ESTONIA

A few indications
Contemporary music is certainly one of Estonia’s best calling cards in the rest of the world, particularly with composers such as Arvo Pärt, Veljo Tormis, Erkki-Sven Tüür and Helena Tulve. Music, taking all kinds together, continues to play a major role in Estonian culture.
In the arts, the most important and most wildly anticipated event in the last few years was unquestionably the inauguration, at the start of 2006, of the new building of the Estonian museum of fine arts, Kumu kunstimuuseum, in Kadriorg.
The present-day panorama of Estonian literature is a kaleidoscope. In it one can distinguish numerous and various focuses. The young Estonian poets are active, associating with each other in various groupings, and the festival of Nordic poetry makes it possible to discover Estonian poetry.
After a crisis period at the start of the 1990’s, the theatres got their public back and Estonia began again acquiring the human resources needed for regular cinema production. Since 2007 people have been talking about the« new wave » in the Estonian cinema, following the success scored by films by young Estonian directors at international festivals.
In 2008, Estonia is celebrating its 90 years of independence since 1918, with numerous events in Estonia (www.eesti90.ee) and elsewhere in the world (in France: www.est-emb.fr/estonie90).

Organisation of cultural policies
The principles governing the national cultural policy have been laid down in cooperation with the Ministry of Culture, the cultural institutions, experts, the tertiary sector, and the representatives of government at local and regional levels. The Ministry of Culture has the task of insuring the existence of the necessary and favourable conditions for promoting culture, the heritage and sports, both from the viewpoint of cultural professionals and with respect to the general public. The questions relative to the heritage come under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Culture and of the national council of the heritage.
A large portion of the financial aid granted by the State goes to national cultural institutions, such as the National Opera of Estonia, the National Library of Estonia, the Museum of the Arts of Estonia, the Estonian National Museum, the State theatres, Estonian radio, Estonian television, etc.
The second main source of financing, after the Ministry of Culture, is the cultural foundation of Estonia, which has the task of supporting the arts, popular culture, physical conditioning and sports by systematically raising funds and redistributing them in the form of subsidiaries.

events connected with the country

Franco-Estonian tandem

5-8 December in Lyon
Visual arts
Hansaflux 2
A large- dimension performance installation using light and sound. Illumination of buildings in Lyon and Tallinn. Partnership between the « Fête des lumières » and the «Valgus festival ».

And also… 

18 June-18 July in Paris, galerie du Pont-Neuf
Exhibition
Priit Pärn
An Exhibition of the drawings of Priit Pärn, a draughtsman and director of animated films.

13-21 November in Toulouse
Multidisciplinary
Estonian week
On the occasion of the 90^th birthday of the Republic of Estonia, a cultural festival with exceptional programming of Estonian films, encounters, round tables, exhibitions, concerts…

28 November-8 December in Lyon
Multidisciplinary
Estonian week
On the occasion of the 90^th birthday of the Republic of Estonia, some cultural Estonian events based on the tandem project: a lecture on Estonian history by Jean-Pierre Minaudier, Estonian children’s stories, film showings…

28 November in Paris, Institut finlandais (Finnish Institute)
Colloquium
Jaan Kross, sum-up and discoveries
A colloquium dealing with the work of Estonian writer Jaan Kross, organised in collaboration with the Estonian Institute, the Estonian section INALCO, the Finnish Institute and the embassy of Estonia in Paris.

1-8 October in Paris, l’Archipel
Cinema
Baltic Cinema Festival
Showing of films, documentaries, animations, Discussion meetings with Baltic movie-makers. A festival co-organied by l’Archipel and by the Tempo Giusto Association.

6 October in Paris, grand salon des Invalides
Concert
Nouveau trio balte (New Baltic Trio)
With Marcis Kulis (clarinet), Vytautas Sondeckis (cello) and Andres Paas (piano). In cooperation with the musée de l’Armée (Army Museum).

8-26 October in Paris, Cité internationale des arts
Exhibition
An exhibition of contemporary Baltic art co-produced by the centres for Baltic art and the Cité internationale des arts.

9 October in Paris, l’Archipel
Concert
Baltic jazz concert
Organised with l’Archipel and the Tempo Giusto association.

For more information:
Embassy of Estonia
17 rue de la Baume - 75008 Paris
www.est-emb.fr
Press department: +33 (0) 1 56622204

• Updated: 17.07.2008

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