Reflections on the mountain on inter- and transdisciplinary collaboration: A one-day workshop at Erentrudis Alm discussed ways for (new) transformative collaboration, provided a framework for exchange between researchers and stakeholders on ongoing and future projects at the interface of STEM and ART.
A beautiful and inviting place, the right mix of science, art, city and country, and plenty of time to talk and do things together: Interdisciplinarity in Unexpected Places 2023 was all this and more.The research management had gathered 20 people from different disciplines represented at the house for a joint day with selected external participants on the Erentrudis Alm. Among them were Doris Fuschlberger, the digitisation officer of the Salzburg State Museums, Eva Kraxberger from Wissens:Stadt Sbg, Carmen Wageneder-Schmid from the MINT coordination office, Andre Zogholy from KU Linz, Stefan Gindl and Markus Tauber from RSA.
The concerns and the future of Salzburg firmly in view and yet far enough away from it to get into joint thinking: Co-creation, inter- and transdisciplinarity, art and research, current cross-cutting issues but also research funding calls and strategies wanted to be shared, developed and possible future projects initiated across disciplinary boundaries. Driven by a great sense of community, and a genuine generosity to share one's expertise and experience, and with a desire to learn from each other, the day was enriching for all participants.
There was a special focus on STEAM, culture tech and the digitisation agendas of a music and arts university - made possible by a mix of formats including short impulses (on interdisciplinary and cross-sectoral funding streams and the city's digitisation offensive, European funding lines and the SDGs as a cross-cutting issue of interdisciplinary collaboration), group work and cabin talks on current good-practice examples from the university. The richness and depth of the exchange was an expression of the good cooperation, the willingness to learn from and for each other and thus also representative of basic interdisciplinary qualities. In conclusion, all this became a "HOWTO?" - what does it take to get into interdisciplinary work? - To engage with other positions, to listen and ask questions, to find a common language in the process and to agree on (few but binding) rules of the game, and: to acknowledge the processual character and to give it enough time and space.
May the seriousness of the approach, but also the shared fun and lightness that characterised the time together at Erentrudisalm lead to many a deepened joint artistic and/or research collaboration!
