MetFilm School has appointed Katharina (Kat) Koall as its new Dean. The appointment comes on the back of the school’s continued growth.
Kat started the role in October and is leading on everything to do with students and learning at both MetFilm School and ScreenSpace across all of the school’s campuses in the UK and Germany.
She comes to the world-famous film school from Ravensbourne University, where she was Deputy Dean. Kat has a wealth of experience in leadership, curriculum development, student welfare and governance.
Kat said: “Film is a big part of my professional life, and when I saw the role at MetFilm School advertised – I knew I had to apply.
“I’ve always admired MetFilm School, their hands-on approach to learning… the way they encourage their students to ‘get their cameras out and just do it’ is something I very much support.
Prior to Ravensbourne, Kat had various academic roles over a 15-year period at UAL, Goldsmiths and UCA.
Kat sees MetFilm School and its students as disrupters, she said: “We are responsible for ensuring that our students are ready for the future challenges that the industry will throw at them, that they are ready for jobs that don’t currently exist.
“And, these future opportunities lead us to consider big questions, how do we build our students’ technical skill sets, expand their critical thinking and ensure that they are flexible enough to face the challenge of the quickly changing industry?
“We are in a world of post-truth, where opinion and facts are increasingly blurred, so, how do we educate and prepare our students for this, so they are able to create high-quality short and long form content, to tell their stories with confidence?”
Kat is passionate about equality and diversity and believes that MetFilm School has a wider responsibility, not just to its students but the industry too.
She said: “It’s one thing to look at yourself as an institution and consider how you ensure that you are inclusive and diverse. Representation is important, anti-racist work is important, making sure that we are accessible to people with disabilities is important. But it’s not enough, we must be responsible for pushing the industry forward.
“Part of our role is to disrupt and change the industry, to show our students that they can be a part of this industry, that it’s not just the domain of the straight white male.
“It’s a big job. All big changes start small, and we will continue to break down barriers, to show the industry how the world is changing. We have to be our students’ advocates, to show them that studying here isn’t just a ‘thank you, good luck, see you later experience. “We’re in this together and it’s our job to push, to shout from the rooftops and to help the industry make space for our students.
“MetFilm School has its own sister production company, which is unique, and it enables us to show the industry how we are leading the way. We are at a critical moment for higher education and the industry, the traditional university education model is being challenged like never before. Change is imperative for both.”
And change is something that MetFilm School has embraced from its inception in 2003, it has now grown to become one of the worlds most respected film schools with campuses in the UK and Germany.
“Covid changed the way that we consumed and delivered content, it forced us to push the boundaries of what was technically possible, and it forced us to gain a lot of experience very quickly. That experience is transferable and has led to a sustainable and scalable offer – there could, one day, be MetFilm Schools all over the world.
Originally from Cologne, Kat is an active practitioner with significant experience in the areas of illustration and animation. She runs a London-based design collective working with commercial clients as well as community-based and cultural organisations and is currently directing a documentary with Water Bear Productions.
Kat first came to the UK as a student to study at Central St Martins and decided to stay. She lives in Essex and has four children between the ages of 3 and 10 years.
Says, MetFilm School Director Jonny Persey: “We are thrilled to welcome Kat. When we started looking for a Dean, we were looking for someone who shared our values and understood our unique approach to pedagogy and industry, who has substantial experience in Higher Education, and who could work with us to deliver on our vision. In Kat, we believe we have found all that in abundance, and we welcome her wholeheartedly into the MetFilm School family.”
