Dear Students and Team,

The new year is upon us, and though much progress has been made against the current pandemic with vaccines, the situation across Germany has not improved enough to allow for a normal return to work and study. Over the past days the German government has increased the lockdown measures, and additionally they have appealed to each of us to make every effort possible in reducing contact with others. In accordance with the measures, Catalyst will be amending our operations until 31.01.2021. Near this date we will be reviewing any new information from the state, with the intention of returning to normal operations.

In addition to the appeal from the government we understand that with the changing restrictions and new regions being determined as risk areas it is possible that some students or team members may need to quarantine over the course of the first two weeks of the new semester and as such these new measures ensure the safety of the Catalyst community as well as that of our broader city. 

New measures in place until the 31.01.2021

In person teaching will generally be suspended wherever sensible. Excluded from this are any practical workshops which can not be completed without the use of studios or classroom equipment. Wherever possible lessons will be taught online. Students who do not have the ability to attend classes online may use classrooms during the lesson period by speaking with their tutors and emailing techs@catalyst-berlin.com. Your programme lead and tutors will communicate all details with you. 

Bookable time will remain open. All bookings must continue to be made through SISO and Ad-Hoc bookings will not be possible. 

No visitors to the campus will be allowed. This includes artists / crew members who are not students. In person working groups may not exceed 3 persons. Exceptions will be possible for 3rd years with mid semester deadline who have completed a risk assessment. These are available in the Resources →  Health and Safety folder. All exceptions must be validated by an advisor. 

All team members are encouraged to work from home if it is possible for them to do so. 

Resources

Some software providers have extended demo versions for the next weeks or months. These will be sent out to each of you over the course of the next week. 

Please see this LINK for further free software and tools. 

Travel

The new lockdown restrictions mean that travel from some countries and regions has become more difficult. All students will receive an official letter in the next few days which confirms your enrollment and requirement to be present for in-person workshops. 

Please see the following LINK for all information on travelling back to Berlin and current quarantine obligations. 

Other 

The Berlin Senate has not yet released detailed information on how the new lockdown specifically affects educational institutions such as Catalyst. As such, there is the possibility that more stringent measures will be announced in the coming days. We will do our best to keep everyone informed as the situation evolves. 

I would like to thank you all for your understanding and your ability to find creative solutions in these difficult times. I hope you’ve all had the chance to fill up on some energy over the holidays and look forward to seeing you here in the hallways again soon. 

Stay Safe!