Workshops
02.05.2025
Growing smaller? Lessons from Ida-Virumaa
In Ida-Virumaa, a region that once was a home to numerous vibrant settlements sustained by the oil shale mining industry which brought many people to the area, significant signs of shrinkage have emerged following the industry’s decline.
Today, a significant number of people are relocating, often leaving behind only the memory of a home. As part of our research on the urban landscape of Ida-Virumaa, we spent a day exploring some abandoned properties in Kiviõli, Kohtla-Järve and Jõhvi. Many of these homes continue to contain an abundance of personal items and unspoken stories that reveal not only the past, but also the potential future of the region. Our exhibition will guide you through the series of seven exhibits all over EKA, each offering a unique perspective on the transitioning identity of Ida-Virumaa.
From installations and maps to TikTok, our projects explore diverse ways of showcasing the everyday of shrinking communities and their ongoing transformation. Through stories of dachas, renovation efforts and the everyday struggles of youth and seniors, we confront the challenges of decline. This includes the sense of entrapment experiences by individuals and their mental health challenges that often stem from systemic failure. At the same time, we search for the possibility of sparks and moments of light in these shrinking places. Our work aims to give insight on both the challenges and the resilience found in these spaces, where accessibility, support and opportunity remain crucial for people of all ages.
SAVE THE DATE!
2nd of May, 15:00 in the open area of A-400.
Projects:
Does the JTF really LNOB?
Annabel Pops, Paula Fischer
The Just Transition Fund is the latest effort under the European Green Deal to ease the burden of the transition from oil shale mining on the workers and regions. Ida-Virumaa is the region in Estonia to receive funding, and one that finds itself between a negative view on the mining industry’s past and a somewhat overly optimistic vision of the future. By questioning the justness of the transition, we are mapping out the new narratives positioned upon the region and ask critically, if the forthcoming change will really LNOB (leave no one behind).
#IdaIsHome
Anna Dzebliuk, Melissa Lee
After visiting Ida-Virumaa, we noticed a deep sense of care among its residents even though this place may often be labelled as “shrinking”. This research explores how perceptions of “home” and ground-up initiatives can support local resilience. TikTok became a tool to test how digital storytelling and informal media can spark dialogue around identity, belonging and the everyday realities of so-called “shrinking” cities. By tapping into a space where many young people already express themselves, we asked: can social media help reimagine these places not as abandoned, but as alive with care, creativity and potential?
Dachniki for Future
Yiğithan Akçay, Sarah John von Zydowitz
Dachas, the iconic countryside retreats of the former Soviet Union, have a rich and complex history serving as both leisure spaces and essential sources of food production. Today dachas function not only as places of leisure but also as social and ecological safety nets. They provide a contrast to urban community gardens, offering more autonomy and stronger intergenerational connections. We visited three Dacha allotment garden cooperatives to get into contact with Dachnikis through letters, asking about their commoning and community practices.
Shifting the Narrative: “Chronic” Struggles of Renovation
Ləman Məmmədli, Viktorija Kolomažņikova
Declining towns have become a reality in regions of eastern Estonia. They have been mostly dependent on heavy industries such as oil shale mining to support their economies. In pursuit of reducing climate damages, such areas that produce fossil fuels have been left in a tricky situation. This industry is planned to be phased out completely soon and replaced with more environmentally sustainable options. In order to make the transition smoother, different grants and funds have been allocated to these areas. These allocations were supposed to create more job opportunities, develop the urban fabric and infrastructure, and improve the living conditions of the citizens. However, through a deeper dive struggles of a senior demographic, especially with the housing renovations, become apparent. This research aims to identify, analyze, and possibly open up a larger discussion on the issues faced by elderly communities when it comes to the topic of renovating their homes and improving their quality of life in shrinking cities.
Decades of Slow Retreat:short leap to social realities and mental health condition
Adeolu Afolabi, Zoë Lipp
Mental health is often the silent echo of long-term neglect. In shrinking regions like Ida-Virumaa—where buildings stand half-empty, the population ages, and public spaces quietly disappear—the impact isn’t just demographic; it’s emotional. Missing park benches, broken stairwells, and fading services aren’t just details—they shape how people live, connect, and endure. This game transforms these everyday realities into tangible experiences. Through each event card, we open a window into the lives of those navigating the in-betweens: between generations, between collapsing systems, between floors in buildings without elevators. Most residents don’t break—they adapt. But the strain leaves its mark, even when no one talks about it. By playing, reflecting, and stepping into these roles, we’re reminded that mental health is not just personal—it’s spatial, social, and political. And sometimes, a warm bowl of soup, a fixed light bulb, or simply an unlocked door is enough to hold a community together.
Trapped at one’s own home
Anna Böhmová, Hanna Steckl
By visiting an old man’s home in Kivioli, Ida-Virumaa, we delved into the topics and problems faced by the elderly in this region. By exploring the health care and financial situation, we came to the issue of the accessibility of Soviet-era apartment blocks. Most of the elderly in this area live in these houses, which are up to five floors high and have no elevators. For many of these people, it is not possible to move anywhere else, and therefore, they end up trapped in their homes. They have nowhere to go, but their current home doesn’t allow them to engage with daily needs and activities. We explore this topic by discussing different possible solutions- some are physical, and some are more on an imaginative level…
Yes / No / Other
Lukas Laubre, Katrīna Stīna Jesikena
With the changing of the guard over thirty years ago, some have found themselves in the middle of a major international dispute forced to choose sides between two or more parents bickering for their loyalty, allegiance. “Yes / No / Other” explores the tough questions these people are forced to answer every day. Questions that, for the sake of supposed national security (of the right side), reach deep into the most private of spheres: identity, domestic life, ideology. In reality, most would rather be left alone and are at best indifferent to these issues. But the questions keep coming, relentlessly and one-sidedly, as if loyalty were a simple box to check and a lifetime of complexity could be conveniently filed away — while others, with the right passports or the right surnames, live freely without ever being harassed.
Urban Studies Urban Models course, tutored by Keiti Kljavin & Johanna Holvandus
Growing smaller? Lessons from Ida-Virumaa
Friday 02 May, 2025
In Ida-Virumaa, a region that once was a home to numerous vibrant settlements sustained by the oil shale mining industry which brought many people to the area, significant signs of shrinkage have emerged following the industry’s decline.
Today, a significant number of people are relocating, often leaving behind only the memory of a home. As part of our research on the urban landscape of Ida-Virumaa, we spent a day exploring some abandoned properties in Kiviõli, Kohtla-Järve and Jõhvi. Many of these homes continue to contain an abundance of personal items and unspoken stories that reveal not only the past, but also the potential future of the region. Our exhibition will guide you through the series of seven exhibits all over EKA, each offering a unique perspective on the transitioning identity of Ida-Virumaa.
From installations and maps to TikTok, our projects explore diverse ways of showcasing the everyday of shrinking communities and their ongoing transformation. Through stories of dachas, renovation efforts and the everyday struggles of youth and seniors, we confront the challenges of decline. This includes the sense of entrapment experiences by individuals and their mental health challenges that often stem from systemic failure. At the same time, we search for the possibility of sparks and moments of light in these shrinking places. Our work aims to give insight on both the challenges and the resilience found in these spaces, where accessibility, support and opportunity remain crucial for people of all ages.
SAVE THE DATE!
2nd of May, 15:00 in the open area of A-400.
Projects:
Does the JTF really LNOB?
Annabel Pops, Paula Fischer
The Just Transition Fund is the latest effort under the European Green Deal to ease the burden of the transition from oil shale mining on the workers and regions. Ida-Virumaa is the region in Estonia to receive funding, and one that finds itself between a negative view on the mining industry’s past and a somewhat overly optimistic vision of the future. By questioning the justness of the transition, we are mapping out the new narratives positioned upon the region and ask critically, if the forthcoming change will really LNOB (leave no one behind).
#IdaIsHome
Anna Dzebliuk, Melissa Lee
After visiting Ida-Virumaa, we noticed a deep sense of care among its residents even though this place may often be labelled as “shrinking”. This research explores how perceptions of “home” and ground-up initiatives can support local resilience. TikTok became a tool to test how digital storytelling and informal media can spark dialogue around identity, belonging and the everyday realities of so-called “shrinking” cities. By tapping into a space where many young people already express themselves, we asked: can social media help reimagine these places not as abandoned, but as alive with care, creativity and potential?
Dachniki for Future
Yiğithan Akçay, Sarah John von Zydowitz
Dachas, the iconic countryside retreats of the former Soviet Union, have a rich and complex history serving as both leisure spaces and essential sources of food production. Today dachas function not only as places of leisure but also as social and ecological safety nets. They provide a contrast to urban community gardens, offering more autonomy and stronger intergenerational connections. We visited three Dacha allotment garden cooperatives to get into contact with Dachnikis through letters, asking about their commoning and community practices.
Shifting the Narrative: “Chronic” Struggles of Renovation
Ləman Məmmədli, Viktorija Kolomažņikova
Declining towns have become a reality in regions of eastern Estonia. They have been mostly dependent on heavy industries such as oil shale mining to support their economies. In pursuit of reducing climate damages, such areas that produce fossil fuels have been left in a tricky situation. This industry is planned to be phased out completely soon and replaced with more environmentally sustainable options. In order to make the transition smoother, different grants and funds have been allocated to these areas. These allocations were supposed to create more job opportunities, develop the urban fabric and infrastructure, and improve the living conditions of the citizens. However, through a deeper dive struggles of a senior demographic, especially with the housing renovations, become apparent. This research aims to identify, analyze, and possibly open up a larger discussion on the issues faced by elderly communities when it comes to the topic of renovating their homes and improving their quality of life in shrinking cities.
Decades of Slow Retreat:short leap to social realities and mental health condition
Adeolu Afolabi, Zoë Lipp
Mental health is often the silent echo of long-term neglect. In shrinking regions like Ida-Virumaa—where buildings stand half-empty, the population ages, and public spaces quietly disappear—the impact isn’t just demographic; it’s emotional. Missing park benches, broken stairwells, and fading services aren’t just details—they shape how people live, connect, and endure. This game transforms these everyday realities into tangible experiences. Through each event card, we open a window into the lives of those navigating the in-betweens: between generations, between collapsing systems, between floors in buildings without elevators. Most residents don’t break—they adapt. But the strain leaves its mark, even when no one talks about it. By playing, reflecting, and stepping into these roles, we’re reminded that mental health is not just personal—it’s spatial, social, and political. And sometimes, a warm bowl of soup, a fixed light bulb, or simply an unlocked door is enough to hold a community together.
Trapped at one’s own home
Anna Böhmová, Hanna Steckl
By visiting an old man’s home in Kivioli, Ida-Virumaa, we delved into the topics and problems faced by the elderly in this region. By exploring the health care and financial situation, we came to the issue of the accessibility of Soviet-era apartment blocks. Most of the elderly in this area live in these houses, which are up to five floors high and have no elevators. For many of these people, it is not possible to move anywhere else, and therefore, they end up trapped in their homes. They have nowhere to go, but their current home doesn’t allow them to engage with daily needs and activities. We explore this topic by discussing different possible solutions- some are physical, and some are more on an imaginative level…
Yes / No / Other
Lukas Laubre, Katrīna Stīna Jesikena
With the changing of the guard over thirty years ago, some have found themselves in the middle of a major international dispute forced to choose sides between two or more parents bickering for their loyalty, allegiance. “Yes / No / Other” explores the tough questions these people are forced to answer every day. Questions that, for the sake of supposed national security (of the right side), reach deep into the most private of spheres: identity, domestic life, ideology. In reality, most would rather be left alone and are at best indifferent to these issues. But the questions keep coming, relentlessly and one-sidedly, as if loyalty were a simple box to check and a lifetime of complexity could be conveniently filed away — while others, with the right passports or the right surnames, live freely without ever being harassed.
Urban Studies Urban Models course, tutored by Keiti Kljavin & Johanna Holvandus
07.04.2025 — 11.04.2025
CTC – Climate Truth Crisis Project
We look forward to seeing you at the opening of the CTC – Climate Truth Crisis exhibition on 11.04, at 14:00, in the open area in front of the Estonian Academy of Arts (Põhja pst 7).
The CTC – Climate Truth Crisis project deals with the spread of misinformation and understanding the climate crisis. The project involves educating young designers in these areas, creating a website that gathers information about the topic, publishing a podcast series, a dictionary and a collection of articles. In addition, students are visualizing the topic in various media. More information on the project website: https://www.climatetruthcrisis.eu/
The first workshop of the project will take place at the Estonian Academy of Arts on 7-11 April, during which students will write down concepts related to the topic, visualize them and on Friday, 11 April, open an exhibition in a public space in front of the EKA to introduce the topic to a wider audience.
The workshop is held in cooperation with the EKA Graphic Design Department and the Department of Semiotics of the University of Tartu. The students will be supervised by semioticians, conspiracy theory and disinformation researchers Mari-Liis Madisson and Daniel Tamm, Laura Vilbiks from the Estonian Foundation for Nature (ELF), and graphic designers Laura Merendi, Ott Kagovere and Kert Viiart. In addition to the supervisors, there will be students and lecturers from Bosnia, Spain, the Netherlands, England, Iceland and Lithuania.
In addition to the workshop, there will also be lectures open to the wider audience:
09.04, 16:00, A502 (EKA, Põhja pst 7)
Artist Kristina Õllek with a presentation Absorbing Hypoxic Water
10.04, 16:00, A300 (EKA, Põhja pst 7)
Graphic designer Maria Muuk with a presentation Graphic Design as a Degrowth Practice
The project will last for three years, 2025-2028, and workshops will be held at various partner universities:
Academy of Fine Arts Sarajevo,
Iceland University of the Arts,
Royal Academy of Art, The Hague,
University of the Arts London,
CTC – Climate Truth Crisis Project
Monday 07 April, 2025 — Friday 11 April, 2025
We look forward to seeing you at the opening of the CTC – Climate Truth Crisis exhibition on 11.04, at 14:00, in the open area in front of the Estonian Academy of Arts (Põhja pst 7).
The CTC – Climate Truth Crisis project deals with the spread of misinformation and understanding the climate crisis. The project involves educating young designers in these areas, creating a website that gathers information about the topic, publishing a podcast series, a dictionary and a collection of articles. In addition, students are visualizing the topic in various media. More information on the project website: https://www.climatetruthcrisis.eu/
The first workshop of the project will take place at the Estonian Academy of Arts on 7-11 April, during which students will write down concepts related to the topic, visualize them and on Friday, 11 April, open an exhibition in a public space in front of the EKA to introduce the topic to a wider audience.
The workshop is held in cooperation with the EKA Graphic Design Department and the Department of Semiotics of the University of Tartu. The students will be supervised by semioticians, conspiracy theory and disinformation researchers Mari-Liis Madisson and Daniel Tamm, Laura Vilbiks from the Estonian Foundation for Nature (ELF), and graphic designers Laura Merendi, Ott Kagovere and Kert Viiart. In addition to the supervisors, there will be students and lecturers from Bosnia, Spain, the Netherlands, England, Iceland and Lithuania.
In addition to the workshop, there will also be lectures open to the wider audience:
09.04, 16:00, A502 (EKA, Põhja pst 7)
Artist Kristina Õllek with a presentation Absorbing Hypoxic Water
10.04, 16:00, A300 (EKA, Põhja pst 7)
Graphic designer Maria Muuk with a presentation Graphic Design as a Degrowth Practice
The project will last for three years, 2025-2028, and workshops will be held at various partner universities:
Academy of Fine Arts Sarajevo,
Iceland University of the Arts,
Royal Academy of Art, The Hague,
University of the Arts London,
24.03.2025
Artist talk by Tris Vonna-Michell
Artist talk by Tris Vonna-Michell at 17:30 on March 4th in EKA, A-501
The artist is visiting EKA to run a workshop in the department of photography on March 24-26, 2025 together with Henrik Follesø Egeland.
Tris Vonna-Michell (1982) is an artist, publisher and guest professor in Expanded Performance and Installation at the Royal College of Art in Stockholm.
Recent works can be found in public collections such as Serralves Museum, Porto, Moderna Museet, Stockholm, San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), Tate Modern, London, and Hamburger Kunsthalle, Hamburg.
Vonna-Michell has exhibited widely, most recently at the Badischer Kunstverein in Karlsruhe.
Vonna-Michell’s work utilises a plethora of technical devices, modes of presentation and installational approaches, encompassing performance, audio recordings, slide projections, poetry, sound poetry, printed matter, photography and film. Since 2010 he has been co-running the publishing space and analogue studio Mount Analogue.
Artist talk by Tris Vonna-Michell
Monday 24 March, 2025
Artist talk by Tris Vonna-Michell at 17:30 on March 4th in EKA, A-501
The artist is visiting EKA to run a workshop in the department of photography on March 24-26, 2025 together with Henrik Follesø Egeland.
Tris Vonna-Michell (1982) is an artist, publisher and guest professor in Expanded Performance and Installation at the Royal College of Art in Stockholm.
Recent works can be found in public collections such as Serralves Museum, Porto, Moderna Museet, Stockholm, San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), Tate Modern, London, and Hamburger Kunsthalle, Hamburg.
Vonna-Michell has exhibited widely, most recently at the Badischer Kunstverein in Karlsruhe.
Vonna-Michell’s work utilises a plethora of technical devices, modes of presentation and installational approaches, encompassing performance, audio recordings, slide projections, poetry, sound poetry, printed matter, photography and film. Since 2010 he has been co-running the publishing space and analogue studio Mount Analogue.
03.03.2025 — 07.03.2025
Mental Health Week
3.03–07.03
Join us for Mental Health Week – take a break and prioritize your well-being!
Monday – Digi Detox (3.03)
Swap your phone for a piece of fruit for a set time of your choice and enjoy a screen-free moment. Plus, grab a wellness shot during lunch!
Tuesday – Quiz Night (4.03)
Test your knowledge in a fun quiz night!
https://fb.me/e/63DbEu5zp
Wednesday – Yoga Class (5.03, kl 18, A501)
Find your balance and unwind in a yoga class. Suitable for all levels!
Pre-registration required
Wednesday & Thursday – Sauna Evenings (5.–6.03)
Relax and unwind in the sauna after a long day.
Pre-registration required
Thursday – Scream Room (D600)
Release your stress in a safe and soundproof space!
And much more! Find more details on Instagram.
See you at Mental Health Week!
Mental Health Week
Monday 03 March, 2025 — Friday 07 March, 2025
3.03–07.03
Join us for Mental Health Week – take a break and prioritize your well-being!
Monday – Digi Detox (3.03)
Swap your phone for a piece of fruit for a set time of your choice and enjoy a screen-free moment. Plus, grab a wellness shot during lunch!
Tuesday – Quiz Night (4.03)
Test your knowledge in a fun quiz night!
https://fb.me/e/63DbEu5zp
Wednesday – Yoga Class (5.03, kl 18, A501)
Find your balance and unwind in a yoga class. Suitable for all levels!
Pre-registration required
Wednesday & Thursday – Sauna Evenings (5.–6.03)
Relax and unwind in the sauna after a long day.
Pre-registration required
Thursday – Scream Room (D600)
Release your stress in a safe and soundproof space!
And much more! Find more details on Instagram.
See you at Mental Health Week!
28.01.2025
Open Debate of EKA Rector Candidates
On Tuesday, January 28, 2025 at 4:00 p.m., open debate of EKA rector candidates will take place.
EKA rector candidate programs (in Estonian):
Rector candidate Hilkka Hiiop’s program
Rector candidate Kirke Kangro’s program
Hilkka Hiiop is the dean of EKA’s Faculty of Arts and Culture from 2021. Hiiop is a professor in the Department of Cultural Heritage and Conservation. Hiiop’s candidacy was submitted by the members of the EKA Council.
Kirke Kangro is the dean of EKA’s Faculty of Fine Arts from 2016. She is a professor at the Department of Installation and Sculpture. Kangro was nominated by the Faculty of Fine Arts and Faculty of Design of EKA.
The EKA rector’s elections will take place in auditorium A-101 on Friday, January 31, 2025, at 2:00 p.m.
At the election meeting, the members of the electoral board will vote by secret ballot. The rector candidate who receives more than half of the votes will be elected.
Information related to the rector’s elections can be found at artun.ee/rektori-valimised.
The term of office of the new EKA Rector will begin on April 4, 2025.
Open Debate of EKA Rector Candidates
Tuesday 28 January, 2025
On Tuesday, January 28, 2025 at 4:00 p.m., open debate of EKA rector candidates will take place.
EKA rector candidate programs (in Estonian):
Rector candidate Hilkka Hiiop’s program
Rector candidate Kirke Kangro’s program
Hilkka Hiiop is the dean of EKA’s Faculty of Arts and Culture from 2021. Hiiop is a professor in the Department of Cultural Heritage and Conservation. Hiiop’s candidacy was submitted by the members of the EKA Council.
Kirke Kangro is the dean of EKA’s Faculty of Fine Arts from 2016. She is a professor at the Department of Installation and Sculpture. Kangro was nominated by the Faculty of Fine Arts and Faculty of Design of EKA.
The EKA rector’s elections will take place in auditorium A-101 on Friday, January 31, 2025, at 2:00 p.m.
At the election meeting, the members of the electoral board will vote by secret ballot. The rector candidate who receives more than half of the votes will be elected.
Information related to the rector’s elections can be found at artun.ee/rektori-valimised.
The term of office of the new EKA Rector will begin on April 4, 2025.
23.01.2025
EKA Design Showcase 2025
EKA Design Showcase will take place on January 23, 2025.
For the eighth year, we are celebrating the best collaboration projects of Estonian Academy of Arts students with companies and public sector organizations. All EKA cooperation partners and future design enthusiasts are welcome.
Register for the event here.
The presentation will feature innovative product and service concepts, prototypes and ready-made solutions created by EKA Faculty of Design students over the past year for companies and organizations.
The projects to be presented have grown out of the EKA Faculty of Design’s entrepreneurial collaboration program LAETUS, which brings together fresh ideas from a new generation of designers and challenges from companies and public organizations.
The most impactful and innovative projects will also be awarded.
You are welcome to the Design Showcase and gain new knowledge and inspiration on how to take your organization’s products or services to the next level in cooperation with EKA through new generation design and open innovation.
Program:
14:00 EKA campus tour for interested participants (pre-registration required)
15:00 Exhibition opening in the foyer
16:00 Start of the EKA Design Showcase Gala. Welcome speech by the Dean of the Faculty of Design, Ruth-Helene Melioranski
16:20 Presentations of collaboration projects
17:45 Coffee and snacks
18:15 Presentations of collaboration projects
19:30 Words of gratitude and presentation of acknowledgments
19:45 End of the event
The event will be moderated by Jan Teevet.
Collaborations to be presented:
– How to turn production waste into profit and new products?*
Circular Design MA students of & Granitop OÜ
– Mobility and energy independence – what will the energy consumer’s user experience be like in 2035?*
Interaction Design MA students & Eesti Energia AS
– How might we enable meaningful engagements with Tallinn City’s Digital Twin?
Interaction Design MA students & Tallinn Strategic Management Office
– Join the queue – Rohetiiger`s (Green Tiger) guerrilla campaign*
Visual Communication BA Students & Green Tiger
– From colleague to colleague: job shadowing*
Social Design MA students & North Estonia Medical Centre
– The preoperative journey of a patient undergoing planned major surgery*
Social Design MA students & North Estonia Medical Centre
– Redesign of PERH’s insulation labelling*
Graphic Design BA students & North Estonia Medical Centre
– How might we empower family doctors in the transition to genetics-informed personal healthcare?
Interaction Design MA students & TeamPerMed
– Packaging solutions for Bank of Estonia commemorative coins*
Design Faculty BA and MA students & Bank of Estonia
17:45 – 18:15 Coffee and snacks
18:15 – 19:30 Presentations of collaboration projects
– Designing the outdoor area of Laulasmaa School as a multifunctional space*
Social Design MA students & Laulasmaa School, architects, and the community
– Creating the interior design and visual identity of Sydney Estonian House*
Design and Innovation BA Students & Sydney Estonian House
– An invitation to home – how to reduce loneliness among Estonian returnees?*
Industrial and Digital Product Design BA students & Integration Foundation
– A supportive checklist for independent returnees
Industrial and Digital Product Design BA students & Integration Foundation
– From Classroom to Practice: A Service Design Journey
Industrial and Digital Product Design BA students & Integration Foundation
– The Tallinn Housing Manager Compass
Service Design Strategies and Innovation MA students & Tallinn Strategy Centre
– Tallinn Housing Lab: Co-creating housing solutions for living, not for profit
Service Design Strategies and Innovation MA students & Tallinn Strategy Centre
– Accessible Tallinn: The Housing & Urban Futures Forum
Service Design Strategies and Innovation MA students & Tallinn Strategy Centre
– Design of the State Budget Dashboard*
Digital Product Design BA students & Ministry of Finance
– What to do after the end of the cooperation project – how to implement the ideas?*
Industrial and Digital Product Design BA students & Estonian Manor Builders Association, EKA’s Department of Cultural Heritage & Conservation
– Introduction to Laetus 2.0, Maarja Mõtus
19:30 Acknowledgements and awards ceremony
19:45 End of the event
Presentations marked with * are in Estonian.
The presentations will be in Estonian and English, without translation.
It is possible to participate both on site at EKA (room A101) and watch the broadcast at EKA TV.
Video reminder from last year’s Design Showcase Gala
EKA Design Showcase 2025
Thursday 23 January, 2025
EKA Design Showcase will take place on January 23, 2025.
For the eighth year, we are celebrating the best collaboration projects of Estonian Academy of Arts students with companies and public sector organizations. All EKA cooperation partners and future design enthusiasts are welcome.
Register for the event here.
The presentation will feature innovative product and service concepts, prototypes and ready-made solutions created by EKA Faculty of Design students over the past year for companies and organizations.
The projects to be presented have grown out of the EKA Faculty of Design’s entrepreneurial collaboration program LAETUS, which brings together fresh ideas from a new generation of designers and challenges from companies and public organizations.
The most impactful and innovative projects will also be awarded.
You are welcome to the Design Showcase and gain new knowledge and inspiration on how to take your organization’s products or services to the next level in cooperation with EKA through new generation design and open innovation.
Program:
14:00 EKA campus tour for interested participants (pre-registration required)
15:00 Exhibition opening in the foyer
16:00 Start of the EKA Design Showcase Gala. Welcome speech by the Dean of the Faculty of Design, Ruth-Helene Melioranski
16:20 Presentations of collaboration projects
17:45 Coffee and snacks
18:15 Presentations of collaboration projects
19:30 Words of gratitude and presentation of acknowledgments
19:45 End of the event
The event will be moderated by Jan Teevet.
Collaborations to be presented:
– How to turn production waste into profit and new products?*
Circular Design MA students of & Granitop OÜ
– Mobility and energy independence – what will the energy consumer’s user experience be like in 2035?*
Interaction Design MA students & Eesti Energia AS
– How might we enable meaningful engagements with Tallinn City’s Digital Twin?
Interaction Design MA students & Tallinn Strategic Management Office
– Join the queue – Rohetiiger`s (Green Tiger) guerrilla campaign*
Visual Communication BA Students & Green Tiger
– From colleague to colleague: job shadowing*
Social Design MA students & North Estonia Medical Centre
– The preoperative journey of a patient undergoing planned major surgery*
Social Design MA students & North Estonia Medical Centre
– Redesign of PERH’s insulation labelling*
Graphic Design BA students & North Estonia Medical Centre
– How might we empower family doctors in the transition to genetics-informed personal healthcare?
Interaction Design MA students & TeamPerMed
– Packaging solutions for Bank of Estonia commemorative coins*
Design Faculty BA and MA students & Bank of Estonia
17:45 – 18:15 Coffee and snacks
18:15 – 19:30 Presentations of collaboration projects
– Designing the outdoor area of Laulasmaa School as a multifunctional space*
Social Design MA students & Laulasmaa School, architects, and the community
– Creating the interior design and visual identity of Sydney Estonian House*
Design and Innovation BA Students & Sydney Estonian House
– An invitation to home – how to reduce loneliness among Estonian returnees?*
Industrial and Digital Product Design BA students & Integration Foundation
– A supportive checklist for independent returnees
Industrial and Digital Product Design BA students & Integration Foundation
– From Classroom to Practice: A Service Design Journey
Industrial and Digital Product Design BA students & Integration Foundation
– The Tallinn Housing Manager Compass
Service Design Strategies and Innovation MA students & Tallinn Strategy Centre
– Tallinn Housing Lab: Co-creating housing solutions for living, not for profit
Service Design Strategies and Innovation MA students & Tallinn Strategy Centre
– Accessible Tallinn: The Housing & Urban Futures Forum
Service Design Strategies and Innovation MA students & Tallinn Strategy Centre
– Design of the State Budget Dashboard*
Digital Product Design BA students & Ministry of Finance
– What to do after the end of the cooperation project – how to implement the ideas?*
Industrial and Digital Product Design BA students & Estonian Manor Builders Association, EKA’s Department of Cultural Heritage & Conservation
– Introduction to Laetus 2.0, Maarja Mõtus
19:30 Acknowledgements and awards ceremony
19:45 End of the event
Presentations marked with * are in Estonian.
The presentations will be in Estonian and English, without translation.
It is possible to participate both on site at EKA (room A101) and watch the broadcast at EKA TV.
Video reminder from last year’s Design Showcase Gala
09.12.2024
Paljassaare Journey: Dream-Land-Fill
DREAM | LAND | FILL
December 9 2024, 9:00–16:00
Starting point Maleva 2A.
Join us for a day in Paljassaare to dive into the dreams and actualities tied to the plenteous lands of the peninsula. DREAM | LAND | FILL is a collage of 13 individual projects by Estonian Academy of Arts Urban studies master students, sharing stories, insights and imaginaries from Paljassaare.
As the sea is filled to be ready for use and development, a pressing question remains: ready to build on it, but for whom? What kind of dreams are projected onto this “dreamland” and whose dreams are they? Which dreams are being put aside? We will shed light on investors and explorers, land-fillings and floodings and both human and non-human actors changing the peninsula.
Through our diverse projects and approaches, we aim to grasp the complexities of experimentation and speculation, of gambling and playing, of desire and urbanising and ruralising.
What might possible futures look like for both communities and ecosystems, humans and more-than-humans?
Be ready for an exciting pilgrimage of seven hours and eight kilometres on varied terrain! Please bring along headphones and power banks, snacks and warm beverages, and dress warm!
Paljassaare Journey: Dream-Land-Fill
Monday 09 December, 2024
DREAM | LAND | FILL
December 9 2024, 9:00–16:00
Starting point Maleva 2A.
Join us for a day in Paljassaare to dive into the dreams and actualities tied to the plenteous lands of the peninsula. DREAM | LAND | FILL is a collage of 13 individual projects by Estonian Academy of Arts Urban studies master students, sharing stories, insights and imaginaries from Paljassaare.
As the sea is filled to be ready for use and development, a pressing question remains: ready to build on it, but for whom? What kind of dreams are projected onto this “dreamland” and whose dreams are they? Which dreams are being put aside? We will shed light on investors and explorers, land-fillings and floodings and both human and non-human actors changing the peninsula.
Through our diverse projects and approaches, we aim to grasp the complexities of experimentation and speculation, of gambling and playing, of desire and urbanising and ruralising.
What might possible futures look like for both communities and ecosystems, humans and more-than-humans?
Be ready for an exciting pilgrimage of seven hours and eight kilometres on varied terrain! Please bring along headphones and power banks, snacks and warm beverages, and dress warm!
06.12.2024
Symposium on postmodernism “Lost in Time Like Tears in the Rain”
On Friday, December 6th at 11:00, a symposium on postmodernism “Lost in Time Like Tears in the Rain” will take place at the Tartu Elektriteater.
The transition period from the collapse of the Soviet Union to the rise of independence Estonia can be considered in many ways an unique and exceptional period. It was a time of historical openness, where one way of doing things had ceased to exist, but another was just taking off. It was a time of intellectual and artistic possibilities, in spite of the fact that means and possibilities were scarce. And it was at this time that the new postmodernism as a new cultural logic, promising perhaps another kind of diversity, plurality and freedom. A confused thing arrived in a confused time and began to resonate in its own way. What it was or much of it was there at all? That is what Estonia’s leading cultural figures and researchers will give their own perspective on what was in the air and what it was like for them, what postmodernism meant to them then and what it means now.
SCHEDULE
11–12:30 Session I
Peeter Laurits / Ene-Liis Semper / Janek Kraavi / Kiwa / Tõnis Kahu /
Barbi Pilvre
12:30–13 Coffee break
13–14:30 Session II
Hanno Soans / Virve Sarapik / Luule Epner / Andrus Laansalu / Piret
Viires / Marju Lauristin
14:30–15:30 Lunch break
15:30–17 Session III
Hasso Krull / Märt Väljataga / Valle-Sten Maiste / Epp Annus / Raili
Marling / Aare Pilv
17–20 Reception (Lossi 3 lobby)
The event is organized by the Institute of Cultural Studies of the University of Tartu and the Interuniversity Research Group of Contemporary Estonian Culture
The event is supported by the Estonian Science Foundation grant PRG636 “Patterns of development in Estonian culture of transition period 1986–1998)”.
Symposium on postmodernism “Lost in Time Like Tears in the Rain”
Friday 06 December, 2024
On Friday, December 6th at 11:00, a symposium on postmodernism “Lost in Time Like Tears in the Rain” will take place at the Tartu Elektriteater.
The transition period from the collapse of the Soviet Union to the rise of independence Estonia can be considered in many ways an unique and exceptional period. It was a time of historical openness, where one way of doing things had ceased to exist, but another was just taking off. It was a time of intellectual and artistic possibilities, in spite of the fact that means and possibilities were scarce. And it was at this time that the new postmodernism as a new cultural logic, promising perhaps another kind of diversity, plurality and freedom. A confused thing arrived in a confused time and began to resonate in its own way. What it was or much of it was there at all? That is what Estonia’s leading cultural figures and researchers will give their own perspective on what was in the air and what it was like for them, what postmodernism meant to them then and what it means now.
SCHEDULE
11–12:30 Session I
Peeter Laurits / Ene-Liis Semper / Janek Kraavi / Kiwa / Tõnis Kahu /
Barbi Pilvre
12:30–13 Coffee break
13–14:30 Session II
Hanno Soans / Virve Sarapik / Luule Epner / Andrus Laansalu / Piret
Viires / Marju Lauristin
14:30–15:30 Lunch break
15:30–17 Session III
Hasso Krull / Märt Väljataga / Valle-Sten Maiste / Epp Annus / Raili
Marling / Aare Pilv
17–20 Reception (Lossi 3 lobby)
The event is organized by the Institute of Cultural Studies of the University of Tartu and the Interuniversity Research Group of Contemporary Estonian Culture
The event is supported by the Estonian Science Foundation grant PRG636 “Patterns of development in Estonian culture of transition period 1986–1998)”.
18.11.2024 — 22.11.2024
Mental Health Week
Mental Vitamin Week is back and happening next week! From November 18–22, we will host various exciting activities to bring some fun and relaxation to the long and tiring school days.
**MONDAY, 18.11.2024**
– Morning run at 8:00 (meeting in front of the school)
– Fruit in exchange for your phone
– 12:00–18:00 Sauna in the school courtyard
– Gaming in A300
**TUESDAY, 19.11.2024**
– Morning run at 8:00 (meeting in front of the school)
– Health shots
– 12:00–18:00 Sauna in the school courtyard
– Gaming in A300
– Scream room in the ÜE tower
– 19:00 EKAAJU quiz (in the atrium, registration required)
**WEDNESDAY, 20.11.2024**
– Morning run at 8:00 (meeting in front of the school)
– Gaming in A300
– Confession room and worry box (5th floor box)
**THURSDAY, 21.11.2024**
– Morning run at 8:00 (meeting in front of the school)
– Gaming in A300
**FRIDAY, 22.11.2024**
– Final morning run of the week at 8:00 (meeting in front of the school)
– Gaming in A300
Mental Health Week
Monday 18 November, 2024 — Friday 22 November, 2024
Mental Vitamin Week is back and happening next week! From November 18–22, we will host various exciting activities to bring some fun and relaxation to the long and tiring school days.
**MONDAY, 18.11.2024**
– Morning run at 8:00 (meeting in front of the school)
– Fruit in exchange for your phone
– 12:00–18:00 Sauna in the school courtyard
– Gaming in A300
**TUESDAY, 19.11.2024**
– Morning run at 8:00 (meeting in front of the school)
– Health shots
– 12:00–18:00 Sauna in the school courtyard
– Gaming in A300
– Scream room in the ÜE tower
– 19:00 EKAAJU quiz (in the atrium, registration required)
**WEDNESDAY, 20.11.2024**
– Morning run at 8:00 (meeting in front of the school)
– Gaming in A300
– Confession room and worry box (5th floor box)
**THURSDAY, 21.11.2024**
– Morning run at 8:00 (meeting in front of the school)
– Gaming in A300
**FRIDAY, 22.11.2024**
– Final morning run of the week at 8:00 (meeting in front of the school)
– Gaming in A300
09.11.2024 — 23.11.2024
Workshop: Shaping Bio-Clay to Unmask Poop Stigma
The workshop seeks to break this taboo by reconnecting poop with nature and fostering multi-sensory engagements with biomaterials to explore more-than-human connections.
November 9 – workshop only for people with chronic gut diseases
November 23 – workshop open to everyone
11.00–13.30
Workshop: Shaping Bio-Clay to Unmask Poop Stigma
Saturday 09 November, 2024 — Saturday 23 November, 2024
The workshop seeks to break this taboo by reconnecting poop with nature and fostering multi-sensory engagements with biomaterials to explore more-than-human connections.
November 9 – workshop only for people with chronic gut diseases
November 23 – workshop open to everyone
11.00–13.30