European Master of Excellence program Media Arts Cultures

The European Master of Excellence program Media Arts Cultures (MediaAC) invites applications for the 2022–24 cohort. This high-quality international learning opportunity prepares students for the demands of the emerging futures in the creative and cultural sectors of our digital age. Co-funding by the Erasmus+ Programm of the European Union affirms the importance of Media Art research and practice for the cultural and educational future of Europe and beyond. Deadlines: Acceptance and Erasmus+ scholarships or Consortium scholarships January 9, 2022. Acceptance as self-funded/externally funded April 15, 2022.

Media Arts Cultures is organized jointly by Danube University Krems (Austria, lead), Aalborg University (Denmark), University of Lodz (Poland), and Lasalle College of the Arts (Singapore). Associated partners: Archive of Digital Art, Ars Electronica Linz, ArtScience Museum, DAM, Europeana, FACT, Het Nieuwe Instituut, Instrument Inventors Initiative, imai, Impakt Festival, MOCAK, monochrome, Neural Magazine, SPEKTRUM, WRO Art Center, ZKM.

The language of instruction is English and includes taught semesters, internship, and master thesis supervised by lecturers from the partner universities.

MediaAC faculty include: Andreas Broeckmann, Wendy Coones, Palle Dahlstedt, Steven Dixon, Oliver Grau, Jens Hauser, Elizabeth Jochum, Ryszard W. Kluszczyński, Wolfgang Muench, Maciej Ożóg, Christiane Paul, Ana Peraica, Katarzyna Prajzner, Jeffrey Shaw, Morten Søndergaard, Audrey Wong and many others.

Media Arts Cultures is a two-year high-mobility program, enabling students to study across Europe and in Asia. Students spend three semesters at different universities, complete an internship at a Consortium Associated Partner, and write a Master Thesis at the best-suited partner during the final semester. Upon completion, students receive a 120 ECTS joint master degree in Media Arts Cultures from three universities allowing graduates to further pursue a PhD within Europe or other international higher education regions.

Each year, 19 of the best EU and non-EU candidates will be offered Erasmus+ fully-funded scholarships for the duration of the program. Other funding from the MediaAC Consortium and external-sources are also available.

The MediaAC Consortium invites dedicated and energetic applicants from all countries and all relevant fields of study or experience to apply. MediaAC is one of the few culture-centered Erasmus Mundus programs, and the only program connecting culture to the digital arts. Digital media art plays a major role at international festivals and in contemporary culture. However, in part due to the obsolescence of presentation equipment and storage formats, media art has not yet fully arrived in archives and museums. The collection, exhibition and conservation strategies of digital art, as well as their mediation, are necessary for the modernization of art institutions.

The joint Master of Arts MediaAC aims to generate a better understanding of the image revolution. It addresses the needs of the evolving fields related to the futures and histories of Media Art. MediaAC provides education and training for future specialists in Media Arts Cultures and prepare them for emerging careers in the creative and cultural sectors, research and academia.

Selected topics like Media Cultural Histories & Heritage, Archiving, Experience Design, Media Arts Theory, New Media Aesthetics, Curating & Arts Management, or Media Arts Futures provides students both internationally-advanced theoretical as well as practical knowledge in the Media Arts, through a singular combination of pedagogical foci, trans-disciplinary approaches, and critical thinking in connection to the needs of both academic and non-academic stakeholders.

Contact: Media Arts Culture Consortium, mediaac [​at​] donau-uni.ac.at.