The history of UT Viljandi Culture Academy

The Academy offers applied higher education and has provided specialised cultural education since 1952. Initially founded in Tallinn, the capital of Estonia, the school was soon moved to Viljandi, a picturesque town in the country. Its original location in Viljandi was at what is now the Park Hotel Viljandi (as shown in the photo).

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In 1991, the same year Estonia regained its independence, the former Viljandi Culture School was reorganised into a college that offers applied higher education in various cultural fields. Following the reconstruction of the Estonian higher education system at the beginning of the new millennium, the academy became part of the University of Tartu in 2005, transforming into one of its regional colleges. Over the last decade, the range of specialisations offered by the academy has steadily expanded. Its facilities are now located at Posti 1 (the main building), Turu 7 (the Vilma building), and Jakobsoni 14 (the music house).

Since 2016, following a structural change at the University of Tartu, Viljandi Culture Academy has been part of the Faculty of Arts and Humanities. The UT Viljandi Culture Academy is the largest of the seven institutes within the faculty.