This paper discusses Hacking Hearts, a transdisciplinary educational collaboration between the art school Central Saint Martins (U.K.) and a science and engineering university, the Tokyo Institute of Technology (Japan). The concept of performativity—which was brought into the construction of the workshop setting—is used to explain the mechanisms of interaction across disciplinary boundaries commonly accepted in these institutions and academic areas. The collaboration transformed performative elements into a resource by creating an educational environment that enabled communication through encounters “on stage” between research scientists and art/design students. The discussion is situated within a growing literature on art/science education and offers lessons for establishing collaborative workshops between diverse participants.