What do we do?

Catalyst is an international learning community, offering progressive education in creative production and technology at the iconic Funkhaus in Berlin.

Our courses span electronic music production and performance, audio production, sound engineering, sound for visual media, filmmaking, screenwriting, visual effects and acting. They range from summer short courses to bachelor's and master's degrees, validated by our UK partner Plymouth Marjon University.

Our students learn in English as part of a community of over 75 nationalities. Based on project-based learning and collaboration, and guided by expert tutors, our progressive education model empowers students to learn through “doing” and discover their unique creative identity.

Where do we come from?

We have been providing world-class creative production training in the UK for 20 years and Berlin for more than 7 years, under our old brand name of dBs Music Berlin and dBs Film Berlin. We have an established reputation for delivering hands-on, relevant and engaging education in a relaxed and adult environment.

Our bachelor's and master's degree programmes in Berlin are delivered in partnership with Plymouth Marjon University, who are our validating institution in the UK. We have consistently excellent ratings for the quality of our educational delivery in all public audits and numerous alumni working across the creative industries.

What powers our learning?

Our belief that 'greatness is grown, not born' powers everything we do. We provide you with a learning and self-development process that empowers you to imagine, build and become your best self, and to develop the skills to succeed.

All of our courses are built on project-based learning. We use a progressive education model, whilst complying with the rigorous requirements of a UK university. Progressive education focuses on building not just your specialist creative skills but also the real-world everyday skills – from leadership and resilience to communication and interpersonal skills – that will continue to transform your daily life long after you have left Catalyst behind.

We believe that the best learning involves getting your hands on the gear and maximising the amount of time you spend ‘doing'. Learning through 'doing', experimentation and collaboration with others is key to the Catalyst method.

Of course, our students also develop the technical skills and theoretical understanding which supports and enriches their doing. But doing is paramount, and we think it is part of our duty to provide them with at least some of the ten thousand hours of deliberate practice that K. Anders Ericsson's research would suggest we all need to become a real expert.

A diverse creative learning community

When we say that Catalyst is a safe space to dream big, we really mean it. Safe is an overused word these days and consequently it needs properly defining. We nurture and challenge students in equal measure. We support them along their creative learning journey, whilst challenging them to find their own artistic voice.

At its most simple, this is what we mean: No matter who you are or where you come from, we aim to create a space where you feel free to express yourself as a creative human being. We will nurture and support you along your creative learning journey, whilst challenging you to find your own artistic voice.

Between the team and the student body, we house over 75 different nationalities at Catalyst. This is a truly international community. But there’s always more work to be done. It’s a mountain with no top. Our team will continue to climb that mountain and build an inclusive community that enriches us all and allows our students to flourish, both as creatives and as human beings.

This extends to our admissions process. There is no 'right fit' for any of our courses in particular. Our film, visual media and acting community, for example, will be stronger and in a better position to tell stories that reflect the world we’re living in and the future we want to create together.

We welcome you as unique individuals and fellow creatives. Talk to us and let us know how we can make our community feel like a safe space for you too. 

Berlin... Yes, why Berlin? For anyone who knows it already, it is a question that doesn't need to be asked. For those that haven't yet experienced the extraordinary creative energy that this city exudes, it is hard to put into words.

It pulses with a creative energy that is hard to match anywhere else in the world. As a city, it knows more than most what has value and what does not. It has a difficult history which has somehow transformed itself into part of the richness of what it has to offer (though those with long memories may understandably not feel so ready to consider this positively).

There are 3 million Berliners and we reckon that about a million of them are artists of one sort or another. It's one of the world’s most exciting cities for creative media. It worships at the altar of the unconventional. The nightlife is legendary. When the Catalyst founder first came to the city, it was instantly obvious that Catalyst and Berlin were a perfect match for each other.

What's more, all of our courses are taught in English, giving you the foundation for an international career.