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The University of Tartu Viljandi Culture Academy invites applications for its one-year, online, English-taught master’s programme in Creative Project Management designed for forward-thinking professionals.

On 19–20 November, the 13th Heritage Craft Conference titled “Hands On” will take place at the Viljandi Traditional Music Centre. The conference is dedicated to celebrating the 20th anniversary of the heritage construction studies programme at the University of Tartu Viljandi Culture Academy.

The biennial intensive course of Norteas (Nordplus network of Nordic and Baltic Performing Arts institutions in higher education) focuses on an important topic in society or theatre studies. This year, the course took place in Viljandi from 25 to 29 August and focused on artistic research and its application in undergraduate studies. The course consisted of two parallel programmes: the first introduced students to different artistic research practices, while the second focused on the nature of artistic research and its application in theatre studies. The morning opening lectures and student workshops were conducted by creative studies practitioners from near and far: actress Oo Condit (Finland), dramaturg Janis Balodis (Latvia) and artist Urmas Lüüs (Estonia). The faculty programme was curated by Davide Giovanzana from the University of Tampere and Liina Unt from the UT Viljandi Cultural Academy. Taavet Jansen and Ave Matsin, lecturers at the Culture Academy, participated as guests, and a somatic workshop was conducted by Joanna Kalm, PhD student at the Estonian Academy of Arts. The faculty programme culminated in a mapping of artistic research practices at Sammuli Holiday Village, while the students' programme included mini-performances and performances at the Academy' Vilma building. Although it is still too early to draw definitive conclusions, it can be said that artistic research plays an important role in undergraduate education. Firstly, it provides a bridge to the next levels of study, where artistic studies are already well established.Secondly, artistic research allows the student to look at and develop their own practice from the side, which increases the learner's responsibility for developing their skills. Thirdly, it is worthwhile to look at practices in other fields when developing artistic research methodologies in theatre studies. The course was organised in Viljandi by Lennart Peep, Ele Viskus, Evelin Lagle-Nõmm and Krista Tamm. An international team comprising of Davide Giovanzana (Tampere University), Ele Viskus (UT Viljandi Culture Academy), Kārlis Krūmiņš (Latvian Academy of Culture), Lennart Peep (UT Viljandi Culture Academy) and Stacey Sacks (Stockholm University of the Arts) helped to develop the content and conduct the on-site teaching. The course was funded by the Nordplus Higher Education Programme.

The mentoring programme that has been popular in the previous years will be held again this autumn semester.

The Faculty of Arts and Humanities offers numerous optional courses for the autumn semester, available to both our students and all other students at the University of Tartu.

This autumn, the University of Tartu Viljandi Culture Academy will once again offer two microdegree programmes that provide a fast and flexible way to deepen your knowledge in cultural entrepreneurship and the creative industries.

Today, on 30 May, the University of Tartu senate elected Ott Karulin as the new Director of the UT Viljandi Culture Academy.

In the autumn of 2024, the first cohort of the University of Tartu Viljandi Culture Academy’s Creative Project Management programme began their studies. This is an international one-year master’s programme, with most of the coursework conducted online.

FitSphere invites all University of Tartu students and staff to join the step challenge Spring Steps 2025. The challenge runs from 1 to 30 April and is free for everyone.

Anzori Barkalaja, Ott Karulin, and Kertu Saks are candidates in the regular elections for the position of director of the Viljandi Culture Academy. The candidates will introduce themselves and present their views at a public debate on 8 April from 16 to 18, which can be followed via live webcast.

At the Career Day, students will have the chance to ask questions directly to our many internship partners, who represent museums, cultural institutions, and companies. You can learn about the available internship opportunities, the application process, the roles available for international students, and more.

The Faculty of Arts and Humanities offers optional courses for spring 2025.

Marek Mühlberg, the program director of the University of Tartu Viljandi Culture Academy's Creative Project Management curriculum, highlights five key reasons to enroll in this Master's program,

On November 1, cultural managers from Estonia and abroad gathered at the Viljandi Traditional Music Centre for the Culture Management Autumn School.

The University of Tartu Viljandi Culture Academy is launching an innovative Teamwork and Leadership microdegree. The programme is perfect for those eager to excel in today’s fast-paced professional settings.

On 25 October, the University of Tartu senate decided to award the University of Tartu Grand Medal to Professor of International Business Urmas Varblane. Also, the recipients of the University of Tartu Star of Appreciation, Medal, Badge of Distinction and the decoration “100 Semesters at the University of Tartu” have been announced.

Thirty-four teachers from Ireland, Spain and Estonia participated in the "Digital Skills for Music Teachers" continuing education course.

Dear members of the university family,

From 13 April until the end of May, we at the University of Tartu Viljandi Culture Academy were again proud to be part of a bilateral Estonian-French exchange, under the “Technicians Without Frontiers” collaboration agreement. This third volume of the Erasmus+ blended traineeship programme offered four of our students a unique opportunity to gain experience in French performing arts institutions, while their French counterparts were welcomed into Estonian theatres.

In the forthcoming academic year 2024/25, the University of Tartu Viljandi Culture Academy is delighted to unveil three new microdegree programmes conducted in English, extending an invitation to all individuals keen on refining their skills within the creative industry.