Culture, Estonia, EU – Baltic States, Good for Business, Tourism

The funding of the foundation Tallinn 2011 consisted of 7.58 million euros from the city of Tallinn, 4.49 million euros from the government of Estonia, 1.74 million euros from other sources (among them private supporters) and 1.5 million euros European funding (Mercouri Prize), writes LETA.

"A beautiful and rich year is about to end. By looking at these numbers we are happy that everyone who wanted - and these are more than Estonia’s inhabitants - found something in the program of the European Capital of Culture," says the board member of Tallinn 2011 Jaanus Mutli. "We presented Estonian culture in all its variety, offering traditional next to contemporary, large and small scale events and showed the creativity of all nations living here."

Although the program offered quite many large-scale events like the Tallinn Maritime Days (100,000 visitors), song and dance festival (77,000 visitors), concert „Song of Freedom“ (75,000 visitors), the final day of the European Capital of Culture „Happy End“ (25,000 visitors) or the Tallinn Marathon (17,884 participants), the biggest ambition of the foundation Tallinn 2011 was to breathe life into smart, fresh and unique ideas and the events that bring culture into the city space.

"We wished to create as many cultural start-ups as possible and give this unique opportunity to local creators instead of imported performers," comments the head of program of Tallinn 2011 Jaanus Rohumaa. "We wish to thank the makers and our courageous public who curiously embraced even the most unexpected and new ideas."

One of the main targets of Tallinn 2011 was to bring cultural life to the former wastelands by the seashore in town centre. One of the main centres of these activities was the former power plant, today Kultuurikatel. In spite of the delay in reconstruction works the architecturally and historically interesting building inspired many directors. Sasha Pepelyaev staged his neck breaking „Dancing Tower“ in June, Peeter Jalakas the existentialistic „Gilgamesh or the Button of Eternity“ and Christian Römer „The Black Rider“ by Tom Waits. In autumn Kultuurikatel was a venue of several exhibitions like Raoul Kurvitz’ anniversary „VOOL works“ and „On the Road to Heaven“ by Finnish artist Kaisa Salmi. The final party of the Club 2011 series in Kultuurikatel attracted 1600 people.

Next to Kultuurikatel the Contemporary Art Museum of Estonia (CAME) is located in the same complex of buildings. Its summer program of four exhibitions was started by the successful launch of a new contemporary arts prize Köler Prize.