16.6.2025
In an extraordinary collaboration between science and the arts, the NTMxISOQUANT SciArt Residency begins in June 2025. This six-month interdisciplinary program is a joint initiative of the Collaborative Research Centre (CRC) 1225 ISOQUANT at Heidelberg University and the Nationaltheater Mannheim (NTM). Playwright Sarah Calörtscher—recipient of the 2024 Kleist Prize for Young Playwrights for her play Herz aus Polyester—has been selected for the residency.
Over the course of the residency, Calörtscher will explore how core concepts of quantum physics—particularly ISOQUANT's focus on universality in isolated quantum systems under extreme conditions—can be translated into theatrical language. Working closely with ISOQUANT researchers, she will develop a German-language stage text to be publicly presented at the Nationaltheater Mannheim at the end of the year.
For the Faculty of Physics, this collaboration represents a fascinating interface: it demonstrates how complex physical phenomena can resonate beyond the scientific community through artistic exploration. The residency fosters a creative environment where scientific thinking enters dialogue with artistic narrative, creating new spaces for imagination, reflection, and public engagement.
The outcome of this interdisciplinary exchange will be presented to the public in late 2025. For ISOQUANT and the Faculty of Physics, the residency exemplifies how science can find new modes of expression and societal relevance through cross-disciplinary collaboration.
FABIENNE GANTENBEIN
