Symposium 2026
14.08.2026 11:00–17:00,
Narva Art Residency (NART)
On 14 August, the international symposium “Creative Connections” will take place at Narva Art Residency NART. The programme brings together experts in the fields of art and creative therapy who support the social and emotional well-being of children, young people and adults around them. The focus is on the applications of art and creative therapies within communities and in cultural education.
We welcome artists, teachers, museum educators, creative therapists, social educators, curators and other professionals in the fields of education, culture and mental health who are interested in hearing about the latest developments at the intersection of these fields. The symposium will provide an opportunity to gather inspiration, gain practical tools and make valuable connections across disciplines. Participants can expect a packed programme of presentations, discussions, workshops and creative activities. All of this will take place in the special atmosphere of the NART residency building and the surrounding park. Check out the programme below.
Hanna-Liis Kont, head of the platform “Creative Connections”, says: “Rising social and emotional challenges highlight the need for innovative, evidence-based practices that strengthen resilience, empathy and social cohesion. Arts and creative therapies provide concrete, practical tools to achieve these outcomes.”
The symposium takes place in the historic border city of Narva, where the intersection of different cultures and the unique atmosphere of NART create a perfect environment for dialogue, and making new connections through art.
The event brings together the latest knowledge and experiences from Estonia and around the world: Kjell Caminha (HDK-Valand, Sweden), Emily Goldstein Nolan (Syracuse University, USA), Jose Antonio Gordillo (Cultural Inquiry, Switzerland), Julia Volonts (Maryland University, USA), Anna Golubeva (Narva College), Frederik Klanberg (Kumu Art Museum), Dagmar Narusson (University of Tartu), Mariliis Tähepõld (Creative Connections, Haldjapere) and a host of other exciting practitioners share ideas and methods that can be used in schools, museums, cultural projects and many other places.
Symposium presentations and discussions will be held in English; parallel sessions will be held in English or Estonian.
The participation fee for the symposium is 40 euros and you can participate both on location and online. If you participate on location, the participation fee also includes a hot lunch. The number of places for on-location participants is limited and registration is open only while places last.
To participate, register no later than 01.08.2026 HERE.
The day before the symposium, on 13 August, it is possible to participate in Kjell Caminha’s workshop “Kreenholm in Motion” for free, which will take place from 2–5 pm. To participate in the workshop, register HERE.
This program is made possible by funding from the Baltic-American Freedom Foundation (BAFF), the Cultural Endowment of Estonia, Embassy of Sweden in Tallinn, Narva Art Residency and Smart Future Foundation.
See you in Narva!
Additional information:
Marju Kask
Project manager of the symposium
kunstloob@gmail.com
Symposium schedule
11:00 Gathering and welcome coffee
11:15 Introduction to the day by Marju Kask, Project Manager of the Symposium
TOPIC I: Learning Together: Renewing Collaboration Between the Art Field and Communities
11:30-12:15 Presentations
Topic introduced by Hanna-Liis Kont (Creative Connections)
11:35–11:50 “Artists Are Present”: How 27 Estonian Artists Are Bringing Art to Schools in Narva; Johanna Rannula (NART)
11:50–12:05 From Tension to Collaboration: New Roles for Art Mediation; Hanna-Liis Kont
12:05–12:15 Rehearsing Walkscapes: Walking Together as a Method of Mapping Narratives; Kjell Caminha (HDK-Valand – Academy of Art and Design, Sweden)
12:15–12:45 Discussion
Participants: Johanna Rannula, Kjell Caminha, Tea Lemberpuu, Frederik Klanberg, Anna Jensen and Anna Golubeva (Narva College)
Moderator: Hanna-Liis Kont
13:00–13:45 Parallel Sessions
SESSION 1: Embracing Mistakes: Creating a Safe Collaborative Environment Through Lumen Printing and Improvisation Games; Tea Lemberpuu, artist THIS SESSION IS FULL, WAITING LIST IS OPEN
SESSION 2: Cemetery or Community? The Different Extremes of the Museum; Frederik Klanberg (Kumu Art Museum)
SESSION 3: Rehearsing Walkscapes: Walking Together as a Method of Mapping Narratives; Kjell Caminha
SESSION 4: Growing Together with Public Spaces and Art: Shared Ownership in the Youth Project Cotyledon; Anna Jensen and Eliisa Suvanto, curators
SESSION 5: Children and Families Creating Self-Images with and without Algorithms: the “Welcome to Our PlAIground” Pilot Project. Towards a more Well-being Children-Centred AI; Jose Antonio Gordillo (Cultural Inquiry) Online session
13:45–14:30 Lunch break
TOPIC II: Applications of Art and Creative Therapies in Communities and Cultural Education
14:30–15:15 Presentations
Topic introduced by Mariliis Tähepõld
14:35–15:05 Global Perspectives on Community Art Therapy: Research, Definitions and Practice; Emily Goldstein Nolan (Syracuse University, USA)
15:05–15:15 Creating Relational Spaces: Cultivating Community and Belonging Through Art; Julia Volonts (Art Therapy Lab, Maryland University, USA)
15:15–15:25 Museums Supporting Mental Health in Communities; Dagmar Narusson (University of Tartu)
15:25–15:45 Discussion
Participants: Julia Volonts, Dagmar Narusson, Minni Hein and Maria Šulman
Moderator: Mariliis Tähepõld
15:45–16:00 Coffee break
16:00–16:45 Parallel Sessions
SESSION 1: Community Ecosystems: Mapping Relationships and Belonging; Julia Volonts
SESSION 2: Practical Museum Art Therapy Workshop; Maria Šulman
SESSION 3: The Art of Slow Looking; Minni Hein
SESSION 4: Art Therapy meets Open Dialogues; Dagmar Narusson, Mariliis Tähepõld & Marju Kask
SESSION 5: Dance and movement therapy workshop “Closer to Yourself”, Christin Taul
16:45–17:15 Summary of the day
Programme content
I TOPIC: Learning Together: Renewing Collaboration Between the Art Field and Communities
PRESESSION: 13.08 14:00-17:00
Kreenholm in Motion: Walking and Layering the Imaginary Together, Kjell Caminha
What are the shared visions for the future of Kreenholm? Through collective walking and critical questioning, we will explore this iconic site beyond its industrial history. We invite educators and young adults to bring their lived experience and questions to map the space: not as it is, but as it could be. We embrace linguistic diversity: English fluency is not required. Our group will operate in a trilingual environment (English, Estonian, and Russian), navigating meanings across languages to build a shared understanding. We want to ensure these voices have an impact: the insights revealed during our walk will be compiled and shared with the Narva Museum and NART to further support local civic agency. Booking is required: sign-up to participate in this three-hour on-site walking workshop HERE. Also, wear comfortable shoes and dress for the weather!
14.08
PRESENTATIONS
“Artists Are Present”: How 27 Estonian Artists Are Bringing Art to Schools in Narva; Johanna Rannula (NART)
The Narva Art Residency project “Artists Are Present” will bring 27 Estonian-speaking artists to schools in the Narva region over the course of a year and a half. The aim of the project, supported by the Smart Future Foundation, is to create an opportunity for young people to practice Estonian and to increase the accessibility of contemporary art. Young people in Ida-Viru County today have fewer opportunities to participate in art and cultural life than their peers in other parts of Estonia. The language barrier and limited exposure to Estonian-speaking cultural spaces deepen this gap. At the same time, the ongoing education reform is a major challenge for local schools: young people have few opportunities to communicate with native speakers, and the ‘normal Estonian-language cultural space’ often remains distant and abstract. The presentation will explain how multilateral cooperation is structured and what the students, teachers and artists who participated in the spring learned during the activities.
From Tension to Collaboration: New Roles Supporting Engagement in Art; Hanna-Liis Kont
Teachers continue to be one of the most important collaborative partners for museums and other art organisations when it comes to making art more accessible for children and young people. Yet, in Estonia, recent miscommunication between key stakeholders has exposed the fragility of these relationships. As art and museum professionals are working to overcome barriers and strengthen cooperation with schools, an important question has emerged: which forms of collaboration are most needed today? Drawing on examples from the art education platform “Creative Connections” and other initiatives in Estonia, this presentation explores new roles that support engagement in art.
Rehearsing Walkscapes: Walking Together as a Method of Mapping Narratives, Kjell Caminha (HDK-Valand – University of Gothenburg)
The artist and educator Kjell Caminha runs a course on public art at HDK-Valand, University of Gothenburg. Drawing from his teaching and artistic research, he will share part of the methodology applied in his performative walks to interrogate public space. Moving beyond place-making or city branding, participants are encouraged to actively observe connectivity, control, usefulness, public symbols, ephemeral manifestations and their personal stories to uncover what is (and isn’t) represented or proposed in public space.
PARALLEL SESSIONS
SESSION 1: Embracing Mistakes: Creating a Safe Collaborative Environment Through Lumen Printing and Improvisation Games; Tea Lemberpuu, artist
THIS SESSION IS FULL, WAITING LIST IS OPEN
Tea Lemberpuu’s workshop involves experimentation with photographic paper and chemistry: the image is created through the interaction of light, time and chance. Both the process and the result are exciting, with the latter not depending too much on previous experience. In addition, participants can experience the supportive effect of using the body and voice through improvisation exercises. The compass for the activities is the question: “How do I want to feel?” Practical activity is merely a form that allows the desired feelings to be put into practice. One of the principles of improvisation − mistakes are good − creates a safe co-creation environment in which learning becomes possible. The workshop is based on the activities carried out at the Narva Pähklimäe School in the spring of 2026 as part of the project “Artists Are Present” and will be held in Estonian.
SESSION 2: Cemetery or Community? The Different Extremes of the Museum; Frederik Klanberg (Kumu Art Museum)
One of the most important goals of museums is to preserve cultural heritage. Based on this premise, one might assume that a museum does not need a community around it. At the same time, communities seem to need museums. An unsafe world creates the need to find safe gathering places. Using the examples of the public project “Activism School” and the “Rehearsals for Solidarity” initiative organised at the Kumu Art Museum, we will explore how the museum can be a safe space for young people in particular to shape our common future. We will pay special attention to developing young people’s co-creative skills and the sustainable forms of cooperation with schools necessary for this. We will also discuss what values could guide such activities. The session will begin with a short discussion, where in addition to practical examples based on the Kumu Art Museum, possible theoretical frameworks that could be useful in this session will be briefly shared. The participants’ own knowledge and experiences will also be applied to develop a common vision of the possibilities of this outcome. The session will be held in Estonian.
SESSION 3: Mirroring the City: Narrative Mapping with a Friend; Kjell Caminha
The session provides practical ways to employ the method of narrative mapping used in Caminha’s performative walks. Participants are encouraged to share their own positionality and relationships within the city of Narva or their own city. People interested in engaging young people and adults in collaboratively exploring their local public space are welcome to join and develop or adapt the method to their own needs. The session will be held in English with the option of Estonian or Russian translation.
SESSION 4: Growing Together with Public Spaces and Art: Shared Ownership in the Youth Project Cotyledon; Anna Jensen and Eliisa Suvanto, curators
In the session, Anna Jensen and Eliisa Suvanto present their project Cotyledon, supported by the Finnish Cultural Foundation, where they have been working with young people to map out new guidelines for future public art and inviting young people to think about public and semi-public spaces as an everyday part of their lives, regardless of their living environment. The project asks what public art would look like if its makers looked to the future, and if public art can be a long-term, living project that grows and develops together with its creators. What kind of relationships can develop if ownership is shared and set for an indefinite period of time, and how does this change the relationship with the place where the work was created? The session will be held in English.
SESSION 5, online session: Children and Families Creating Self-Images with and without Algorithms: the “Welcome to Our PlAIground” Pilot Project. Towards a more Well-being Children-Centred AI; Jose Antonio Gordillo Martorell (Cultural Inquiry)
Artificial intelligence (AI) is becoming increasingly embedded in children’s learning environments and creative expression. Research in early childhood education highlights both the potential and the complexity of this shift. Generative AI can enhance personalised learning, multimodal engagement and creative exploration, while also emphasising that “GenAI is generally not designed with children in mind,” raising concerns about developmental appropriateness, agency and ethical safeguards. Across these studies, one important dimension remains under-explored: the emotional experience of children when AI is involved in their creative processes.
In this session we introduce the “Welcome to Our PlAIground” Pilot Project, which focuses on emotional agency in child–AI creative interaction. The project is being run in collaboration with the University of Helsinki, the University of Oulu and the Pestalozzi Library Network in Zürich. Through creative tasks, such as drawing and self-portraiture, we are exploring how children can interact with AI in such a way that they never lose sight of the fact that it is a programme and not a person.
This online session will be held in English.
II TOPIC: Applications of Art and Creative Therapies in Communities and Cultural Education
PRESENTATIONS
Global Perspectives on Community Art Therapy: Research, Definitions and Practice; Emily Goldstein Nolan
Community Art Therapy has been discussed under many different names in art therapy history and literature, e.g. Social Action Art Therapy, Public Practice Art Therapy, Community-Based Art Therapy and Museum-based Art Therapy. Includes: Open Studios, Art Hives and Community Art Therapy Studios
Noticing the overlap in these approaches, I was curious how practitioners working in communities worked differently than I do. When I began searching through the literature, I saw there was only information from the United States, the United Kingdom, Asia, Australia and Canada. I wanted to speak to art therapy practitioners around the world who were working in community to see how they define and approach their work. This presentation outlines the research that I conducted in community art therapy, the results of the research, and practice examples at a nongovernmental organisation in Milwaukee, WI USA.
Creating Relational Spaces: Cultivating Community and Belonging Through Art; Julia Volonts
This presentation reflects on the evolving role of community-based art therapy within collaborative and interdisciplinary creative spaces. Drawing on international projects and public-facing practice, the talk explores how shared art-making can support dialogue, connection, relational awareness and collective reflection across social and cultural contexts.
The Museum as a Beacon of Community Mental Health; Dagmar Narusson
As we enter a museum, we step into a different space. We take a break from our daily activities and journeys and encounter art, cultural treasures and stories in a curated space. Museums are not only a source of aesthetic experience, but also structured spaces that promote psychosocial well-being. Museums have a healing effect on the mind and body as safe, supportive and relaxing healing environments. Through beautiful space and inspiring and interesting activities, we can experience a moment of calm, find fresh insight into (our) lives through someone else’s story and sense a gradual emergence of internal order. Museums can be custodians of community identity and places of rediscovery, and thus support community vitality.
PARALLEL SESSIONS
SESSION 1: Community Ecosystems: Mapping Relationships and Belonging; Julia Volonts
Drawing on ecological metaphors and reflective art-making practices, this experiential workshop invites participants to explore the relationship between self, community and environment. Through creative mapping and reflective art-making, participants will consider what supports connection, resilience, belonging and care within both personal and collective spaces. Combining guided visualisation, art-making and shared reflection, the workshop encourages participants to reflect on how creative practice can support collaboration, relational awareness and community well-being within shared social contexts. The session will be held in English.
SESSION 2: Practical Museum Art Therapy Workshop; Maria Šulman
We invite participants to slow down and meet themselves and art in a way that creates space for noticing. The workshop uses a museum art therapy approach and delves into selected works from Maria’s personal art collection. Flowers, gardens and landscapes become metaphors for emotions, memories and inner states. Through observation, self-reflection and creative experience, we explore how art can support connection with oneself and others. The session will be held in Estonian.
SESSION 3: The Art of Slow Looking; Minni Hein
Studies show that most people spend less than half a minute in front of a single work of art. But what would happen if we consciously took our time? Slow looking is a global trend that is also gaining popularity in Estonia. Its goal is to experience art more deeply than quick glances allow. In the workshop, Minni Hein shares her experiences of conducting presence-creating exhibition tours and offers the opportunity for participants to try these methods out for themselves. Participants will gain practical ideas for enriching school lessons, as well as their own personal exhibition visits. The session will be held in English.
SESSION 4: Art Therapy meets Open Dialogue: Dagmar Narusson, Mariliis Tähepõld & Marju Kask
The session will combine art therapy methods and Open Dialogue principles, creating a space for togetherness and finding new ways of reaching each other. Participants will gain first-hand experience of how combining artistic expression and dialogue helps to create safe connections, supports listening to each other and open up new meanings within themselves and in relationships. The session will be held in Estonian.
SESSION 5: Dance and movement therapy workshop “Closer to Yourself”, Christin Taul
In the workshop, we explore bodily awareness, presence, physical creative self-expression and possibilities for togetherness through dance and movement therapy techniques. We lie down, stretch, jump and roll. We look for ways to feel good about moving on our own and with others. We take time to notice ourselves and our surroundings with our whole bodies. We take time to create intimacy by dancing and engaging our bodies. The session will be held in Estonian.
Presenters
Marju Kask is a producer with long-term experience in cultural, educational and social projects. In her work and research, she is dedicated to the growth of children and young people in culture, the development of communities and the creation of bridges through creativity and dialogue. In addition to her organisational roles, she also conducts workshops, applying her knowledge as an Open Dialogue practitioner. As a full-time job, she works as a development manager at the Estonian Children’s Literature Centre.
Johanna Rannula graduated from the Estonian Academy of Arts with a degree in urban studies and has also studied in the Netherlands, Russia, Portugal and Japan. She has worked as an exhibitions and events manager and project manager at the Tallinn City Museum. Since the end of 2021, Johanna has been the head of the Narva Art Residency. At NART, she has focused primarily on engaging the Narva community through various initiatives that expand into the public spaces, and education and communal locations of the city, such as the Venice of Narva. She has been granted the Cultural Endowment of Estonia’s Award and the Annual Youth Award of Ida-Viru County. She has known the county since her childhood, as her country home is located in Lüganuse, where she keeps a horse and a donkey.
Hanna-Liis Kont is a curator and art historian who aims to contribute to the social and emotional well-being of children and adults through art. She often uses participatory approaches in her work and initiates collaborations between representatives of different fields and community groups. Hanna is the head of the art education platform “Creative Connections”. Together with the platform’s team, she organises educational activities and training sessions in various exhibition venues and schools in Estonia. Her work as a practitioner and researcher is framed by her doctoral studies and work as a lecturer at the Estonian Academy of Arts.
Kjell Caminha is a Brazilian artist and educator based in Gothenburg, working at HDK-Valand, University of Gothenburg, where he runs a course on public art and lectures in fine art programmes. His practice centres on developing curatorial strategies for decolonial dialogues: an orientation informing his pedagogical work, artistic research and practice. He is currently exploring how decolonial practices achieve social impact through organisational modes led by civil society and local communities. By focusing on community-led activities, he tests ideas around agency, shared authorship and belonging as catalysts for future practice. These reflections manifest through performative walks and research involving artistic experiments on hospitality, collective mapping and the rehearsing of pluriversality, utilising visual and spatial tools to co-investigate positions within diverse social contexts alongside participants.
Anna Golubeva works in Narva College of the University of Tartu. She is a teacher, teacher trainer and researcher on topics related to multilingualism and target-language teaching. Anna has been lucky to have cooperated with institutions and partners all over Estonia, including NART. She has worked as a multilingual education consultant in OSCE and UNICEF projects. She thinks it is important that multilingualism should be considered a natural part of our life and education. She believes that language learning should be real-life-based and authentic.
Tea Lemberpuu is an artist whose work focuses on questions of time and slowness, boundaries and randomness, visibility and concealment. She works with painting and camera-free photography, exploring how limitations, repetition and material processes guide the creation of images and reduce the author’s control. Tea graduated from the Estonian Academy of Arts in painting (BA, 2023) and contemporary art (MA, 2025). She has received the EKA Young Artist Award and is a member of the Tartu Artists’ Union.
Frederik Klanberg is a critical arts education mediator who currently works as a curator of education and audience programmes at the Kumu Art Museum and as a visiting lecturer at the Estonian Academy of Arts. He previously earned a bachelor’s degree in photography from the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences, and a master’s degree in art education from the Piet Zwart Institute in Rotterdam. Frederik is interested in how art and cultural institutions can create conditions for collective self-development.
Anna Jensen and Eliisa Suvanto are pioneers of collective, site-specific and non-institutional contemporary art in Finland. Together, the curatorial duo have carried out various projects addressing issues of resources, social structures, accessibility and exhibiting practices. Anna and Eliisa are founding and active members of the Porin kulttuurisäätö collective, motivated by research, collective work, already existing resources and activism. Since 2013, the Porin kulttuurisäätö has focused on site-specific exhibitions and commissioning new artworks, and has established its own biennale, which takes place in changing locations.
Jose Antonio Gordillo Martorell (PhD) is the Founder and CEO of Cultural Inquiry, located in Switzerland. He is a professional with 26 years of experience in education, collective creativity, content co-creation, change-driven strategy, participation and community weaving, with a passion for the democratisation of minoritised and unrepresented cultural voices in the cultural arena. He founded Children’s Boards in different Museums of the world, including the City of Arts and Sciences in Valencia, Norrbottens Museum, Museum of Solutions in Mumbai, and Zeitz-Museum of Contemporary Art in Cape Town. Jose is passionate about building new children and nature-centred narratives as strategic tools for organisations. His main work areas are children's participation in democratising organisations, Generative AI design thinking civic participation of Indigenous people, the elderly and children (capacity building), care for museum creation and implementation, new community-based fundraising formulas, and “soft” playful organisation skills acquisition and training.
Mariliis Tähepõld is a professional creative therapist (MSc) in visual art therapy and an Open Dialogue practitioner and trainer. She bases her work on the principle that creativity is the foundation of our health and well-being. Her main target group is young children and adults, including her long-term experience working with children with chronic illnesses and their families. One of Mariliis’s passions is supporting parent-child relationships through art and manual activities. As a practitioner and trainer, she is fascinated by the application of creative therapies in different fields and contexts.
Emily Goldstein Nolan (PhD, LPC, ATRL, ATR, BC, SEP) is a professor of practice and a practicum/internship coordinator at Syracuse University, a professional counsellor and art therapist. In 2012, she created Bloom Art and Integrated Therapies, Inc., a community-based art therapy non-profit in Milwaukee, WI. She develops and oversees the community art therapy programmes for Bloom. Emily is dedicated to education and research in art therapy and working with people who have experienced trauma and oppression in terms of feeling seen, heard and understood.
Julia Volonts (MA, ATR-BC, LCAT) is a US-licensed and board-certified art therapist, assistant professor, and the founder of the international platform Art Therapy Lab. Splitting her time between New York and Riga, Latvia, she specialises in cross-cultural community work, intergenerational trauma, and the dual identity of the artist-art therapist. Currently, she serves as an Assistant Professor and Graduate Research Coordinator in the Graduate Art Therapy Department at Notre Dame of Maryland University, having earned her Master’s degree in Art Therapy from the School of Visual Arts in New York. A former Fulbright Grantee who conducted art therapy research at Rīga Stradiņš University, she also holds a Global Mental Health Certificate in Trauma and Recovery from Harvard Medical School. Julia is an active leader within the European Federation of Art Therapy (EFAT), serving on their Conference Committee and the Arts & Museums Task Force. Through her private practice and Art Therapy Lab, she supports young adults navigating life transitions, anxiety, and trauma, while pioneering international creative residencies that connect therapists, artists and healthcare professionals worldwide.
Minni Hein is an art teacher with long-standing experience in museum pedagogy, and recently expanded her subject area to include Estonian language and literature. Minni’s mission is to bring the presence and joy of art to school lessons, to her meditative art workshops and to society at large. Minni has been conducting slow-viewing tours since 2018.
Maria Šulman is a creative therapist and counsellor who works with individuals, couples and families. She also works with groups, conducting creative workshops and training sessions. She is a visiting lecturer at the Department of Art Therapies at Tallinn University. In her work, Maria focuses on supporting mental health, creativity and relationships. She has worked in both rehabilitation teams and the private sector. Recently, her major areas of interest have become museum art therapy, art collecting and painting.
Dagmar Narusson (PhD) is a researcher and lecturer at the Institute of Social Studies of the University of Tartu, the head of the communities research group, a supervisor-trainer of Open Dialogue and dialogical practice and a communication trainer. She teaches in the Master’s programme “Community Development and Social Well-being” at the University of Tartu and at the Estonian Academy of Arts. In addition, Dagmar conducts research on community development and insularity, and in the field of mental health recovery.
Christin Taul is a dance artist, a teacher and a dance and movement therapist (MSc) living and working in Tallinn. Her practice is based on the fact that humans are created to move and to experience themselves and the world physically. She is fascinated by slow and holistic presence and bodily encounters with oneself and others. Christin instructs dance groups for adult “non-dancers” and dreams of making improvisational dancing and experiencing through the body reach more people. We should dance at home, at work, on the street, at school, in nature, in art museums and wherever the urge arises.
Past events
The story of “The Secrets of the Leaning Building”
Discussion in Estonian on 12 May from 2 PM at the Tartu Art Museum. The event is organised by the Estonian Museum Association.
More information:
Anu Viltrop
anu@muuseum.ee
+372 5665 9118
Workshops and final curatorial tour
Until February 2, the interactive exhibition "The Secrets of the Leaning Building" offers the joy of discovery for the whole family. Here, both children and adults can experiment and be creative together. Works made in collaboration between well-known artists and children invite you to invent new rules yourself and even travel through walls!
On February 1, the penultimate day of the exhibition, workshops and the last curatorial tour will take place.
Workshops from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m
On the first floor, there is a workshop where a game of inventing new rules is played. Participants can try out various prompts created by artists, come up with their own rules and create temporary sculptures. The workshop is conducted by exhibition curator Hanna-Liis Kont. Come and make your own rules!
On the third floor, a colouring workshop awaits you, where you can experiment with mixing the shades of the three primary colors under the guidance of our museum pedagogue Kristel Sibul. In the workshop, we will also talk about the connection between colors and feelings and discover the effect of mixing colors on our emotions. Come and learn something new about yourself through colors!
Exhibition tour at 14:00 (in Estonian)
To participate, you need to purchase an exhibition ticket.
Discussion: How to Talk to Children About War?
On January 16 from 5:30 PM to 7:30 PM, a discussion aimed at teachers, parents, and all interested parties will take place at the Tartu Art Museum on the topic of how to talk to children about war. The discussion will be led by children's book author Hanna Davydova, who wrote "Kukupai and Kukurudza," and psychologist-family therapist Julia Laanemets. The conversation takes place in English and Estonian. Registration for the event has closed. Participation also requires purchasing an exhibition ticket at the museum.
During the conversation, the book "Kukupai and Kukurudza" will also be introduced. It tells the story of a sensitive and quiet girl named Hanna and her friendship with the clever and kind Mattias. Hanna's family fled from the war in Ukraine to Estonia, and her Estonian friend helps her adapt to her new life. Throughout their journey, both learn a lot about each other’s homeland, people, and language.
The author of the text and images, Hanna Davydova, is a trained special educator and also practices art therapy. She arrived in Estonia among the first wave of war refugees from Ukraine. Through the main character, she describes the emotional world and adjustment difficulties of young refugees. The book, available in both Estonian and Ukrainian, is intended for children aged 9 to 12, as well as their teachers and parents. It can be used to facilitate discussions among different groups of children, supporting conversations on complex topics such as war, loneliness, finding friends, and valuing differences.
Julia Laanemets works daily with families in her private practice and trains parents under the positive parenting program "Incredible Years." She has also worked in the education system, helping teachers and parents find solutions that support children's development, health, and well-being.
The meeting is part of the public program of the exhibition "The Secrets of the Leaning Building."
Exhibition tour with a sign language interpreter
Thursday, 9 January at 6:00 p.m a tour with a sign language interpreter will take places at the exhibition “The Secrets of the Leaning Building”. The tour is conducted by exhibition curator Hanna-Liis Kont.
Access to the tour is with an exhibition ticket. Tickets can be bought at the cash desk of the museum shop. A person with a disability and his companion can enter the exhibition for free! Visitors who do not need a sign language translation are also welcome to the tour!
The display is composed of playful artworks created in partnership between artists and local children and families. The aim is to bring contemporary art closer to children and support the development of social skills through art. The exhibited works provoke exciting encounters, enabling the development of self-expression and cooperation.
The exhibition is one of the main events of the project Creative Connections which is part of the European Capital of Culture Tartu 2024 main programme.
The exhibition is open until February 2.
Colouring and art therapy workshop
The Tartu Art Museum invites adults to participate in an exciting coloring and art therapy workshop on Saturday, 14 December, at 12:00 p.m. The workshop will be led by the artist Jarõna Ilo.
Using a hands-on approach, Jarõna will demonstrate how to mix all of the other colours from the three primary ones. The focus will be on the relationship between colours and emotions and how mixing colours affects us emotionally. An art therapy workshop based on the teaching of colour will allow participants to understand and express their feelings. Feelings and colours meet on a subconscious level and participants learn more about themselves in the process.
Jarõna Ilo is an Estonian artist of Ukrainian origin. Ilo has taught drawing at the Estonian Academy of Arts, the Old Town Education College, the Viljandi Culture Academy and the Australian National University in Canberra. Since 2017 she has conducted art therapy workshops in Ukraine, which have primarily benefited children, but also teachers and school psychologists. In 2022, workshops led by Ilo were held in Estonia for young people from Ukraine. The aim of the art therapy activities was to support students’ adaptation, mental health and better contacts with teachers.
The workshop will be conducted in Estonian and will last 1.5 hours.
All necessary materials will be provided on-site. Since we will be painting, we recommend wearing clothing that you don’t mind getting acrylic paint on.
Participation in the workshop is included with the exhibition ticket. The number of participants is limited, so please register in advance HERE.
The workshop will take place within the framework of the European Capital of Culture Tartu 2024 project “Creative Connections” and is part of the audience program of the Tartu Art Museum exhibition “The Secrets of the Leaning Building”.
Guided sound journey
“Spirits of the Fault Line” is a sound journey for two, lasting about 20 minutes, and takes place in the exhibition halls on the second floor of the Tartu Art Museum. On November 16, participants will once again have the opportunity to take part in a guided journey, where the visitor’s partner will be a dancer from the Shaté Dance School.
During the performance, both participants receive headphones that play movement instructions, guiding them hand in hand through four exhibition halls. Both participants will take turns playing the role of guide and traveller. The guide starts by leading, and midway through the journey, the roles are switched. Additionally, both participants receive special glasses that only allow light to pass through and are worn by the participant currently in the traveller role.
The journey is available in both Estonian and English, and participation requires pre-registration here, where you can choose a suitable time (11:30 PM; 12:00 PM; or 12:30 PM) and purchase an exhibition ticket on-site. The number of places is limited. If you have registered but are unable to attend for an unforeseen reason, please always inform the organizers by e-mail katrin.looke@tartmus.ee. We recommend the sound journey for ages 6 and up.
The authors of the work “Spirits of the Fault Line” are artists Lundahl & Seitl, and it is part of their series of performative headphone works titled “Symphony of a Lost Room.” During the journey, participants will also encounter the work “Memories of the Leaning Building,” which consists of two different installations: “The Listening Well” and “The Whispering Wall.” “Memories of the Leaning Building” was created in collaboration between artists Lundahl & Seitl and Jaakko Autio.
Lundahl & Seitl are Swedish artists living and working in Stockholm. In their multi-sensory projects, the exhibition becomes an interpersonal process involving choreography, physical objects, and time.
Jaakko Autio is a Finnish sound artist whose works reflect interpersonal space, unpredictability, and empathy. They explore questions of identity, dismantle hierarchies, and challenge established ways of being.
“The Secrets of the Leaning Building” is part of the programme of the European Capital of Culture Tartu 2024.
Curatorial tour
On Thursday, November 14 at 6:00 p.m., curator Hanna-Liis Kont will introduce the exhibition “The Secrets of the Leaning Building”. One of the young guides of the exhibition will add their own commentary to the tour. The tour is in Estonian, to participate you need to purchase an exhibition ticket.
The display is composed of playful artworks created in partnership between artists and local children and families. The aim is to bring contemporary art closer to children and support the development of social skills through art. The exhibited works provoke exciting encounters, enabling the development of self-expression and cooperation.
Father's Day
Participate in Father's Day workshops at the Tartu Art Museum on 10 November from 12-3 PM. Family tickets on that day free of charge!
Colouring workshop
The Tartu Art Museum invites children aged 9–15 to participate in an exciting coloring workshop on Saturday, 9 November, at 12:00 p.m. The workshop will be led by the artist Jarõna Ilo.
Using a hands-on approach, Jarõna will demonstrate how to mix all of the other colours from the three primary ones. The focus will be on the relationship between colours and emotions and how mixing colours affects us emotionally. A workshop based on the teaching of colour will allow participants to understand and express their feelings. Feelings and colours meet on a subconscious level and participants learn more about themselves in the process.
Jarõna Ilo is an Estonian artist of Ukrainian origin. Ilo has taught drawing at the Estonian Academy of Arts, the Old Town Education College, the Viljandi Culture Academy and the Australian National University in Canberra. Since 2017 she has conducted art therapy workshops in Ukraine, which have primarily benefited children, but also teachers and school psychologists. In 2022, workshops led by Ilo were held in Estonia for young people from Ukraine. The aim of the art therapy activities was to support students’ adaptation, mental health and better contacts with teachers.
The workshop will be conducted in Estonian and will last 1.5 hours.
All necessary materials will be provided on-site. Since we will be painting, we recommend wearing clothing that you don’t mind getting acrylic paint on.
Participation in the workshop is included with the exhibition ticket. The number of participants is limited, so please register in advance here.
The workshop will take place within the framework of the European Capital of Culture Tartu 2024 project “Creative Connections” and is part of the public program of the Tartu Art Museum exhibition “The Secrets of the Leaning Building”.
Discussion group
How to support the self-initiated projects by children and young people?
Discussion group in Estonian run by Eva Liisa Kubinyi and Hanna-Liis Kont.
More information: kunstloob@gmail.com.
Presentation of tactile books
On 10 October at 18.00–19.30, we invite everyone interested to the presentation of tactile books at the Tartu Art Museum. We will be presenting works created by the Beautiful Tactile Book group as well as tactile books by other authors, fairy tales will also be told. The books will be presented by Sülvi Sarapuu, cultural organiser and member of the board of the Kakora NGO. The presentation is in Estonian language. The event will take place on the first floor of the Tartu Art Museum and is free of charge for participants. Read more about the accessibility of the museum HERE.
Tactile books are unique picture books for children but not only. They are a door to the visual world around us. Tactile books develop the hand-eye cooperation of visually impaired children and bring closer the parts of the world around us and the concepts that mediate them, such as sky, constellations, rainbow, far-near, above-below and so on. Through the books, you can learn about the different activities and phenomena found in nature, in fairy tales and elsewhere.
Since 2000, the Beautiful Tactile Book working group has produced over 30 handmade tactile books, which are available for borrowing from the Estonian Library for the Blind and the Celia Library in Finland. The books have also won awards in the international Tyflo&Tactus tactile book competition. Read more at www.sarasyl.com and https://kakora.sarasyl.com.
The books will be presented as part of the public programme of the exhibition “The Secrets of the Leaning Building”. In addition to the tactile books, it will be possible to get acquainted with the books in Braille, recommended by Tartu Emajõgi School and lent by the Estonian Library for the Blind. With the event we are celebrating World White Cane Day on 15 October.
The exhibition and public programme is part of the European Capital of Culture Tartu 2024 programme.
Curatorial tour
On Thursday, August 29 at 6:00 p.m., curator Hanna-Liis Kont will introduce the exhibition “The Secrets of the Leaning Building” at the Tartu Art Museum (Raekoja plats 18). The tour is in Estonian, to participate you need to purchase an exhibition ticket at the museum.
The display is composed of playful artworks created in partnership between artists and local children and families. The aim is to bring contemporary art closer to children and support the development of social skills through art. The exhibited works provoke exciting encounters, enabling the development of self-expression and cooperation.
Colouring workshop
We invite adults to participate in a coloring and art therapy workshop on Saturday, 14 September, at 12:00 p.m at the Tartu Art Museum. The workshop will be led by the artist Jarõna Ilo.
Using a hands-on approach, Jarõna will demonstrate how to mix all of the other colours from the three primary ones. The focus will be on the relationship between colours and emotions and how mixing colours affects us emotionally. An art therapy workshop based on the teaching of colour will allow participants to understand and express their feelings. Feelings and colours meet on a subconscious level and participants learn more about themselves in the process.
Jarõna Ilo is an Estonian artist of Ukrainian origin. Ilo has taught drawing at the Estonian Academy of Arts, the Old Town Education College, the Viljandi Culture Academy and the Australian National University in Canberra. Since 2017 she has conducted art therapy workshops in Ukraine, which have primarily benefited children, but also teachers and school psychologists. In 2022, workshops led by Ilo were held in Estonia for young people from Ukraine. The aim of the art therapy activities was to support students’ adaptation, mental health and better contacts with teachers.
The workshop will be conducted in Estonian and will last 1.5 hours.
All necessary materials will be provided on-site. Since we will be painting, we recommend wearing clothing that you don’t mind getting acrylic paint on.
Participation in the workshop is included with the exhibition ticket. The number of participants is limited, so please register in advance HERE.
Symposium 2024
Info
August 9, 2024 at 11:00–17:00, Palupera Elementary School
An international symposium of the project “Creative Connections” will take place in the Palupera Elementary School on 9 August. The programme will focus on different ways of using art to shape children’s social skills. The symposium is part of the main programme of European Capital of Culture Tartu 2024.
We welcome teachers, social workers, educators, artists and anyone interested in hearing about recent developments in the fields of arts and education, learning about exciting teaching materials, gaining inspiration, sharing their knowledge and making valuable new contacts across sectors. Participants can look forward to a packed programme of presentations, talks, workshops and creative activities in the special atmosphere of the Palupera Manor School and Park.
Speakers include local art, design and education professionals: Eva Liisa Kubinyi (EAA), Jane Meresmaa-Roos (Miiamilla Children’s Museum), Sireli Uusmaa (PROTO Discovery Factory), Grete Arro (Tallinn University) and others. There will also be engaging foreign speakers, including Jennie Guy (Ireland, Platform Art School), Mija Renström (Sweden, Göteborgs Konsthall) and several artists. The talks will be moderated by Maarin Ektermann (EKA) and Kristiina Treial (Bullying-Free School Foundation).
The symposium will be held in Estonian and English with simultaneous interpretation.
You must register HERE by 01.08.2024 at the latest. Places are limited, so registration is open as long as places are available.
The symposium registration fee is €20 for early registrants (registration until 15 May). Afterwards, the fee is €30 (registration until 30 June) and €40 (registration from 1 July on).
The participation fee includes coffee breaks and a hot lunch.
Thank you: the Palupera Elementary School, Tartu 2024 Foundation, Cultural Endowment of Estonia, Estonian Embassy in Berlin, Tartu Art Museum and Elva Municipality.
See you in Palupera!
Additional information
Marju Kask
Symposium Project Manager
Symposium schedule
11:00 Gathering and welcoming coffee
11:15 Introduction of the day; Marju Kask, Symposium Project Manager.
I Supporting children’s social well-being through co-creation in art and design
11:30-12:15 Presentations
11:30-11:45 Art creates closeness?! Shaping children’s social skills with artists; Hanna-Liis Kont (curator and project manager of “Creative Connections”).
11:45-12:00 Self-initiated projects by children and young people born out of co-creation; Eva Liisa Kubinyi (design educator and researcher at the Estonian Academy of Arts).
12:00-12:15 Ten Years of Art School: Sustaining an Independent Art in Education framework; Jennie Guy (curator, platform Art School)
12:15-12:45 Discussion
Moderator: Maarin Ektermann (art historian and art education specialist, Estonian Academy of Arts).
Discussion participants: Grete Arro (educational psychologist, Tallinn University) and Lundahl & Seitl (artists).
13:00-13:45 Parallel sessions
SESSION 1: Supporting the projects initiated by children and young people; Eva Liisa Kubinyi
SESSION 2: Explorations of trust in the sound journey of the artists Lundahl & Seitl (Christer Lundahl and Martina Seitl).
SESSION 3: Photo project: a new approach to class photographs; the artists Kristiina Hansen and Sigrid Viir.
SESSION 4: Colouring and art therapy workshop; the artist Jarõna Ilo. Fully booked!
SESSION 5: Creating prompts with children; the artist duo Leisure (Meredith Carruthers and Susannah Wesley). Fully booked!
13:45-14:30 Lunch break
II Art against bullying
14:30 Introduction to the second part of the day; Hanna-Liis Kont
14:35-15:15 Presentations
14:35 Friendship IRL – Hacking an art gallery; Mija Renström (Education Curator, Göteborgs Konsthall) and Leah Renström (young participant in the Friendship IRL film festival).
14:50 Museum lesson “Art against bullying”; Eliis Vaino (Head of the Education Department, Estonian Open Air Museum)
15:05 Museum lesson “Close-up and closer with art”; Sireli Uusmaa and Jane Meresmaa-Roos (education curators of the project “Creative Connections”).
15:15-15:45 Discussion
Moderator: Kristiina Treial (The Bullying-Free School Foundation)
Discussion participant: Anna-Liisa Kree (artist).
15:45-16:00 Coffee break
16:00-16:45 Parallel sessions
SESSION 1: Berlin Children’s Museum MACHmit! children’s rights bus activities; Maren Klingbeil and Uta Rinklebe
SESSION 2: Introduction to the lesson “Art against bullying”; Eliis Vaino.
SESSION 3: Outdoor education with “A palette of feelings and experiences”; Jane Meresmaa-Roos and Sireli Uusmaa.
SESSION 4: Art therapy workshop with a little whimsy; Mariliis Tähepõld.
16:45-17:00 Summary of the day
Programme content
First theme: Supporting children’s social well-being through co-creation in art and design
In the first half of the day, you will hear about different ways to involve children and young people in the co-creation processes of art and design. In addition to presenting practical examples, we will discuss the links between participatory creative activities and the social well-being of participants, i.e. how art can support self-expression, mutual understanding, a sense of belonging, cooperation etc.
PRESENTATIONS
Art creates closeness?! Shaping children’s social skills with artists; Hanna-Liis Kont
The presentation will focus on how to support the development of children’s social skills through collaboration between artists and children. The presentation tells the story of the creation of two works of art with the participation of children in the project “Creative Connections”:
1. “Spirits of the Fault Line” by Swedish artists Lundahl & Seitl is a sensory work developed with the help of families in southern Estonia between 2022 and 2024. The work is a sound journey experienced in pairs that tests trust and responsibility.
2. The Estonian photographers Sigrid Viir and Kristiina Hansen searched for ways to express children’s individuality and group identity. Together with eight classes from general education schools in southern Estonia, they created new kinds of class photographs based on interviews and staged photo shoots.
The works will be on display at the exhibition “The Secrets of the Leaning Building” at the Tartu Art Museum from 9 August.
Self-initiated projects by children and young people born out of co-creation; Eva Liisa Kubinyi.
The presentation illustrates the complexity of supporting children and young people’s self-initiated projects, the non-linear process but also the endless learning opportunities and the enrichment of a common cultural space. One example analysed is the “Mobile Youth Centre”, a youth project developed in cooperation between the municipality of Toila and the Estonian Academy of Arts, which was awarded several prizes at the “Thanks for Youth” gala.
Ten Years of Art School: Sustaining an Independent Art in Education Framework, Jennie Guy
Since 2014, the Art School has been operating as an independent curatorial platform, creating opportunities for artists, schools and younger audiences to collaborate on projects ranging from concise workshops to long-term artist-in-school residencies throughout Ireland. This presentation will explore the evolution of the Art School over its first decade, charting the opportunities and challenges it has encountered and contemplating its future trajectory in order to discover tactics that might be shared with other practitioners in this field.
PARALLEL SESSIONS
SESSION 1: Supporting the projects initiated by children and young people; Eva Liisa Kubinyi
The workshop will help to visually plan how to inspire children and young people in generating ideas and how to supportively guide children and young people (and yourself) in implementing ideas. Whether you are a parent, a teacher or a museologist, the process will help you to think through potential challenges in a simplified way and how to approach them creatively. Participants will be able to take all of the worksheets they have used home with them.
SESSION 2: Explorations of trust in the sound journey of the artists Lundahl & Seitl; Martina Seitl and Christer Lundahl
This session is inspired by the series titled “Symphony of a Missing Room”. It is a sound journey that engages different senses and is experienced in pairs. The new version of the work called “Spirits of the Faultline”was completed in cooperation with children and families from South Estonia during several years of research. It is part of “The Secrets of the Leaning Building” exhibition at the Tartu Art Museum. The artists Christer Lundahl and Martina Seitl introduce their art practice by conducting a workshop based on simple movement that challenges trust and responsibility.
SESSION 3: Photo project: a new approach to class photographs; the artists Sigrid Viir and Kristiina Hansen
The photographers Kristiina Hansen and Sigrid Viir discuss the process of an art project with children. What does the back room of a photo-based art project for children look like? How to involve children in the making of a class photograph? How to translate textual material into visuals? Let’s look at these questions together and try to deconstruct a contemporary art project for children in 45 minutes.
Kristiina Hansen and Sigrid Viir’s art project is part of the international children’s contemporary art exhibition “The Secrets of the Leaning Building” at the Tartu Art Museum.
SESSION 4: Colouring and art therapy workshop; the artist Jarõna Ilo
The artist Jarõna Ilo talks about her experience in colour therapy workshops. Through a hands-on activity, Jarõna will demonstrate how to mix all of the other colours from the three primary colours. The focus will be on the relationship between colours and emotions and how mixing colours affects children emotionally. An art therapy workshop based on the teaching of colour will allow children to understand and express their feelings. Feelings and colours meet on a subconscious level and participants learn more about themselves in the process.
SESSION 5: Creating prompts with children; the artist duo Leisure (Meredith Carruthers and Susannah Wesley).
This interactive session led by Leisure (Meredith Carruthers and Susannah Wesley) is based on their work “Having Ideas by Handling Materials.” Wesley and Carruthers will discuss the 1970s pedagogical programme that inspired the work (created by the artist Simon Nicholson for Open University), as well as experiences with their own children that helped them update these ideas. Participants will have the opportunity to try out Leisure's prompts to create temporary sculptures, or invent new instructions of their own. The artwork “Having Ideas By Handling Materials” is part of the Tartu Art Museum’s exhibition “The Secrets of the Leaning Building”.
Second Theme: Art against bullying
The second half of the day will focus on different arts education activities that contribute to bullying prevention. You can find out more about the education programmes underway in Estonia, as well as about exciting cross-border activities, such as the children’s rights bus from Berlin and the children’s film festival “Friendship in real life”.
PRESENTATIONS
Vänskap IRL / Friendship IRL: Hacking an art gallery; Mija and Leah Renström
How can a contemporary art institution give children the opportunity to use film to describe Friendship IRL? How is it possible to create a conversation about children's own creations, and how can children and adults learn from each other to value different experiences through cinematic practices?
The presentation introduces the Friendship Film Festival IRL at Göteborgs Konsthall, where children's creativity took over the ongoing exhibition Mozart’s Ghost (2019). Through various methods, children were involved in making their own films, participated in an organising group, had conversations about their films and finally made adults active listeners to children's experiences of social relationships both online and IRL.
Museum lesson “Art against bullying”; Eliis Vaino
The presentation introduces the educational programme “Art against bullying”, aimed at grades one to four, which was created for the permanent exhibition of the Kadriorg Art Museum and the temporary exhibitions at the Tartu Art Museum. The structure and principles of the programme and the cooperation with the Bullying-Free School Foundation will be explained. The experience of setting up the programme has shown the importance of collaboration and the role of museums and art in promoting bullying-preventing attitudes.
Museum lesson “Close-up and closer with art”; Sireli Uusmaa and Jane Meresmaa-Roos
The education curators of the “Creative Connections” project will reveal the methodology and objectives of the social skills lesson, which was completed in 2023, and how it was created to be adaptable to a wide range of exhibitions. The museum lesson “Close-up and closer with art” gives students the opportunity to feel and view art by experiencing themselves and their classmates. Unlike traditional art museum classes, this lesson does not delve into art history or techniques, but explores how art affects us.
PARALLEL SESSIONS
SESSION 1: Berlin Children’s Museum MACHmit! children’s rights bus activities; Maren Klingbeil and Uta Rinklebe
The MACHmit! Museum has been curating exhibitions for children between the ages of two and twelve for over 30 years. Almost every year, different themes are presented in interactive modules, and they are always linked to UN children’s rights. We invite you to discover how artistic-aesthetic museum education and UN children’s rights education come together. Based on eight beasts, illustrated by the children's book author Nadia Budde for the exhibition “Books are food” (shown in 2020–2023), we will talk about various children’s rights and engage with them artistically around the museum mobile.
SESSION 2: Introduction to the lesson “Art against bullying”; Eliis Vaino
In a practical workshop, participants will go through some of the elements of the “Art against bullying” lesson: familiarising themselves with the cases used in the museum lesson and carrying out practical exercises. Participants will discuss the opportunities and challenges that the solutions used in the lesson can bring to different audiences and how to make use of specific aspects of both contemporary and older art. They will also reflect on what elements could be developed further, how they could be developed, and what points of collaboration could be created through the programme.
SESSION 3: Outdoor learning with “A palette of feelings and experiences”; Jane Meresmaa-Roos and Sireli Uusmaa.
During the session, we will leave the school building, and explore the outdoor space and the surroundings. We will create our own activity patterns and solve creative tasks using “A palette of feelings and experiences”, designed as an outdoor learning material. The aim of the tool is to support the development of social skills, helping teachers and pupils to develop positive group dynamics. The new palette can be used to enrich different subjects as part of a classroom teaching lesson or as a stand-alone outdoor learning lesson. The palette is designed to be a guide for students, guiding them to explore the outdoor environment. “A palette of feelings and experiences” creates a common space between creativity, movement, social skills and outdoor learning methods and can always be supplemented with new tasks.
SESSION 4: Art therapy workshop with a little whimsy; Mariliis Tähepõld
A workshop on art therapy with a small trick for teachers and other professionals working with children. In a practical workshop, we will carry out group art therapy activities aimed at supporting children’s self-confidence, self-management and social skills as preventive measures against bullying in the school and classroom environment.
Presenters
Hanna-Liis Kont is a curator and art researcher. Her exhibitions and research projects are driven by her desire to contribute to the social well-being of different individuals and communities through art. She often uses participatory approaches in her work. Hanna is the initiator and leader of the project “Creative Connections”. As part of this project, since 2021 she and a project team have been exploring how to support children’s social skills development through contemporary art, working with first through fifth grades in general education schools and families with children in South Estonia. Hanna’s research is framed by her studies in the PhD programme of the Estonian Academy of Arts, the Institute of Art and Visual Culture and her work as a lecturer.
Eva Liisa Kubinyi is a design educator and researcher at the Design Faculty of the Estonian Academy of Arts, currently pursuing her PhD on the topic of youth mental health. Her design practice focuses mainly on children’s roles within society, resulting in creative workshops or service concepts. She holds an MFA in Child Culture Design from HDK-Valand (Sweden) and previously worked as a designer at VIVISTOP Telliskivi (EST), a creativity accelerator for kids and young people.
Jennie Guy is a curator, artist and writer based in Dublin. Her practice explores new contexts for artistic experimentation rooted in collaborative enquiry. Jennie is the founder and director of the Art School, an experimental framework that explores strategies for placing artists within sites of education, and the editor of Curriculum: Contemporary Art Goes to School (Intellect Books; 2020). Her artworks include films, performances, installations and text-based works. She was formerly the programme manager at Fire Station Artists’ Studios and currently curates major public art commissions for a range of clients.
Lundahl & Seitl are Swedish artists living and working in Stockholm. Through their projects, which touch on different senses, exhibitions become interpersonal processes using choreography, physical objects and time. Christer Lundahl studied at the Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design and later at the Konstfack Transdisciplinary Studio. Martina Seitl studied choreography and performance art at Middlesex University and later at the Konstfack Transdisciplinary Studio. Together they formed the duo Lundahl & Seitl in 2003. They investigate the capacity of art to form imagined communities that can help bring about personal and social change. For more information, see lundahl-seitl.com/
Maarin Ektermann is an art worker, based in Tallinn, and works on intersections between contemporary art and more-or-less experimental education. Recent projects have included “Artists in Collections, Collectives and Communities” (with Mary-Ann Talvistu, 2017 - ), a proposal for a fair fee system for the Estonian art scene (with Airi Triisberg, 2019 - 2022) and running the new educational platform proloogkool (“school of prologues”, 2020 - ). On a daily basis she works as the Head of the Center for General Theory Subjects at the Estonian Academy of Arts and teaches courses on 20th century art history, self-organised practices and art criticism.
Kristiina Hansen graduated from the Estonian Academy of Arts with a BA in Photography (2008) and an MA in Contemporary Art (2012) and studied at the Bergen Academy of Art and Design (2009). As an artist, Hansen works with plays of meaning and poetic imagery, mostly in the form of photography or installation. She is interested in how materials, objects and utterances with different qualities change shape and meaning when they meet, create unexpected contexts and form new stories.
Sigrid Viir is a photographer and installation artist living and working in Tallinn. She studied cultural theory at the Estonian Institute of Humanities and graduated from the Estonian Academy of Arts in photography. As an artist, she is interested in the analysis of social constructions, the absurdity of everyday situations, the formation of different roles of human beings (especially women), the border between work and leisure, and questions of visual language.
Jarõna Ilo is an Estonian artist of Ukrainian origin. Ilo has taught drawing at the Estonian Academy of Arts, the Old Town Education College, the Viljandi Culture Academy and the Australian National University in Canberra. Since 2017 she has conducted art therapy workshops in Ukraine, which have primarily benefited children, but also teachers and school psychologists. In 2022, workshops led by Ilo were held in Estonia for young people from Ukraine. The aim of the art therapy activities was to support students’ adaptation, mental health and better contacts with teachers.
Leisure is a research-based collaborative art practice between Canadian artists Meredith Carruthers and Susannah Wesley based in Montreal. Working together under the name “Leisure” since 2004, their approach includes archival research, interviews with artists, site visits, and extending their own conversation and collaboration to include their historical subjects, family members and community participants. The resulting projects are multidisciplinary in format — from workshops, to published texts, interactive installations, and object-making involving a variety of media. Wesley and Carruthers are currently working on a precedent setting collaborative PhD candidacy within Concordia University's Individualized Program.
Mija Renström has been working as a Curator of Education at Göteborgs Konsthall since 2015. Mija works with participatory methods to engage the public and increase understanding of how art can strengthen people both collectively and individually. A major focus of her work is strengthening children’s and young people’s ability to express themselves in order to increase their own creativity and compassion for others and provide tools to organise themselves in a future of great challenges.
In addition, Mija has been an artist for thirty years. Her latest exhibition is about memory and textile history, focusing on the women in her family. She has an MA in photography from the University of Gothenburg's School of Photography. www.mijarenstrom.com
Leah Renström participated in the Vänskap IRL– film festival at Göteborgs Konsthall and she will reflect on her experience of taking part in the process. Leah is the daughter of Mija Renström and has always been an important source of inspiration and a collaboration partner for Mija in the field of art education.
Eliis Vaino believes that museums and art have great potential to create a safer and more connected future. She currently contributes to this effort as the head of the Education Department at the Estonian Open Air Museum. She has been an educational curator at the Art Museum of Estonia, run educational programmes at the Tartu Art Museum and taught first grade at the Herbert Masing School in Tartu. She is the author of the museum lesson “Against Bullying with Art”, which was produced in 2019 in cooperation with the Bullying-Free School Foundation.
Jane Meresmaa-Roos is a playful and curious learner who loves creative solutions in her professional practice, as well as in her everyday communication culture. She likes to find points of intersection between different topics, to leave room for interpretation and to give people space to play. Jane has studied youth work, teaching art and drama pedagogy, practised as a children’s yoga teacher and has been a member of the creative team at the Teo Theatre for 25 years. She first worked as a museum educator at the Kumu Art Museum and the Kadriorg Art Museum, where she initiated projects for people with special needs, bringing art closer to people with different types of disabilities. She is currently the director of the children’s museum Miiamilla and the curator of the permanent exhibition “Children’s Worlds” and the outdoor exhibition “Children with Green Fingers”.
Sireli Uusmaa is an experienced educator and museum specialist who has worked in several Estonian museums and educational institutions, including the Art Museum of Estonia. Sireli holds a master’s degree in teaching history and social studies. She has been involved in a number of projects combining education and museum experiences, such as the “Museum comes to visit” project for Estonians abroad and the “Children’s Republic” project, a major project of the Year of Children and Youth. In recent years, as a curator, she has focused on creating inclusive and playful environments for children, such as the children’s level electronic guide at Vabamu, the Children’s Republic at the Estonian History Museum and the recently opened Children’s Museum Miiamilla. Sirel is currently working as the Content Manager at the PROTO Discovery Factory.
Anna-Liisa Kree is an artist who sees her work as part of a personal reflection and therapeutic process that manifests itself in analogue photography. Social equality and acceptance, especially dealing with societal prejudices against children with intellectual disabilities, are central to her work. The works are made in collaboration with her own children, one of whom has Down’s syndrome. Emphasising human similarities rather than differences, she invites us to reflect on our values and prejudices. She studied photography at the University of West London (2010) and contemporary art at the Estonian Academy of Arts (2024).
Kristiina Treial is a founding member of the Bullying-Free School Foundation, a development and quality manager and a trainer. She has a background as a school psychologist, has worked for a dozen years in teacher training at the University of Tartu and for a couple of years as a guest lecturer of school psychology at Tallinn University. She is the mother of three sons. Kristiina believes that by working together and acting wisely, it is possible to create a kinder childhood, where bullying has no place.
Uta Rinklebe is the director and curator at the MACHmit! Museum for children in Berlin. After being a paediatric nurse, she studied European Ethnology at the Humboldt University of Berlin. She started working at the MACHmit! Museum in 2008 and became the director in 2015.
Maren Klingbeil studied Social & Business Communication at the Berlin University of the Arts. She has been working at the MACHmit! Museum for children since 2011 and since 2015 she has been the educational director, curator and deputy museum director.
Mariliis Tähepõld is a professional creative therapist, and graduated from Tallinn University in 2019 with a master’s degree in art therapy. She works as a creative therapist in rehabilitation and private practice. Her main target groups are children and adults. Most of her professional life has been dedicated to supporting parent-child contacts and relationships through art and hands-on activities in a group environment. In her work, she focuses on supporting the expression of creativity, because creativity is health.
Family Day
10 August at 12.00 creative family day in Palupera
Location: the Palupera Primary School and Park
On 10 August, we are inviting all families with children and other interested people to Palupera’s lovely manor house and the park around it for a free family day!
You can take part in various workshops and activities with exciting artists and creative people from Estonia and abroad. Experiment, explore, learn and have fun: everyone is welcome!
During the family day you can:
see how a digital twin is created (sound artist Jaakko Autio, Finland);
play a game of inventing rules (artist duo Leisure: Meredith Carruthers and Susannah Wesley, Canada);
visit the Berlin Children’s Museum MACHmit! Museum bus, where you can get to know eight beasts, make rage crumpets, secret boxes and ice cream spoons;
make art with a little flair (creative therapist Mariliis Tähepõld);
wander around the manor park with the brand new outdoor LOOVHOOV learning cards (educational curators Jane Meresmaa-Roos and Sireli Uusmaa);
try the great offerings of the on-site café.
The family day takes place from 12.00–16.00 and all activities are free of charge.
Activities are available in Estonian and English.
The event takes place no matter what the weather: if it is rainy or cold, activities will take place in the manor house.
The family day is part of the “Creative Connections” project in the main programme of the European Capital of Culture Tartu 2024. On 8 August, a contemporary art exhibition for children titled “The Secrets of the Leaning Building” will open at the Tartu Art Museum and an international symposium on art education will take place at the Palupera Primary School on 9 August.
Thank you: the Palupera Primary School, Tartu 2024 Foundation, Cultural Endowment of Estonia, Estonian Embassy in Berlin, Tartu Art Museum and Elva Municipality.
Marju Kask, family day project manager, marju.kask@gmail.com
Creative Family Day
Come join us with your family for a free Creative Family Day at the Tartu Art Museum on Sunday 11.02.2024! We will explore the museum through playful activities and nurture our connections with art and each other. The activities will last for 1,5 hours. You can choose a time slot in the registration form below (the activities start at 11:00, 13:00 and 15:30).
To register your family, please fill in the form by 9 February HERE. The number of available slots is limited.
The event will be held in English. The activities are suitable for kids from 6 years old.
The Creative Family Day is organized by the Creative Connections project team and Tartmus. The project is part of the European Capital of Culture Tartu 2024 main programme.
For more information, please contact Paola Cieno: paolacieno@gmail.com.