FilmEU Network Expands with Five New Affiliated Partners

FilmEU is a European university alliance comprising eight higher education institutions, including Tallinn University. In addition to Tallinn University, the alliance’s core members are Lusófona University in Portugal, LUCA School of Arts in Belgium, Dún Laoghaire Institute of Art, Design and Technology (IADT) in Ireland, the Academy of Performing Arts in Bratislava (VŠMU) in Slovakia, the Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre (LMTA), VIA University College in Denmark, and the National Academy for Theatre and Film Arts (NATFA) in Bulgaria. Together, they develop film and media education, international curricula, research and artistic research.

This June, five new affiliated partners joined the FilmEU alliance: Stuttgart Media University (HdM), Stockholm University of the Arts (SKH), Université Paul-Valéry Montpellier, Volda University College and Zurich University of the Arts (ZHdK). The new partners broaden the alliance’s disciplinary scope and create additional opportunities for cooperation at Tallinn University. Alongside BFM, the institutes of digital technologies, educational sciences, humanities and social sciences will also benefit.

What Does Affiliated Partnership Mean?

FilmEU’s eight core members form the heart of the alliance and jointly implement the objectives of the FilmEU+ project. In addition to the core members, affiliated partners — higher education institutions that wish to participate in FilmEU activities and cooperate with other institutions — can join the network.

Unlike the core members, affiliated partners are not part of the main consortium of the FilmEU+ project. Nevertheless, they can participate in the network’s activities, international meetings, professional training, research and artistic research projects, and student festivals. They therefore bring new knowledge and experience to the network while also gaining access to FilmEU’s opportunities.

Who Are FilmEU’s New Affiliated Members?

Hochschule der Medien Stuttgart (HdM), Germany. Stuttgart Media University is a practice-oriented university of applied sciences offering studies in audiovisual media, communication, information technology and media production. Its teaching places strong emphasis on practical projects, the use of modern technology and cooperation with businesses.

Stockholm University of the Arts (SKH), Sweden. In addition to film and media, Stockholm University of the Arts offers studies in dance, choreography, circus, opera and theatre. The university places considerable emphasis on cooperation between different art forms and on artistic research, and also offers doctoral studies in artistic research.

Université Paul-Valéry Montpellier, France. Université Paul-Valéry Montpellier is a large higher education institution specialising in the humanities and social sciences, with study programmes in fields including the arts, languages, literature, and cultural and social studies. The university is also active in film and audiovisual research and offers a master’s programme focused on documentary filmmaking.

Volda University College, Norway. Volda University College is known for its media and journalism programmes and its long-standing tradition of teacher education. It also offers studies in film, animation, communication and the social sciences.

Zurich University of the Arts (ZHdK), Switzerland. Zurich University of the Arts is one of Europe’s largest universities of the arts, offering studies in film, design, visual arts, music, dance, theatre and arts education. Alongside artistic education, the university is actively engaged in artistic research and in combining art and technology. ZHdK has already cooperated with FilmEU, for example through cineDESK, a virtual pre-visualisation tool that has also been tested by BFM students and teaching staff.

What Does the Expanded Network Offer Tallinn University?

The new affiliated partners complement the disciplinary strengths of FilmEU’s existing eight core members and broaden potential cooperation opportunities across Tallinn University. For example, the Institute of Digital Technologies (DTI) may be interested in the strengths of the universities in Stuttgart and Zurich in digital media, interactive technologies, and the combination of art and technology. The Institute of Educational Sciences (HTI) may find potential points of contact with Volda’s expertise in teacher education and media literacy, while the School of Humanities (TÜHI) may benefit from cooperation with the University of Montpellier in the fields of cultural, language and literary studies.

The broader network may therefore create additional opportunities for Tallinn University teaching staff and researchers to engage in international cooperation, for example through guest lectures, joint seminars, and research and artistic research projects. Students may gain opportunities to participate in international workshops, festivals and creative projects. The specific opportunities that will emerge from the partnership will become clearer as cooperation develops and agreements are reached.

In addition to its eight core members and five affiliated members, FilmEU also has an extensive network of associated partners, including higher education institutions, professional associations, film festivals, cultural organisations, broadcasters and companies operating in the audiovisual sector. These partners include Aalto University, Film University Babelsberg KONRAD WOLF in Germany, and the International Association of Film and Television Schools (CILECT). Estonian partners in the network include the Estonian Film Institute and Estonian Public Broadcasting.