Catalyst – Institute for Creative Arts and Technology

Catalyst – Institute for Creative Arts and Technology opened in Berlin in 2019, born from a belief that creative education needed to catch up with the industry. Built around practice-based learning and professional facilities, it has grown to 22 programmes across four schools, attracting students from 70+ countries. Degrees are validated by Plymouth Marjon University.

At Catalyst, every programme is assessed entirely through portfolio — no exams, no 

theoretical briefs. BA programmes build deep technical skills across music production, 

filmmaking, visual effects, photography, and acting, with coursework built around live 

projects: students produce, direct, record, perform, and publish work that reaches real 

audiences while still studying. In our MA programmes, student do independent, inquiry 

based work on artistic research projects. 

Across all four schools, students are encouraged to work together: a film student scoring 

with a music student, an acting student working with a creative psychology peer. 

Collaboration is written into the structure, and studio time is accessible beyond class 

hours. By graduation, students leave with a body of work, not just a qualification

Catalyst graduates move directly into the industry. Alumni have presented work at Edinburgh Festival Fringe and FEST, launched their own studios, and built careers as producers and sound engineers. The transition from student to professional is expedited by Catalyst’s is industry-level facilities which allow students to graduate with a ready portfolio. Berlin's cultural connections accelerate that further. Graduates enter a job market having already worked alongside the festivals, venues, and organisations that make up Europe's creative economy. MA graduates move into senior creative roles, artistic research, and leadership positions. Across disciplines, the demand is for practitioners who can work across boundaries, and that’s what four schools designed to collaborate produces.