Training Transdisciplinarity in Performing Arts Higher Education
The goal of this research project is to develop new ways of teaching and learning that help prepare students for diverse, flexible careers. The project contributes to a more collaborative and innovative arts education system in Finland and beyond.
Project introduction
Art and design schools are increasingly forming alliances across Europe through the establishment of multidisciplinary universities. Recognizing the need to prepare graduates for portfolio careers, many have mandates to promote collaboration between, across, and beyond disciplines. However, dedicated pedagogical models and curricula have rarely kept pace with these ambitions. There is, therefore, an urgent need in higher arts education for structured, research-informed approaches to transdisciplinary training.
Academy Research Fellow Kevin Skelton’s previous research examined these dynamics within music theatre and opera and introduced ‘counter-critical pedagogy’ (Skelton, 2023, 2024), a theoretical framework that calls for stronger collaboration between an institution’s departments and a more process-oriented pedagogical philosophy.
Building on this foundation, the project aims to
- empirically investigate the need for dedicated transdisciplinary training at the University of the Arts Helsinki,
- assess and enhance existing initiatives that connect the university’s academies of music, theatre, and fine arts,
- develop a transferable model for transdisciplinary curriculum development, and
- establish an international working group of researchers and teachers advancing transdisciplinary pedagogy in higher arts education broadly speaking.
Research data
The study will employ a cyclical research design and draw on both quantitative and qualitative data. In addition to activities at Uniarts, visits to leading multidisciplinary arts universities in Europe, North America, Asia, and Australia will enhance international collaboration and comparative insights. The collected data will consist of institutional documents, survey results, interview transcripts, and written, audio, and visual materials gathered in workshops.
Outcomes and goals
Expected outcomes include
- new courses at Uniarts Helsinki,
- artistic performances,
- an international research group in transdisciplinary pedagogy,
- a transferable model for transdisciplinary curriculum development, and
- peer-reviewed publications with recommendations for integrating collaborative, process-oriented learning in higher arts education.
- Societally, the project will contribute to building more adaptable and interconnected arts education systems and to better equip future artists and educators to navigate complex professional environments that transcend disciplinary boundaries.
References
Skelton, K. (2023). Counter-Critical Pedagogy: A Manifesto. Critical Studies in Education, 65(4), 348–365. https://doi.org/10.1080/17508487.2023.2266522
Skelton, K. (2024). Integrating Disciplines—Disciplining Integration: Opera Curriculum through a Transdisciplinary Counter-Critical Pedagogy. In K. Schupp (Ed.), Futures of Performance: The Responsibilities of Performing Arts in Higher Education (pp. 160–176). Routledge.
Project name
Training Transdisciplinarity in Performing Arts Higher Education
Time
09/2026-08/2030
Funder
Research Council of Finland
Collaborators
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Anton Brucker University (Austria)
-
Codarts Rotterdam (Netherlands)
-
Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse de Paris (France)
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Hochschule für Musik und Theater München (Germany)
-
KASK & Conservatorium, School of Arts Gent (Belgium)
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KhiO — Oslo National Academy of the Arts (Norway)
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LUCA School of Arts (Belgium)
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mdw — Universität für Musik und darstellende Kunst Wien (Austria)
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Academy of the Performing Arts Bratislava (Slovak Republic)
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Zürcher Hochschule der Künste (Switzerland)
-
Taipei National University of the Arts (Taiwan)
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Faculty of Fine Arts and Music — The University of Melbourne (Australia)
-
School for the Contemporary Arts — Simon Fraser University (Canada)
Contact
-
Kevin Skelton
Academy Research Fellow, Research Institute, Research Institute+358505059358kevin.skelton@uniarts.fi
Project introduction
Art and design schools are increasingly forming alliances across Europe through the establishment of multidisciplinary universities. Recognizing the need to prepare graduates for portfolio careers, many have mandates to promote collaboration between, across, and beyond disciplines. However, dedicated pedagogical models and curricula have rarely kept pace with these ambitions. There is, therefore, an urgent need in higher arts education for structured, research-informed approaches to transdisciplinary training.
Academy Research Fellow Kevin Skelton’s previous research examined these dynamics within music theatre and opera and introduced ‘counter-critical pedagogy’ (Skelton, 2023, 2024), a theoretical framework that calls for stronger collaboration between an institution’s departments and a more process-oriented pedagogical philosophy.
Building on this foundation, the project aims to
- empirically investigate the need for dedicated transdisciplinary training at the University of the Arts Helsinki,
- assess and enhance existing initiatives that connect the university’s academies of music, theatre, and fine arts,
- develop a transferable model for transdisciplinary curriculum development, and
- establish an international working group of researchers and teachers advancing transdisciplinary pedagogy in higher arts education broadly speaking.
Research data
The study will employ a cyclical research design and draw on both quantitative and qualitative data. In addition to activities at Uniarts, visits to leading multidisciplinary arts universities in Europe, North America, Asia, and Australia will enhance international collaboration and comparative insights. The collected data will consist of institutional documents, survey results, interview transcripts, and written, audio, and visual materials gathered in workshops.
Outcomes and goals
Expected outcomes include
- new courses at Uniarts Helsinki,
- artistic performances,
- an international research group in transdisciplinary pedagogy,
- a transferable model for transdisciplinary curriculum development, and
- peer-reviewed publications with recommendations for integrating collaborative, process-oriented learning in higher arts education.
- Societally, the project will contribute to building more adaptable and interconnected arts education systems and to better equip future artists and educators to navigate complex professional environments that transcend disciplinary boundaries.
References
Skelton, K. (2023). Counter-Critical Pedagogy: A Manifesto. Critical Studies in Education, 65(4), 348–365. https://doi.org/10.1080/17508487.2023.2266522
Skelton, K. (2024). Integrating Disciplines—Disciplining Integration: Opera Curriculum through a Transdisciplinary Counter-Critical Pedagogy. In K. Schupp (Ed.), Futures of Performance: The Responsibilities of Performing Arts in Higher Education (pp. 160–176). Routledge.