The Malta College of Arts, Science and Technology (MCAST) is proud to host Dr Shuntaro Yoshida, its first ERA Fellow under the prestigious Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) Postdoctoral Fellowship programme. The two-year project, funded by the European Research Executive Agency (REA) through Horizon Europe, brings international research excellence to MCAST. He received dedicated support from both MCAST and Xjenza Malta in preparing his successful proposal, reflecting the strong national effort being made towards fostering research excellence and international collaboration.

Dr Shuntaro Yoshida is an accomplished academic and practitioner in dance studies and performance. He holds a Ph.D. in Philosophy from Tokyo University of the Arts and has conducted research at prestigious institutions, including NYU, Waseda University (Japan), and the Berlin Centre for Advanced Studies in Arts and Sciences. As a lecturer at Kobe University in Japan, he is also a prolific author, with recent publications including the monograph Post-choreography: Jérôme Bel’s choreography and movement in malfunction (Routledge, 2024).

In addition to his academic career, Dr Yoshida has over a decade of experience as a choreographer, performer, and dancer. He has collaborated with international artists and collectives, and his collective works, which often integrate participatory performance, environmental themes, and AI-driven methods, have been showcased at prominent events such as the Echigo-Tsumari Art Triennale (Japan) and ‘Tanz in August’ (Dance in August, Berlin).

Leveraging his dual role as a researcher and practitioner, Dr Yoshida’s fellowship project, Environmental Turn of Dance: Convergence of Therapeutic Practice, Art Creation with AI and Community Practice (ETD), addresses to one of the greatest challenges of our time: climate change. ETD asks a bold and timely question: Can dance serve as a catalyst for ecological awareness and action?

The project will:

• Reframe dance as a medium for ecological consciousness and sustainability education;
• Examine initiatives in Malta that merge dance, environment, and community practice;
• Explore the relationship between embodied practice and the natural environment;
• Pioneer the use of AI in dance research and creation, opening new directions for audience engagement and accessibility.

By combining therapeutic practice, artistic innovation, AI technologies, and community outreach, ETD positions Malta at the forefront of arts-based climate advocacy. The fellowship demonstrates the EU’s and MCAST’s shared commitment to innovation with societal impact—advancing research excellence while engaging the public in sustainable futures.

Speaking about his fellowship, Dr Yoshida said: “Climate change requires urgent, creative responses. Dance, with its power to connect bodies, communities, and environments, can be a unique catalyst for ecological awareness and resilience. Through ETD, I aim to bring people together to imagine and act on more sustainable futures.”

ETD project receives funding from the HORIZON-WIDERA-2023-TALENTS-02-01 – ERA Fellowships under grant agreement No 101180719. Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Research Executive Agency (REA). Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.