1. Eino Pedanik Adviser on Folk Culture 16.11.2017
Estonian Culture Politics on Culture Centres, Amateur art and Non-Governmental Organizations
Eino Pedanik
Adviser on Folk Culture

2. Estonia is in a big change - two reforms are underway at the same time:
Administrative reform of local goverments – it consists
of joining municipalities. We had 213 and now there are 79 local governments
2. State reform – it consists in merging state institutions, closing down some state institutions, transferring part of the state functions to local governments, removing state institutions from Tallinn.

3. Counties and local goverments in Estonia in 2016

5. National guiding principles and action plans in the field of culture
Guiding principles development trends for Estonian cultural policy until 2020 (adopted by Estonian parliament in February 2014)
Development Plan of Ministry of Culture
There is no specific law in Estonia - Song and Dance Celebration or Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage or Culture Centres

6. Ministry of Culture’s support to the development of Folk Culture
1. The field of Folk Culture is supported through relevant institutions and organizations
National institutions
Foundations established by the state
Non-governmental organizations (NGOs)
2. Support measures
Programmes (submitting project-based applications)
Operational support from the budget of Ministry of Culture

7. Institutions and organizations in the field of Folk Culture
Estonian Folk Culture Centre
Estonian Song and Dance Celebration Foundation
Central associations in the field of Folk Culture
Regional umbrella organizations

8. Ministry of Culture delegates responsibility for programmes to other institutions
Estonian Song and Dance Celebration Foundation
Support-programme for the choirs, groups and orchestras involved in the Celebration process
Estonian Folk Culture Centre
Cultural Spaces’ programmes (7)
Other programmes (8)

9. Central Associations in the Field of Folk Culture
Estonian Choral Association
Estonian Folk Dance and Folk Music Association
Estonian Folk Art and Craft Union
Estonian Folklore Council
Estonian Amateur Theatre Association
Union of Estonian Cultural Societies
Estonian Association of Cultural Centers

10. Regular practitioners
According to the database administered by Estonian Folk Culture Centre in 2016 there were practitioners who belonged to an artistic group and practiced regularly.
The breakdown of participants in the process:
In the field of choral music participants
In the field of folk dance – participants
In the field of amateur theatre participants
In the field of handicrafts participants
In the field of brass band music participants
In the field of folklore participants
In the field of folk music participants

11. Artistic groups and folk culture organizations
According to the database administered by Estonian Folk Culture Centre we have the following practising groups (2016):
choirs
folk dance groups
- 135 brass band orchestras
- 146 folklore groups
- 239 folk music groups
- 488 amateur theatre groups
- 330 handicraft groups and societies
culture societies and unions (NPO, Foundation), institutions and companies involved in folk culture
- etc

12. History of Song and Dance Celebrations
First Song Celebration was held in 1869 in Tartu
First Dance Celebration was held in 1934 in Tallinn
First Youth Song and Dance Celebration was held in in Tallinn

13. The Process of Song and Dance Celebration
Supporting the Foundation of Estonian Song and Dance Celebration
Supporting the organizing of the Song and Dance Celebration
Support programme for the participating groups
Mentoring programme

14. The number of culture centres in different Estonian registers
Folk Culture Database of the Estonian Folk Culture Centre
National register of local goverments
NGO-s in Business Register
etc.
As of there are 450 culture centres in the database of Estonian Folk Culture Centre

15. The number of cultural centres, culture houses and community houses in ( cultural centres includes NGOs )

16. State functions in the area of culture centres
The state does not interfere in the activities of cultural centres because most of them belong to local govenrments
The Ministry of Culture does not allocate investment subsidies to community houses
3. The state has a responsibility to create the legal bases

17. Kanepi Culture Center in Põlva County established in 1887

18. State duties regarding cultural centres
At the moment we do not have a specific law for the cultural centres (we have had a law for the cultural centres in 1931).
The concept of the law for the cultural centres was drafted by the Estonian Cultural Houses Association in 2007–2008.
The law of local goverment management: municipal culture centres must be kept up by the local governments

19. In 2006 it was agreed that cultural centres are classified as to their size and the corresponding action to three classes:
A community house or village house * – the owner or manager in most cases is an NGO.
A cultural house ** – the owner or manager is the local government or/and an NGO.
A culture centre *** – the owner and manager is the local goverment.

20. In 2010 the descriptions of cultural centres were mapped in the Estonian Folk Culture Centre database:
year of the construction or renovation of the buildings; number and sizes of halls and other rooms;
number of seating places in halls;
sizes of the stages;
sound, lighting and stage equipment, electric power; etc.

21. The roles of the cultural center
Organizer of cultural activities
The organizer of recreational activities (singing, dancing, acting, crafts, etc.)
Home for Non-profit organization
Entertainment Center
Training center
Village Development Center
etc.

22. The Cultural Center as a Cultural Service Complex
Culture Center and …..
Museum
Library
Information center (public internet service center or tourism information center)
Cinema
Youth Center
Cafe
Education Center
etc.

23. Cultural centers have competitors; some examples
Open youth centres.
Centres for senior citizens.
3. Cultural services provided by NGOs.
Museums and libraries call themselves cultural centers in substantive work on the side of their main operations.
Manors.
Schools.
Etc.

24. Administrative reform of local governments
In joining of local governments the culture centres will be lead into unified managment.
So far, local governments’ merges have shown that culture centres will not be closed.
The problems of local governments’ administrative reform on a local level are wether a cultural work group for local governments’ merger is formed, and if the issue with community centres is a subject of negotiations.

25. The network of cultural centers in local goverments
Village house
Village house
Village house
Cultural house
Cultural house
Culture Center
Village house
Village house
Cultural house
Cultural house
Village house
Village house

26. Questions. What is the cultural center?
Is a culture centre only a building or is it a cultural service provider?
Which services should a culture centre provide?
Do the culture centres engage only in folk culture or also in professional culture?
What should be the optimal network of cultural centers like in a merged local government?

27. Understanding cultural services as opportunities for local people
1. Taking part in a cultural process as an amateur (participation in choirs, folk dance groups, orchestras, doing crafts, etc.), in other words creating conditions for being engaged in culture.
2. Getting culture-related emotions as a consumer (theatre, concerts, exhibitions, cinema, etc.), a cultural mediation process (availability of professional culture).
3. Getting knowledge/information on self-development through a cultural institution (libraries, museums, etc.), memory institutions.

28. Analysis of the availability of cultural services
How far from the location of the population should be the place where peoples can be participated in culture life?
How far from the location of the population should be a theatre, concert hall, art gallery, cinema, etc.?
These are the first questions that every local government should analyse with community centres in the future.

29. Tallinn Creative Hub

30. Telliskivi Creative City in Tallinn

31. Concert Hall in Jõhvi

32. Pärnu Concert Hall

33. Vanemuine Concert Hall in Tartu

34. The Culture Centres have been an integral part of Estonian cultural activities through time, while constantly changing. There has been preserved the power and identity of the Estonian people, they continue to be the symbol of joint activity and the landmarks of the community. Through the one and a half century, the appearance and interior of the Culture Centres, the legal framework surrounding them and the fundamentals of funding have changed, but the importance of society has survived.

35. Thank you for the attention!
Eino Pedanik