of July. By the time you pack your bags, you’ll not only be full of good vibes, but the skills and attitude to push forward into the next exciting chapter of your life. 

Guiding you on this exciting journey will be our passionate tutors, all practising professionals in their own industry and veterans of the local creative scene. Combining impressive vintage studios with state-of-the-art spaces and equipment, our iconic Funkhaus campus is the perfect place to inspire the imagination, make connections and, at the end of a hands-on day of learning, enjoy a riverside pizza!

If you wish to progress to a degree programme, but lack the formal educational requirements to apply through standard entry, our free Primer Workshops run alongside the summer short courses. As a bonus, we offer a 500€ discount for taking any short course in combination with a long course.

Don’t wait to create: Apply by our Priority Deadline of the 29th of April to secure your spot. Great news for non-EU residents: for this short stay in Germany, you won’t require a visa. Scroll down for our overview of each course.

Now’s your chance to throw yourself in the filmmaking deep end and shapeshift on set. Budding writers, directors, cinematographers and editors will learn the fundamentals of audiovisual storytelling, pre-production, working with actors and post-production. Begin to build a portfolio as you write, develop, shoot, edit and screen your own short film, and experience a range of other roles as you crew on the films of your peers. Our mentors have seen all sides of the industry – from directing experimental short films, commercials and documentaries to working in cutting-edge visual media.

Get in front of the camera, embody your character and grow your confidence in this hands-on crash course taught by our wildly experienced teaching cast of performing artists. From starring in films and theatre productions to voice and choreo, they’ve mastered it. Go deep into the script, hone a variety of techniques, collaborate on set and film a monologue in this contemporary acting springboard. Walk away with recorded material to produce your unique showcase. 

From Berghain regulars to modular synthesis nerds, learn from some of the Berlin scene’s most original veteran artists in this crash course in electronic music production. Covering all of the essentials – including the basic principles of sound, Ableton Live, recording instruments and operating hardware synths – the programme is the ideal launch pad for aspiring producers.

Know your way around a DAW, but interested in diving deeper into the nuts and bolts of sound design to develop a stronger sonic identity? Fluency in analog equipment and dynamism in digital make our tutors the perfect mentors for those aspiring to master production technology and go beyond into original artistry. 

Immerse yourself in the highly technical and creative world of sound engineering in this foundational four weeks, taught by sound artists who have rocked the world’s most prestigious studios for decades. Get to grips with the technical basics and discover the art of recording bands, soloists or electronic artists in a professional vintage recording studio environment.

Trust genre-straddling veteran producer Christopher Jarman, aka Kamikaze Space Programme’s pro skills and infectious enthusiasm to demystify the world of mixing and mastering and unveil the potential of sound. Develop a deeper understanding of the tools, techniques and thinking behind a well balanced, professional finished product and apply that knowledge in both commercial and home studio environments.

Beginner and advanced short courses taught by industry veterans: filmmaking, acting, electronic music, sound design, studio recording, mastering.

Learn About Our 4-Week Summer Short Courses

Level up your skills this Summer in our 4-Week Short Courses

Over 30 live shows, DJs, podcasts, ASMR and live streams, not to mention collabs with local collectives. This year is shaping up to be one of the biggest yet for our community-run radio station, Etikett Radio. Here’s our 2022 show line-up.

Etikett Radio’s eighth year on air promises to be one of the biggest and most diverse yet. This week, a fresh roster of Catalyst students, alumni and staff began broadcasting live from our steeped-in-radio-history Funkhaus location and beyond. Our community-run platform is all about expression, experimentation and evolution. This year, these closely held values are fuelling over 30 shows, including 24 DJ shows, seven podcasts, two remote international shows, one ASMR show and one live performance show. And that’s not all: prepare for regular Twitch streams, student showcases, online events and major collaborations with local collectives like Field Conspiracy, CTM Vorspiel and Threads Radio. 

Ready to join us on a journey of creative discovery? Check out the full 2022 show line-up below.

Find out which shows will be broadcasting live from the Funkhaus this year on Catalyst Berlin's community-run radio station, Etikett Radio.

Etikett Radio 2022 Full Show Line-up

Etikett Radio 2022: The Lowdown on a Huge Year to Come

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 Ferreira. 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