At the end of 2022, several Film university members of the CILECT (International Association of Film and Television Schools) network gathered at ZHdK for a two-day workshop to discover CineDESK, a pre-visualization tool developed by ZHdK. The tool was met with great interest by the international attendees and set off fruitful discussions and potential international cooperation and initiatives throughout 2023. 

To further develop the cineDESK software and hardware, a cineDESK network was established by ZHdK, comprising of cineDESK partners who have built or are in the process of building their own cineDESK. The Hong Kong Academy of Performing Arts (HKAPA) is a very active member of the network and in 2024, ZHdK film lecturers went to Hong Kong to present the tool at the HKAPA PerformTech Symposium. CineDESK was also presented at the CILECT Congress held at the Communication University of China in Beijing on ‘Artificial Intelligence and Film Education’.

The success of cineDESK and the international cooperation it entailed led to ZHdK’s involvement in ‘FilmEU’, the European Universities Alliance for Film and Media Arts, and cumulated in the Department of Performing Arts and Film becoming an associated partner in early 2024. The alliance, which was founded in 2020, comprises of eight main partner institutions and is the only university alliance for film and media arts in Europe. With the aim to promote high-level education, innovation and research activities in the multidisciplinary field of film and media art, ‘FilmEU’ partners offer joint Masters, develop joint research projects, and explore a wide range of issues including quality assurance, the digital transformation of higher education and artistic research under the framework. As an associated partner, ZHdK can actively engage in selected areas and benefit from the network in general. The partner institutions have expressed their mutual interest in a.o. collaborating with cineDESK.
 

In our post-pandemic world, marked by crises like the Ukraine war and environmental threats, uncertainty looms large. Art is increasingly called to take political stances, but the concept of catastrophe has become overused, infiltrating our daily lives. It is crucial to adopt a more nuanced view and identify contemporary catastrophes while exploring the role of the arts in this context. A collaboration project between Zurich and Helsinki examined how the catastrophic can be expressed in the performing arts. 

The exchange module ‘Catastrophe and Performing Arts: Past, Present and Future’ is a collaboration between the theatre programme at ZHdK and the Theatre Academy at University of the Arts (Uniarts) Helsinki. In December 2022, ZHdK students travelled to Helsinki for two weeks to conduct research and develop artistic sketches. In Spring 2023, students from Helsinki visited Zurich to continue this work in transdisciplinary groups and presented their artistic works to the public in May 2023. 

ZHdK students enrolled in the MA Theatre Directing come from diverse backgrounds including dance, acting, and contemporary music. Uniarts contributed with dramaturgs, dancers, and musicians. The artistic output included performances, audio walks and urban interventions and was presented at ‘Helferei’ a historically significant site noted for its connections to Ulrich Zwingli and its role as a shelter during the plague.

Participants from the Tanz Akademie Zürich and the Bachelor Contemporary Dance were inspired by their trip to the Assemblée Internationale in Toronto in April / May 2023.  Established in 2009 by Canada's National Ballet School, this event gathers aspiring professional dancers, educators, and leaders from global dance institutions. The aim of AI23 was to strengthen ballet as an art form, reflecting societal diversity.

Along with more than 30 ballet and dance schools from around the world, the group comprising of students and staff from Contemporary Dance as well as members of the taZ interim management team, engaged in workshops on ‘Anti-Black Racism’ and performed four choreographies. The event had a transformative impact on the participants from ZHdK and highlighted the importance of inclusion and the need to address societal issues like racism and environmental challenges in dance. Participants recognised their individual responsibilities in effecting change, understanding that each of them has the power to influence their surroundings positively. The experience reinforced the idea that artists must engage with pressing societal issues, as this awareness can lead to personal and collective transformation. They appreciated the open, judgment-free environment that allowed for honest dialogue, fostering personal growth and encouraging them to question the status quo. This newfound perspective inspired them to bring these lessons back to their studios, with the intention of creating a more inclusive and responsive dance culture.