While artistic research is an established part of the higher education system in many countries, in Germany, it is only slowly gaining more attention. Currently, various art and music universities are offering a scientific-artistic doctorate, and there are repeated calls for the establishment of an artistic doctorate. As Germany's first film school with university status, Film University is a natural part of this development and the corresponding discussions.
Since January 2025, the BMFTR-funded research project ILLUME has been looking into the question of how artistic research can be facilitated and promoted at art and music universities. The objective is to find out how this complementary research approach must be integrated into the institutional structures in order to both positively advance the development of these universities and provide new impetus for science and society.
In cooperation with the Institute for Higher Education Research (HoF) at Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, the project team is not only researching the framework conditions and potentials of artistic research, but above all the key success factors. ILLUME is thus doing pioneering work: in German science and higher education research, artistic research has so far only been marginally investigated - in particular, research into its organisation is still lacking. ‘Within the scope of ILLUME, we are looking at artistic research from a different perspective,’ reports project manager Prof Dr Daniela Schlütz, ‘In collaboration with our partners from science and higher education research, we are investigating the future-oriented potential of artistic practices and forms and identifying suitable strategies and measures to expand and promote artistic research at German art and music universities.’
Course of the project
In the first phase of the project, the status quo of artistic research in Germany, including its historical development and problems, will be systematically mapped. In addition to a literature review, focus group discussions will be held to complement the research. The survey of the research field refers both to the individual level of the artistic researchers and - in a second step - to the organisational level of the universities. Thirdly, the structural level of the higher education system is taken into focus.
This approach first systematically generates research knowledge on the contributions and structures of artistic research in Germany in order to then identify suitable options for action. ILLUME thus directly takes up the German Science and Humanities Council's recommendations from 2021 and aims to provide guidance for relevant stakeholders - both for higher education institutions and for policymakers.
‘We are particularly interested to be in constant interchange with artistic researchers, both at Film University and of course beyond,’ emphasises project team member Dr Sarah Kordecki, ‘With its funding structures and events, the Institute for Artistic Research offers an ideal starting point here, and I am very much looking forward to exchanging ideas with my colleagues.’
PUBLICATIONS
- Britta Behm, Sarah Kordecki, Daniela Schlütz & Sebastian Schneider (2026): Potenziale komplementärer Forschungspraxen im Hochschulsystem. Beiträge und Strukturen künstlerischer Forschung und deren Integration an Kunst- und Musikhochschulen (HoF Lessons Learned Paper), Institut für Hochschulforschung (HoF), Halle-Wittenberg/Potsdam. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.18482413
LECTURES
- Behm, Britta, Schneider, Sebastian, Kordecki, Sarah (2025, Sep.). Potenziale komplementärer Forschungspraxen im Hochschulsystem: Sondierungen des Beitrags künstlerischer Forschung zu gesellschaftlichen Problemlösungen. Vortrag auf der 20. Jahrestagung der Gesellschaft für Hochschulforschung (GfHf), 10.-12.09.2025, Heilbronn.
- Behm, Britta, Schneider, Sebastian, Kordecki, Sarah & Schlütz, Daniela (2025, Sep.). Potenziale komplementärer Forschungspraxen im Hochschulsystem: Beiträge und Strukturen künstlerischer Forschung und deren Integration an. Posterpräsentation auf der 20. Jahrestagung der Gesellschaft für Hochschulforschung (GfHf), 10.-12.09.2025, Heilbronn.
