FilmEU has released a new position paper examining how artistic research is being integrated into Master's-level film, media, and audiovisual education across Europe.
While artistic research is well established at the doctoral level, its role in second-cycle (MA) education remains inconsistent, leaving many students without exposure to this mode of inquiry before they reach a PhD, if they pursue one. To ground the paper in real institutional experience, the authors surveyed 13 heads of study across all eight FilmEU partner institutions in February 2026.
The findings reveal a field in transition. Roughly half of FilmEU's Master's programmes now treat artistic research as a core part of their identity, while the other half are still experimenting or planning implementation. The biggest hurdles are a shared understanding of what "research" means in relation to creative practice, consistent assessment standards, and enough trained staff to support students properly.
Based on these findings, the paper puts forward three strategic priorities for the sector:
- Clear, flexible assessment criteria that do justice to the diversity of artistic research practices;
- Stronger dissemination frameworks so research outputs — films, audiovisual essays, process documentation — can be shared and evaluated effectively;
- Staff development initiatives to build a shared methodological understanding among supervisors, students, and administrators.
The authors argue that strengthening artistic research at this stage doesn't just benefit individual students — it positions film schools as genuine sites of knowledge production, strengthens the pipeline into doctoral research, and helps Europe's creative sector engage critically with rapid technological change.
Authors: Michael Keerdo-Dawson (Tallinn University), Martina Mullaney (Dún Laoghaire Institute of Art, Design and Technology), Érica Faleiro Rodrigues (Lusófona University), Zdravko Ruzhev (National Academy for Theatre and Film Arts), Alexandre Saunier (LUCA School of Arts).
The position paper is available in observatory.filmeu.eu.
