Students are invited to discuss the role of young people in society
Overview of language & culture café themes in Narva this autumn
Comings and goings in the Integration Foundation
KUMU brings classic Estonian poetry to a Russian-speaking audience
‘Musical bridges’ festival sings its way into the hearts of its choristers
Latest Russian-language edition of Täheke magazine to be released in October
Students are invited to discuss the role of young people in society
The Integration and Migration Foundation is inviting all students in grades 7-12 of general education schools and from institutes of vocational education to take part in an essay contest entitled ‘How can young people be of use to Estonian society?’. The essays can be submitted to the foundation from 12-28 October 2015.
“Working with the Ministry of Education and Research, we’re organising the contest for the fifth time,” explained Toivo Sikk, an area manager with the Development Centre of the Integration Foundation. “The umbrella theme this year is how young people can be useful to Estonian society. We decided on that as our topic because we want to see young people making more of a contribution to a broader range of things, including civic initiatives, that have an impact on a larger number and greater diversity of people. We think that by putting into words what they see their role as being they’ll gain a better understanding themselves of how much they can do to make their own lives – and those of everyone else in the country – better.”
The essays, which should be up to two pages (3600 characters) long, can be submitted until 28 October to essee@meis.ee. Authors should add their name, the name of their school and the number of their group or class, as well as a contact telephone number and e-mail address.
Starting from this year the essays will be judged in three categories: students from grades 7-9; students from grades 10-12; and vocational school students. One first place, two second places and two third places will be awarded in each category, as well as certificates of recognition for effort. The winning authors will receive their awards at a ceremony for the best performers in the essay contest and Citizens Day quiz at the House of the Blackheads in Tallinn on 21 January 2016. All of the prize-winning essays will be published in a compendium with the same title as the contest: ‘How can young people be of use to Estonian society?’.
For further information please contact: Toivo Sikk | Area Manager, Development Centre | Telephone: +372 659 9850 | E-mail: toivo.sikk@meis.ee.
Overview of language & culture café themes in Narva this autumn
Language and culture café get-togethers have been held in the Narva offices of the Integration Foundation’s Counselling Centre since spring. The meetings, which are held once a week in room 308 on the 3rd floor of the Keres Centre in Narva, form part of a series events known as the Language Café and Culture Café, which support free Estonian language learning in a non-formal environment.
“Everyone who comes to the language café get-togethers gets the chance to practise their Estonian and use what they know, and they’re inspired to use their language skills more in their everyday lives,” explained Irina Rakova, a counsellor at the foundation’s Narva office. “In the coming months we’ll be looking at things like work, health, and balance and satisfaction within yourself. In December we’ll be joined by Ljubov Smirnova, a medical worker who’ll be passing on the kind of first-aid skills that people need in their day-to-day lives and giving them the chance to learn some useful health care-related vocabulary.”
Rakova says that those coming to the café are also given an overview of local and national cultural events. “We also talk about customs connected to special days in Estonia and share our ideas on how we could mark these occasions in our own families. We invite guest speakers along, too. For example, on the 14th of October we’ll be getting a visit from Maria Kullamägi, a young woman who moved to Ida-Viru County a few years ago to do something with her knowledge of the fields of marketing and culture and to gain further experience at Narva College of the University of Tartu. She’s also been helping to organise the Black Nights Film Festival for a few years as a volunteer. She wants to contribute to the Culture Café as well, so she’ll be coming along to talk about the film festival and its programme for this year.”
Language Café get-togethers are held on Mondays from 17:00-18:00 every other week and Culture Café events on Wednesdays from 16:00-17:00 every other week. The themes of the events are updated regularly on the website of the Integration Foundation.
For further information please contact: Irina Rakova | Counsellor, Counselling Centre | Telephone: +372 800 9000 | E-mail: irina.rakova@meis.ee.
Comings and goings in the Integration Foundation
Riina Ring and Sandra Nuudi returned from maternity leave in October, taking up positions in the Integration Foundation’s Implementation Centre. Also taking up a new post was former Implementation Centre staffer Liilika Raudhein, who from this month is responsible – alongside the area manager for research – for assessing the impact of the foundation’s programmes, projects and activities.
Riina, Sandra and Liilika’s contact details can be found on the Integration Foundation website.
WE ARE PROUD TO SUPPOR
KUMU brings classic Estonian poetry to a Russian-speaking audience
Assisted by the Integration Foundation’s project competition for sports and cultural events supporting integration and a shared cultural space, KUMU – a.k.a. the Art Museum of Estonia – is presenting the works of Estonian poets to a Russian-speaking audience this autumn. A series of five events has been dedicated to the classics of Estonian poetry, the last two of which will be held in the second half of October.
Kadriorg Art Museum director Aleksandra Murre says they are organising the literary evenings in order to showcase the rich creative work of Estonian poets for the local Russian-speaking audience. “We want to make Estonian poetry more approachable to Russian speakers,” she explained. “We want to shatter the preconceptions they have and truly engage them. If we’re to do that, excellent translations and performances that really draw the audience in are obviously very important. We’ve held three events so far – one each dedicated to Lydia Koidula, Juhan Liiv and Juhan Viiding. We had their poems translated into Russian, and they were then read by poet, singer and artist Elina Gerodes. At each event we also present the artworks we have in our collection that relate to the poets and their work. So far we’ve showcased the works of artist Julie Hagen-Schwarz and painter Paul Burman, and Professor Irina Belobrovtseva has spoken about women in Estonian poetry in the early 20th century.”
Anyone interested in attending the last two events in the series is welcome to do so at Kadriorg Art Museum (Weizenbergi 37, Tallinn) on 15 and 22 October. Igor Severjanin, a translator of the works of many Estonian poets, his life in Estonia and his place in literary culture will be the focus of discussion at the 15 October event. In addition to the performance of the poems, the audience will also enjoy Russian Theatre actor Dmitri Kosjakov’s monologue ‘Severjanin in Estonia’. The final poetry evening will be dedicated to Marie Under. The guest speaker will be artist Vera Staniševskaja, who will be talking about the role of the artist/illustrator in the compilation of poetry collections.
The programme of each event can be found on the website of Kadriorg Art Museum at http://kadriorumuuseum.ekm.ee/eesti-luuletajad-vene-auditooriumile/.
For further information on the project competition please contact: Jana Tondi | Area Manager, Development Centre | Telephone: +372 659 9069 | E-mail: jana.tondi@meis.ee.
Aleksandra Murre | Director, Kadriorg Art Museum | Telephone: +372 606 6406 | E-mail: aleksandra.murre@ekm.ee.
‘Musical bridges’ festival sings its way into the hearts of its choristers
The Integration Foundation has given its backing to a long list of sports and cultural events supporting integration and a shared culture space this year, including the ‘Musical bridges’ festival dedicated to choral music.
The festival – which is designed to integrate the Estonian- and Russian-speaking populations through beautiful music and the act of creating something wonderful together – will be held under the auspices of the Further Training Centre for Musicians (the Pille Lill Music Fund) on Friday 16 October. The event will include workshops for 150 students, who will learn all about the vocal techniques of choristers, the cultural history of the song festival and activities connected to Music Year.
The day will culminate in a gala concert at the Russian Cultural Centre in Tallinn at 19:00 at which an audience of almost 900 spectators is awaited. Performers will include popular singer Tanja Mihhailova, talented young sopranos Maria Listra and Maria Veretenina, the Women’s Alumni Choir of Tallinn University of Technology (conducted by Andres Heinapuu), the Ukraina mixed choir (conducted by Stanislav Šeljahovski), the Russ mixed choir, the Eleegia chamber choir and the Allegro children’s choir (conducted by Svetlana Zaugarova). Pieces will also be performed by choirs from schools around Tallinn – the City Centre Russian Upper Secondary School youth choir (conducted by Natalja Junkur), the Tõnismäe School of Sciences girls’ choir (conducted by Inna Rüü), the Tallinn Co-Ed Upper Secondary School mixed choir (conducted by Aade Erits), the Õismäe Upper Secondary School mixed choir (conducted by Koidu Ilmjärv), the Mustamäe Upper Secondary School of Sciences and Õismäe Russian Lyceum project choir (conducted by Ljudmila Sjomina) and the Laagna Upper Secondary School girls’ choir and ensemble (conducted by Pirika Sööt and Lii Leitmaa). Leading the concert will be renowned pianist Piia Paemurru.
Admission is free of charge. More information about the event can be found on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/events/1645213005756803/.
For further information on the project competition please contact: Jana Tondi | Area Manager, Development Centre | Telephone: +372 659 9069 | E-mail: jana.tondi@meis.eeFor further information on the event please contact: Leelo Lehtla | Director, Pille Lill Music Fund | Mobile: +372 5648 4244 | E-mail: plmf@plmf.ee.
Latest Russian-language edition of Täheke magazine to be released in October
The latest Russian-language special edition of Täheke magazine – which showcases the latest Estonian children’s literature translated into Russian for children aged 5-9 whose mother tongue is Russian – is to be published in October with the support of the Integration Foundation. The magazine also features children’s own work, instructions on making things, a crossword and a comic.
“This year’s Russian-language edition of Täheke will tell readers everything they need to know about the latest Estonian children’s literature,” explained editor-in-chief Ilona Martson. “For example, there’ll be stories by Andrus Kivirähk, Kairi Look and Mae Lender and poems by Svetlana Jagodkina, who’s Kohtla-Järve. We also provide an overview of the Estonian children’s books that have been published in Russian over the year. Since the magazine mostly gets around via the children’s sections of libraries, we’ve dedicated a couple of pages in this issue to the theme of libraries – there’s a story by Moscow-based children’s author Artur Givargizov and an article about libraries. There’s an interview with writer Anait Piruzyan, whose roots are in Armenia, and whose children’s book in Estonia was published in Russian, Estonian and English simultaneously. And of course there are all the traditional features, like readers’ own work, instructions on how to make things, jokes, a crossword puzzle and a comic strip.”
The target readership of the Russian-language Täheke is Russian-speaking Estonian children aged 5-9 and their parents, grandparents and teachers. The special edition of the magazine will be available in the children’s sections of libraries all over Estonia. It will also be distributed to kindergarten children. In addition to libraries, copies are available from the office of the magazine. Some of the print-run of the special issue will be presented at international book fairs in Bologna, Moscow and St Petersburg by the Estonian Children’s Literature Centre and the Estonian Publishers Association. The Estonian Institute will also send copies to schools in Russia at which Estonian is taught.
The first Russian-language edition of Täheke was published in 2005. It has been published annually since 2010. The magazine is distributed free of charge. Publication of the Russian-language edition is supported from the state budget via the Ministry of Culture as part of the ‘Sports and cultural activities that support a shared cultural space and integration’ project competition of the Integration Foundation.
For further information on the project competition please contact: Jana Tondi | Area Manager, Development Centre | Telephone: +372 659 9069 | E-mail: jana.tondi@meis.ee.
For further information on the project please contact: Ilona Martson | Editor-in-chief, Täheke | Mobile: +372 52 66 556 | Telephone: +372 646 3697 | E-mail: ilona.martson@taheke.ee.
