October Events

3rd-6th October: EUNIC Meeting

• EUNIC meeting EUNIC Estonian cluster is hosting a regional meeting in Tallinn.
• EUNIC is the network of the international cultural relations institutes from the member states of the European Union. Formed in 2006, it has 30 members from 25 countries.

6th October: The Kitchen at Coca Cola Plaza

• This autumn Coca Cola Plaza will bring to you live coverage of plays of National Theatre. In October you have a chance to see The Kitchen by Arnold Wesker. The play will take place in 1950s London. More about the play from here.

7th October: Tallinn Month of Photography festival and Liz Wells’ seminar at Kumu

• Tallinn Month of Photography is a festival of lens-based art organized by Union of Photography Artists in Estonia. The main program consists of exhibitions and events that seek to theme the possibilities, limits and spatial relations of lens-based art.
• On 7th of October you will have a chance to listen to the seminar (AROUND) Photography, or WHAT pictures NOW? at Kumu Art Museum auditorium.
• Liz Wells writes and lectures on photographic practices. She edited The Photography Reader (2003), and Photography: A Critical Introduction (2009, 4th ed.) and is also co-editor of photographies, Routledge journals. Publications on landscape include Land Matters, Landscape Photography, Culture and Identity (2011). She is Professor in Photographic Culture, Faculty of Arts, University of Plymouth, UK, and convenes the research group for Land/Water and the Visual Arts. www.landwaterresearch.co.uk

8th October:

• Education fair at Olympic Hotel

10th October: Deadline for participants in Empowering European Citizens project

• We are inviting youth workers from Estonia to apply for Empowering European Citizens project. The project is an inter=cultural project co-funded by the European Commission, British Council and ten civil society organisations across Europe.
• Participants gain an international perspective on community-led development as well as cross-cultural engagement skills. During the project 30 Estonian participants will participate in two international training events that will be held in eight countries across Europe starting November 2011 till February 2012. Read how to apply from here.

9th-14th October: Jana Metsamaa in London for YCE trip

• International Young Creative Entrepreneurs Award programme aims to champion and celebrate the importance of creative entrepreneurs working in the various creative industries.
• Our winner for 2011 award is Jaana Metsamaa from a company Quotista and she was selected from many others who were participating in Ajujaht competition. Jaana will go to London for an industry award trip.

13-th October: Pärnu Leadership Conference

• Annual Pärnu Leadership Conference will talk about power, influence and leadership. Two of the speakers this year include David Magliano and Geoff Mulgan.
• David Magliano was the architect and marketing strategist of the support campaign of 2012 London Olympic Games.
• Geoff Mulgan has worked in different positions at the Government of Great Britain, among others as the manager of the strategy bureau and a political advisor at the prime minister’s office.

19th- 21th October: Enterprise Estonia Conference 

• A major international conference on Creative Entrepreneurship that gives a health check to old tools and policies and introduces new ones. More from here.

20th- 21st October: Britten Sinfonia and James MacMillan

• Festival NYYD concert by Britten Sinfonia and James MacMillan

25th October: Ajujaht competition deadline 

• Ajujaht is a startup competition for young entrepreneurs creating innovative businesses.
• The competition is open for teams of 1-7 members of which 50% must have Estonian residency and age between 18-35. The best 20 ideas enter a development programme carried out over 3 months covering all subjects necessary for young entrepreneurs. The best plans take a cut in the prize fund of 95 000EUR and the possibility to enter a 1–year support programme for executing their business plan.

What does the British Council actually do?

“What does the British Council actually do?”

This is a good question. A question I was asked frequently before I began working in Tallinn. Like most people, when I do not know the answer to a question, I ask the oracle of Google, who usually delegates the task to Wikipedia.  I am told that the British Council is an institution “specialising in international educational and cultural opportunities.” Much clearer.

I thought it would be best to learn on the job as it were and one of the first events I attended was Tallinn Fashion Week. Your author knows nothing about fashion. My appearance can attest to this state of ignorance. But I am a curious human being, and went armed with a notepad and ball point pen. The British Council had arranged for Sally Denton, an expert on the fashion industry, to give a seminar to Estonia’s seemingly large community of designers, albeit predominantly female designers (I alone represented 33% of the entire male attendees).

Sally’s talk was, to my surprise, fascinating. The vagaries of the fashion industry were laid bare to a layperson like me. Should I ever want to start my own clothing brand I know that my collection should consist of 18 garments, no more and no less. The life of a designer is an unstable one, contingent upon the success of ones twice yearly collections. Most designers are sensitive to the various demands of the international market, as it were. In other words, what appeals to Western countries like the UK and US does not appeal to the BRIC countries (Brazil, Russia, India and China). I did not expect to learn about socio-political and cultural differences at a fashion seminar.

As a result, what the British Council actually does in a country like Estonia was revealed. Before I reveal what that is, it would be instructive to list what it does not do: It does not offer English language training. Why? Well, Estonians learn other languages from an early age at school, and especially in the last twenty years, the most popular language has been English. The British Council does not offer a teaching service in light of this, whereas, in countries such as Saudi Arabia, Yemen, etc, the teaching infrastructure is years behind Estonia.

So, finally, what does the British Council do? It serves as a catalyst, a facilitator between British people, businesses, institutions, organisations and suchlike with the Estonian equivalent. It is an important cultural link between countries. An institution such as this cannot be underestimated. The political tension in Russia has seen the expulsion of the British Council from Moscow last year. The Kremlin seems to have either a problem with cultural promotion or cultural sharing, for institutions such as the British Council operates under the radar of government while simultaneously promoting the positive, albeit soft side of its foreign policy.

This all seemed clear and purposeful as I watched Sally Denton give invaluable advice to Estonian designers. Likewise, Sally Denton had the opportunity to meet new and exciting designers from Estonia; it is a win-win situation. For me, the British Council is a facilitator of reciprocal cultural exchange. Well, that was what I had written in my notebook during the seminar and it looked to be such an absurd sentence then, as it is now, that I had to share it with you all.

Fashion Design Competition!

Emerging fashion talent Competition established by fashion festival  ‘FASHION INFECTION’ calls for international entries.

The objective of the Competition is to discover and reveal upcoming  fashion designers with fresh, new and  conceptual ideas. Winners  will be granted with all needed support and opportunity to make a start on the catwalk of  ‘FASHION INFECTION’ together with leading Lithuanian and prominent worldwide known fashion designers.

‘FASHION INFECTION’ is the most prominent annual fashion festival in Lithuania and Baltic states  started in 1999 and distinguished for conceptual and innovative attitude. More information at  www.madosinfekcija.lt  or info@madosinfekcija.lt

ELIGIBILITY

• The Competition is open both to design students and to professionals, without age limit.

AWARDS

•  The Jury made up exclusively of professional designers and fashion critics will award 3 winners. Winners will be granted with an opportunity to present their collections during the fashion show ‘FASHION INFECTION’ (29 – 31 March, 2012) in Vilnius, Lithuania. The organizers of ‘FASHION INFECTION’ undertake to cover all costs of each winner (including travel  and accommodation; models, all backstage facilities; photo and video records; press coverage; etc.).

COMPETITION PROCEDURE

Phase one – all entries must comprise following material by post  till November 21, 2011 (the latest date on
the stamp).

• Detailed curriculum vitae with portrait picture Image, text documentation of the collection with design concept (season doesn‘t matter)
• 15 – 20 looks sketches
• Few pictures of 1 accomplished style
• Fabric samples

Phase two – all entries  selected by the Jury will be invited to  participate in the second phase of the Competition. Everyone will be informed about the Jury decision personally till 28/10/2011.

•  All entries invited to the second phase will have to present 5 implemented looks on the catwalk during the final show of the Competition. Designers can  arrive personally to the event (but they will have to cover travel expenses themselves. Organizers will only take care of accommodation) or send the  garments with precise instructions by post. Organizers will send everything back to the designers after the final show.
• 3 winners will be announced during the final ‘INJECTION’ show held in Vilnius, Lithuania on December 11, 2011.
•  The winner is obliged to show not less than 20 looks at ‘FASHION INFECTION’ which will be held in March 29 –31, 2012 in Vilnius, Lithuania.

Entries will be analysed according to the following:

• The Jury, made up exclusively of professionals, will assess the authenticity and originality of the idea; design concept and quality; complete stylistic interpretation; choice of material and construction of cut; technical and creative realization.
• Design must be original and not previously produced.

Send material addressed to:

Sick Service Ltd.
Raugyklos st. 15-312
Vilnius, LT-01140
Lithuania

• All material will be returned to the sender.
• The designers of the works submitted will be responsible before any claims made in relation to the authorship of the designs and possible cases of plagiarism related to the same.

European Day of Languages Competition!

Are you multilingual? If you speak three or more languages we want to hear your story!

Enter to become one of our Language Ambassadors – you could win a new iPad 2.

 To celebrate the European Day of Languages, the British Council and EUNIC in Brussels are launching a competition to find Language Ambassadors who are willing to lend their voice to the cause of language learning by creating a short video of their linguistic journey.

The selected videos will feature as an important part of the websites of our major twin projects: Language Rich Europe and Poliglotti4.eu.

To enter all you need to do is to make a video clip (with audio) of 2-3 minutes, using all the languages you speak.  In the video we want to know about you and how your language skills have improved your life.

Use the following to help you:

• Who are you and what do you do? Introduce yourself.
• What languages do you speak?
• When did you learn your languages and how did you learn them?
• Why do you feel that learning another language is important?
• Can you tell us about a time or situation when knowing a foreign language really came in handy?
• How does speaking different languages affect your daily life?
• Please say “I love languages” in your favourite foreign language.

IMPORTANT: Use your imagination and feel free to involve your friends and families.  Most important is to make your video fun to watch!  Also be sure you speak in all of your languages.

 Why participate?

• To encourage and motivate others to learn languages.
• To share your insights on benefits of learning a language.
• To win a prize and feature on our websites among well known Language Ambassadors.

 Who can enter the competition?

• Residents of the Council of Europe Member States
• Adults of any age (18 or older).  Due to child protection regulations no one under 18 may appear in the video.

 How will the winners be chosen?

A panel of judges from the multilingual Language Rich Europe project team and the British Council will choose the winner. The panel will judge your entry on:

• original idea when choosing the setting and plot for the video clip
• the imagination and creativity shown in presenting their story of multilingualism
• the clarity of the benefits of being multilingual

 How do I enter?

• Read the instructions carefully first before making your video
• Read the terms and conditions before entering
• Make your video clip of Languages Speak Up!
• Upload your video with maximum 4 minute length

How do I upload my video?

Between September 26 and November 4 (17:00 CET) upload your video on YouTube and post the link to the video on www.language-rich.eu.

If you have any problems posting it there, just get in touch with christiane.keilig@britishcouncil.de.

IMPORTANT: Your video should be uploaded by 17:00 Central European Time (CET) on Tuesday, 4  November 2011.

What can you win?

• The winning video will win a NEW iPad 2
• One runner up will win a Sony Bloggie camera

IMPORTANT: All winners of prizes, including the main prize, will be informed by email and will be able to collect the prize on a date agreed with the organisers in the British Council office in your country.

Terms and conditions

By entering this competition, you agree to the following terms and conditions.

• Only one entry per person will be accepted. Duplicate entries from the same person will be discarded.
• The entry should not be a transposition or plagiarism of any other individual but the author of the video clip entry for the competition.
• Entry videos that are violating others’ rights for equality or are abusive to others will not be accepted.
• Entries submitted after 17.00 CET on 4 November 2011 are excluded from the competition.
• Staff of EUNIC member organisations (and relatives of staff) are not eligible to take part in the competition.
• The main prize is an iPad 2 (16 GB, wifi).
• The winner’s name will be announced on the Language Rich Europe, Poliglotti4.eu and British Council offices of EU countries websites and social media sites.
• The winners, including the first prize winner, will be notified by e-mail sent by the British Council.
• The winner must confirm the acceptance of the prize in an e-mail reply in 14 calendar days. If this does not happen, we reserve the right to have a second choice.
• The conditions may be changed if necessary by the organisers. If the changes are substantial, the organisers will contact the competitors.
• The British Council accepts no responsibility for any taxes or social security payments that may be due on the prizes. Participants hereby accept responsibility for making any necessary payments.
• There will be no cash or other alternative to the prizes offered.
• EUNIC inBrusselsand its partner institute (the British Council) will keep all the rights and will be free to publish and distribute the videos.
• The decision of the judging panel is final and the British Council will not enter into any correspondence with unsuccessful candidates about the result decision.
• The British Council will exclude from the Competition any candidate who does not follow the Rules of the Competition.
• By entering the competition a candidate accepts the Rules of the Competition.
• The Rules of the Competition become valid on the day they are published on the British Council’s web page.

First impressions of Estonia

Hello, my name is Sam and I am a British intern working for the British Council in Tallinn. This is my first attempt at ‘blogging’ so be warned…

It is always an exciting prospect visiting a new country. No more so than Estonia, a country which I knew very little about if truth be told. What I had heard was resoundingly positive. In fact, I had not heard one bad thing said about the place. High praise is more than enough for me to up sticks and move to pastures new (this spontaneity has served me well in the past). So I moved here last Friday to work for the British Council in Tallinn and have three months to make an informed judgement, but for now, these are my first impressions of Estonia having lived here for a mere four days.

The well-worn observation first: the old town of Tallinn is incredibly beautiful. Reminiscent of Prague in some ways, but smaller, quainter and full of meandering cobbled roads and stunning medieval architecture. The tourism industry in the old town has modelled the place as a well preserved hanseatic town, resplendent with medieval-themed restaurants complete with Hurdy Gurdy music and multilingual waitresses dressed in medieval haute couture. I fancy myself as a bit of a culinary expeditionary so I delved into a dish that sounded and looked like real Estonian food. Within the Town Hall is a small, low-priced restaurant called Krug. I had a delicious portion of elk soup, which tasted like beef, but still the Darwin club would be proud. Later that evening I went to a quiet, innocuous restaurant in the main square. For starters I had pickled herring on black toast, followed by a dish of pork, cabbage and potatoes smothered in sour cream. Both delicious. Both Estonian lagers Saku and A.Le Coq are tasty too, and washed down the meal nicely. I had heard from previous visitors that Estonians are exceptionally quiet in restaurants and bars, well, in comparison to British people (more about them later). That proved to be the case; I was self-conscious about raising my voice above a whisper.

But when you do hear Estonian’s speaking, it is a very soft-sounding pleasant language. The intonation, in my opinion, is not too dissimilar to English. Another blog will be dedicated to the language, which at first, appears impenetrable. But much more distinctive is the way Estonian’s dress. Perhaps I have been overly influenced by the shabby style that is pervasive in my adopted home of Berlin, but certainly by comparison to Berliners, Estonians are a glamorous, well-dressed sort. High-heels, expensive handbags and warm coats create an impression of smart-casual chic that one moreover associates with the Scandinavians just over the Baltic Sea. Then again, the only clothes shops I saw were expensive designer outlets and hardly any cheap and nasty retail chains that litter every town in my home country.

The only badly dressed people you see are the drunken ones lying prostrate on cobbled streets in the early afternoon, followed by a marauding pack of wolves, I mean men, chanting loud indecipherable babble and upsetting the peace of the old town. These are the British and Irish men on their stag-do’s, who no doubt visit Tallinn in their droves to admire the medieval architecture of course. As a red-faced Englishmen vomited at 3pm in the afternoon, I felt ashamed that our passports are issued from the same country. For me, Tallinn seems like an incongruous setting for such drunken revelry. As does Prague, but it is a cheap weekend break away (thank you Ryanair) and only two hours from the British Isles. Yet they seem to patronise the same drinking establishments they would in any town (Irish bars and Sports bars) and so it seems, to me at least, pointless them visiting anywhere new. Why not stay in Stevenage chaps? But who am I to judge? It is hard to deny that drunk men of British extraction spend a lot of money on booze and food (your author can personally attest to this, but I don’t chant, honest) on holiday. I hazard a guess that this is why Estonians are remarkably tolerant of the horde; the Estonians are having the last laugh all the way to the bank.

Estonians seem to be an exceptionally self-aware people. Realistic about their chances against Soviet and German occupation in the past (and go back further to add the Swedes and Danes to this list), while maintaining a strong sense of national identity throughout these tough times. It is very impressive and leads me to speculate that the countries small size in terms of land and population defines everything. Walking through the financial district, one is struck very visually by how such a small country punches way above its weight in nearly every field, and is succeeding. Why is this?

I had lots of questions and my first weekend also seemed like a perfect opportunity to tick off all of the touristy things on my list. I went on a walking tour around the city which was more illuminating for the topics that the tour-guide did not cover. As an ever curious chap, I am prone to ask inappropriate, insensitive questions. I have slowly learnt that not all people are comfortable answering probing questions about their country’s history and politics. Unlike where I am from, where everyone has carte blanche to ask, probe, pry and criticise anything they wish, safe in the knowledge they are unlikely to offend anyone or simply do not care if they do. It is inadvisable to insult the Queen admittedly, but we’ve stopped banishing people to the Tower of London so you should be fine. But I digress, so I wanted to ask this tour-guide a few questions:

•  On the whole, do Estonians regard the last twenty years of accelerated capitalism as a good thing?
•  Can a country the size of Estonia survive another recession? How can it remain dynamic, competitive and attractive to investors?
•  Are ethnic Russians living in Estonia treated fairly? Do you anticipate any political conflict from this group of people in the near future?
•  Is the legacy of Soviet occupation regarded as wholly negative?

You can imagine the beleaguered face of the tour-guide while your author reels off such penetrating questions. He must be thinking I am naïve or stupid. My intention is to be neither, but I hope I learn the answers to these questions while I am here.

July events

Our summery July events:

Until 25th of September – Gateway at KUMU

The exhibition gateways. Art and Networked Culture introduces a young generation of artists whose work deals with the changing conditions of a networked world – a world increasingly transmitted through media. The artistic works presented here use various means to tackle the theme of gateways that lead to realms of action and experience in our digitally interconnected culture. More about it from here

8-14 July – Tuned City – Sonic Landmarks – a sonic path through Tallinn

Tuned City Tallinn will undertake an acoustic exploration ofTallinn. The goal will be to identify and explore the sonic landmarks of the city which define its identity, shape its communication and transform the perceptions of its visitors and inhabitants. A fascinating cross-section of international artists, performers, scientists and thinkers will be brought together to present their ideas about sound and space. In addition, the public will be invited to participate directly through a series of workshops and sound walks and experience diverse site-specific installations, performances and demonstrations. Read more about it from here

17 July - Haapsalu Early Music Festival Simon Hall in Händel’s “Messiah” at Haapsalu Dome Church

Founded in the most beautiful West-Estonian resort town Haapsalu in 1994, the Early Music Days is one of the most appreciated festivals in its own genre inEstoniaand has caught the attention of several outstanding foreign artists. The aim is to bring our professional musicians as well as the audience closer to the early music area through high-level performances. More about Haapsalu Early Music Festival from here

22-29 July - Peter Robinson creative writing summer school at the University of Tallinn

The course deals with crime fiction, a rapidly growing and immensely popular contemporary genre, which has a long and varied history and many sub-genres.  The course is led by British crime writer Peter Robinson.

Peter Robinson was born in Yorkshire and studied English Literature at theUniversityofLeeds. He then emigrated toCanadaand took his MA in English and Creative Writing at theUniversityofWindsor, then a PhD in English atYorkUniversityinToronto.

Peter Robinson is best known for the Inspector Banks series of novels set in a fictional Yorkshire town ofEastvale. He has also written short stories and other novels. His books have won several nominations and awards. In 2002 he was awarded the Dagger in the Libray by the Crime Writers’ Association. His books have been translated into many languages.

Read more about it from here.

June events

These are our June events:

7 May – 26 June – Untold Stories:The Queer and the Political at Tallinna Kunstihoone

‘Untold Stories. The Queer and the Political’ focuses on the challenges facing the LGBTQI movement in Europe today, taking a critical look at the representation of gender, sexuality and the body in modern art, visual culture and public space.

The focal point of the project is primarilyEastern Europe, where the problems related to sexual minorities and gender inequality form a battlefield of social conflict and prejudice. The project also examines the history of the Eastern European LGBTQI movement, telling the public untold stories and unveiling identities forced to be invisible.  More info from here

13 May – 25 September - Gateway at KUMU

The exhibition gateways. Art and Networked Culture introduces a young generation of artists whose work deals with the changing conditions of a networked world – a world increasingly transmitted through media. The artistic works presented here use various means to tackle the theme of gateways that lead to realms of action and experience in our digitally interconnected culture. More about it from here

3 June - Seminar “Estonian integration policy – too much or too little integration?” at Tallinn University (Senat room, Uus sadama 5)

British Council together withInstituteofBaltic Studies,TallinnUniversityand Migration Policy Group invites Estonian policy makers and experts to the seminar that discusses integration policy ofEstonia. Questions discussed are: Is our citizen policy liberal compared to other European countries? How strict are our language regulations compared to other countries? How open is our employment market to noncitizens and how integration happens in education? More info in Estonian from here

8 June - Deadline of YCE Fashion award applications

The Young Creative Fashion Entrepreneur Award finds the brightest stars in the world of international fashion, recognising the importance of entrepreneurs in driving forward the fashion industries, developing their independent sector and representing the best of what’s going on in their local scene. Since 2005, 80 young fashion entrepreneurs from more than 40 countries have taken part in the programme, building an active alumni network in the process, seeing the creation of new collaborations and business, co-designed lines/collections, increased profiles and participation at international fashion weeks inBrazil,India,Indonesia,Mexico,Sri Lanka, and more.Estoniais taking part at the award for the first time. Read more about the award from here.

15-17 June - Philosopher Rom Harre Workshop at University of Tartu

Rom Harre is the Chair of the Sub- department of Philosophy at the University of Oxford and concurrently Professor of Social Psychology at Georgetown University, Washington D.C. He has published over 30 books in the past 30 years, both in the Philosophy of Science and the foundations of Social Psychology. His 1972 book, co-authored with P.F. Secord, The Explanation of Social Behaviour, became a `Citation Classic’, and is the foundation source of modern social psychology. Rom was a student of the founder of Speech Act philosophy, J.L.Austin (a pupil of Wittgenstein), a philosophy which is at the root of both Cognitive Science and current interests in language and discourse as they illuminate the `human condition’. Among his most recent books are The Discursive Mind (with G. Gillett), 1992; Discursive Psychology in Practice (with P. Stearns), 1995;Rethinking Psychology, 1995, and Rethinking Methods in Psychology, 1995 (both with J. A. Smith and L. van Langenhove).

29 June - Roxanna Panufnik Tallinn Mass: Dance of Life premier in Jaani Kirik

“Life dances through all incarnations of human weakness to finally reach the song of songs,” said poet Doris Kareva, who wrote the libretto here with Jürgen Rooste. The music was written by Roxanna Panufnik fromEngland, whose work, due to its aesthetic qualities and the message it embodies, has been used in peacekeeping operations.

The main soloist is the soprano Patricia Rosario (England), while Estonia’s own Eri Klas and Aarne Saluveer share conducting duties.
Dance of Life is a unique work. The content is a dialogue between the contemporary and medieval, based on Bernt Notke’s Dance of Death; the characters, familiars from that motif, have been given modern counterparts and are now involved in a circle dance with Life. The sound of tolling bells from mass will begin to be heard two weeks before the performance. At the end of the work, the bells of all of Tallinn’s churches will peal in unison.

30 June - London National Theatre Live broadcast of The Cherry Orchard

London National Theatre Live broadcast to cinema screens around the world. NT Live is an exciting new initiative to broadcast live performances of plays onto cinema screens worldwide. The pilot season was launched with Phèdre on 25 June, when the performance was filmed in high definition and broadcasted via satellite to various cinemas around the world.

This month you can see Chekhov’s The Cherry Orchard, directed by NT Associate Director Howard Davies, whose recent productions of Russian plays (including Philistines, Burnt by the Sun and The White Guard) have earned huge critical acclaim. More about it from here

Active Citizens Leedsis

Briti Nõukogu ja Avatud Eesti Fondi koostööprojekt “Teeme Koos!” kuulub Briti Nõukogu rahvusvahelise projekti Active Citizens  võrgustikku. Üheks projekti komponendiks on rahvusvahelised vahetused, mille raames erinevate projektis osavõtvate riikide osalejad sobitatakse kokku ühe organisatsiooniga Suurbritannias. “Sobitamine” toimub vastavalt sellele, kuidas Suurbritannia organisatsiooni ja projektiosalejate taust omavahel kokku sobib.

Projekti “Teeme Koos!” osalejatele valiti partneriks organisatsioon T4P Leedsist. T4P peaeesmärgiks on omavahel kokku tuua erinevate rahvuste esindajad läbi mitmesuguste tegevuste, et tagada rahulik ja sõbralik kooselu. Leedsi seisukohalt on sellise organisatsiooni olemasolu äärmiselt vajalik, sest tegemist on linnaga, kus elab Inglismaa keskmisest märksa suurem asiaatide kogukond ning kus kultuuridevahelised probleemid on sellega seoses märksa teravamad.

“Teeme Koos!” kaheksa aktiivset osalejat läksidki mai alguses Leedsi, et külastada erinevaid organisatsioone, näha erinevaid projekte ning saada uusi ideid, mida rakendada endi projektides Eestis.

Esimesel päeval avanes võimalus külastada projekti Positive Futures, mille kaudu pakutakse alternatiivset haridust noortele, kel on oht suunduda kuritegelikule teele. Teiseks projekti põhitegevuseks on vabaajaspordi, eelkõige kriketi, pakkumine noortele. Et täpsemalt aru saada kuidas see mäng võiks noori aidata, keerasid meie osalejad oma käised üles ning proovisid seda ka ise õppida. Välja tuli mäng väga hästi aga sellest hoolimata jäeti päris kriketiväljak ainult professionaalidele nautimiseks.

Teisel päeval suundus seltskond Leedist välja – Bradfordi. Bradfordis on Inglismaa suurim moslemi kogukond Londoni järel ning 2001 aastal toimusid linnas suured rahutused, mille põhjuseks olid pinged erinevate etniliste gruppide vahel. Kuna rahutus raputas linna ja selle elanikke tõsiselt, on selliste asjade edaspidiseks vältimiseks loodud mitmeid algatusi, mille eesmärgiks on linnale rahu toomine. Bradfordi ülikool on koduks näiteks „Peace and Conflict“ õppeprogrammile, mis on maailmas väga tunnustatud ning mida oli meilgi võimalus külastada. Teine huvitav projekt millega meil oli võimalus Bradfordis tutvuda oli Women of Peace , mis koondab endas erinevaid Bradfordi naisi, kes on tulnud kokku selleks, et levitada rahu sõnumit ning olla vastu Briti paremäärmuslus rühmitusele, EDL. Samuti tutvusime rahvusvahelise projektiga Peace Jam, mis viib Nobeli preemia laureaate kokku noortega, kes erinevate algatuste ja projektide teel panustavad rahu säilitamisse maailma erinevates paikades.

Kolmandal päeval tegid osalejad oma panuse projekti Nthuse, mille jooksul pandi käed mulda ning aidati heakorrastada kogukonna aeda. Inglismaal on väga populaarseks osutunud ühisaedade rajamine linnapiirkondadesse. See seab kahte eesmärki – tervisliku toidu propageerimine ning kogukonna kokkutoomine. Õhtu lõppes noortekeskuse külastamisega, mille eesmärgiks on noorte eemale hoidmine tänavalt ja pahandustest. Selle projekti käigus valiti selleks viisiks mootorrattaklubi, kus noored saavad harjutada sõitmist ning õppida hoolitsema mootorratta eest. Kui noored on projektis 12 nädalat osalenud saavad nad endale ka vastava tunnistuse.

Neljanda reisipäeva võib kokku võtta sõna all religioon. Grupp külastas Leedsi ühte linnaosa, Beestonit, mis sai kurikuulsaks Londoni 7/7 pommidega. Nimelt sealt olid pärit kaks Londoni pommitajat. Tegelikkuses on Beeston nagu iga teinegi linnaosa ning vastupidiselt ootustele, tõi kurikuulsaks saamine kogukonna väga kokku.

Samuti käisime Beestoni aasia kogukonna keskuses, Hamara. Eriti populaarne on selts vanemate inimeste seas, kes tulevad tihti sinna ainult selleks, et teiste inimestega suhelda. Beestonis külastasime ka South Leeds Academy, kool mis näeb välja nagu iga õpilase unistus aga mis kohe üldse see ei ole. Nimelt 2005.a. septembrist otsustati Beestonis panna kokku kaks kooli – üks, kus käisid peamiselt ainult valged ning teine, kus käisid ainult aasia immigrantidest lapsed. Kui koolid kokku pandi, tekitas see väga suuri pingeid. Pinged oli lausa nii suured, et koolis oli pidevalt kohal 4 politseinikku koos koertega, et rahustada olukorda. Kool algatas mitmeid programme, mille kaudu püüti laste tolerantsust erinevate etniliste gruppide vastu kasvatada. Saab öelda, et kindlasti on erinevatest programmidest kasu olnud, sest pinged on vähenenud ning enam ei ole koolis kohal 4 politseinikku.

Oma viimase päeva esimese poole saime veeta kuulates Suurbritanniasse tulnud põgenike jutte. Kui kollased ajalehed räägivad pidevalt kuidas põgenikud riiki riisuvad, siis reaalselt nende elu nii ei ole. Paljud põgenikud ei saa pikalt töötada, kuna see on neil keelatud ning kui nad lõpuks tööle lähevad siis püüavad nad kõigest väest olla abiks teistele põgenikele ja asüülitaotlejatele. Seda abi saavad nad teostada läbi mitmete organisatsioonide, mis on mõeldud just põgenikele ja asüülitaotlejatele, nagu näiteks REEMAP, RETAS ja City of Sanctuary.

Nagu eelnevast näha oli nädal väga tihedalt täis erinevaid tegevusi ning loodetavasti leidsid kõik osalejad endale midagi, millest kinni haarata ning midagi, mida saaks rakendada ka Eestis. Nägime seda, et projektid ei pea olema suured ja väga kulukad, väga palju head tööd saab ära teha ka ainult heade Inimeste olemasoluga. Samuti oli huvitav see kui palju mehi Suurbritannias sotsiaalvaldkonnas töötab. Kui keegi teaks mõnda head trikki kuidas Eestiski neid sellele alale tööle meelitada, oleks hea seda kuulda

Pilte reisist saad vaadata siit.

Mitmekesine Pelgumaja-Kalalinn

Briti Nõukogu ja Telliskivi Seltsi koostöös toimuval Kalamaja-Pelgulinna tulevikumängul võtame vaatluse alla piirkonna mitmekesisuse säilitamisega seotud probleemid*, lähenedes neile ruumilise keskkonna kaudu. Mängu jooksul testivad rühmad parimaid ideid ja esitlevad neid samal õhtul avalikul debatil.

* mõned käsitletavad teemad:

1. avaliku ruumi sidusus ja liikumisvõimalused

2. tegevusvõimalused avalikus ruumis

3. kodulähedased teenused

4. väikeettevõtluse ja loomemajanduse võimalused

5. elanikkonna mitmekesisus

Tegu on jätkuga eelmistel Kalamaja päevadel sisukaks osutunud Kalamaja mini-visioonikonverentsile. Ka seekordse ürituse väljundiks on ettepanekud peagi vastuvõetavasse Põhja-Tallinna üldplaneeringusse.

Ootame rühmatöödesse osalema Pelgumajas ja Kalamajas tegutsevaid kultuuri-, meelelahutus-, loomemajanduse jt asutuste esindajaid, kinnisvara-arendajaid, seltside esindajaid, linnaametnikke ja valdkonna eksperte.

Kontakt: ursula.roosmaa@britishcouncil.ee

May Events

May is yet another busy month for British Council. Everyone can find something interesting for themselves from variety of events and activities that we have a pleasure to offer you.

5 May – London National Theatre Live broadcast of Frankenstein

London National Theatre Live broadcast to cinema screens around the world. NT Live is an exciting new initiative to broadcast live performances of plays onto cinema screens worldwide. The pilot season was launched with Phèdre on 25 June, when the performance was filmed in high definition and broadcasted via satellite to various cinemas around the world.

This month you can see Danny Boyle’s production of Frankenstein, a play by Nick Dear, based on the novel by Mary Shelley.

7 May – 26 June – Untold Stories:The Queer and the Political at Tallinna Kunstihoone

‘Untold Stories. The Queer and the Political’ focuses on the challenges facing the LGBTQI movement in Europe today, taking a critical look at the representation of gender, sexuality and the body in modern art, visual culture and public space.

The focal point of the project is primarilyEastern Europe, where the problems related to sexual minorities and gender inequality form a battlefield of social conflict and prejudice. The project also examines the history of the Eastern European LGBTQI movement, telling the public untold stories and unveiling identities forced to be invisible.

More info from here

8 May – Alan Wilder Recoil soloproject at Rock cafe

Recoil is the project of Alan Wilder, formerly of Depeche Mode. Alan is a classically-trained musician and renowned contemporary music producer.
Alan will be presenting the updated version of ‘A Strange Hour’.

12 May - Marc Sands open lecture at 10.00 at Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre (Orelisaal) and at 14.00 at Viljandi Culture Academy (room 105)

Marc Sands is the Director of Audiences and Media, Tate.

Marc Sands leftCambridgein 1986 and immediately undertook an MBA. He joined the board at Guardian News and Media in July 2000.  During his time The Guardian and Guardian Unlimited have been awarded the Marketing Week Effectiveness Award and the Media Brand of the Year award for The Observer by Media Week. The advertising and marketing created for the Guardian has won many awards.

Since October 2009 he has been responsible for developing Tate Media, the organisation’s drive to develop the brand across online, broadcast and social media, to “strengthen Tate’s relationships with audiences and build social networks for the organisation”.

13 May - Marc Sands at Pärnu Marketing, Sales and Services Conference “The Age of Stories”

Marc Sands, the marketing manager of Tate Gallery will talk about organizing “Gauguin: Maker of Myth” at Tate Gallery – the exhibit that shook the art world. A thrilling story will tell us with what kind of efforts they created this exhibit that included all of Gauguin’s top works and that has been called the “tour de force” of culture.

13 May – 25 September – Gateway at KUMU

The exhibition gateways. Art and Networked Culture introduces a young generation of artists whose work deals with the changing conditions of a networked world – a world increasingly transmitted through media. The artistic works presented here use various means to tackle the theme of gateways that lead to realms of action and experience in our digitally interconnected culture.  More about it from here

7-14 May - Active Citizens Leeds visit

A group of Active Citizens in Estonia are matched with a group of Active Citizens in Leeds. During one week of May they meet, get to know each other and go through the joint training. Hopefully this is the beginning of few collaboration projects

22 May - Future City Game at Kalamaja Päevad

Future City Game generates new ideas on how to improve the quality of life either in a specific area within a city, the city as a whole, or in response to the common challenges facing cities around the world.  It is a two-day event involving city inhabitants from diverse backgrounds, representing different disciplines and led by a trained games-master.

27 -30 May - British writers at Reading Festival Head Read

• 27 May at 18:00 Jason Goodwin with Historian Tiit Aleksejev in Apollo bookshop (Solaris)
• 28 May at 12:00 Susanne MacLeod with Sash Uusjärv in the Writers House
• 28 May at 3:00 M.C. Beaton  (Marion Chesney) with Krista Kaer in the Writers House
• 28 May at 16:00  Jason Goodwin with Tiit Aleksejev
• 28 May at 18:30 Elaine Feinstein in the Russian Theatre Café
• 29 May at 12:00 Pascale Petit talk about poetry and art at Kloostriait
• 29 May at 14:00 Robert Service with Mart Laar  in the Writers House
• 29 May at  17:30 Elaine Feinstein, Pascale Petit reading poetry in the Writers House

The full programme of the festival and information about the authors can be found at http://www.headread.ee/

28-29 May - Active Citizens training: Project Management II

Project is implemented in cooperation with Open Estonia Foundation and it brings together representatives from Russian speaking schools, Estonian speaking schools and NGOs.