The Ministry of Culture and the Integration Foundation announce an open call for ideas on how to celebrate cultural diversity of Estonia in 2024. Both activities that are already in place as well as completely new ideas can be suggested for the programme of the next thematic year. Ideas to the open call can be submitted on the website or by regular post until 30 June.  

According to Eda Silberg, Undersecretary for Cultural Diversity at the Ministry of Culture, the aim of the theme year is to highlight and value cultural richness as a natural part of everyday life.

‘According to the latest census, there are 211 ethnic groups living in Estonia, speaking 243 languages as their mother tongue. We are a culturally rich society, and this diversity is the value that unites us into one Estonian nation. Next year, we want to pay attention to the unique cultural space and communities of Estonia as well as to the diverse cultures and traditions of the different peoples living here,’ said Eda Silberg.

According to Dmitri Moskovtsev, Director of the Integration Foundation, the theme year will provide an opportunity to discover how cultural diversity is expressed in different spheres of life, from heritage and creativity to food and communication.

‘In our everyday lives, we often fail to realise what a wealth of culture we are constantly exposed to – whether in music, cinema and theatre, art, literature, sports, or even on our plates or through the people we contact with. Just as cultural diversity starts with each and every one of us, the year dedicated to it starts from the ideas of our people. Therefore, we invite all Estonians to feel free to contribute their thoughts and share good ideas on how to celebrate the cultural diversity in Estonia next year,’ said Dmitri Moskovtsev.

The deadline for open call is 30 June 2023. Initiatives that have already been implemented or have even become a tradition, as well as initiatives that are still planned or inspired by the next thematic year, are welcome. Ideas can be submitted via the website https://integratsioon.ee/en/2024 and by regular mail (Integration Foundation, Rävala pst 5, 10145 Tallinn, keyword ‘2024’). 
 
The team of the thematic year will review all ideas in July and give feedback by August at the latest.

More information about the thematic year and open call will be provided at the meeting with the team of the Year of Cultural Diversity, which will be held online on 13 June in Estonian, English and Russian language. To participate, please register via the website https://integratsioon.ee/en/2024 no later than on 12 June. In all other cases, please contact the team at 2024@integratsioon.ee.

The Integration Foundation is once again organising the Singing Picnic in Narva on 20 August at 5 p.m. Let us spend some fun time together listening to the concert and singing and dancing along.

The Singing Picnic is organised by the Estonian Language House of the Integration Foundation in Narva. Similar to the singing festival organised in 2021, the purpose of the picnic is to bring together the people of Ida-Viru County, introduce the culture of Narva, and learn the Estonian language by singing together, and thus celebrate the anniversary of the Republic of Estonia.

The main performer at the picnic is the tandem choir of the Estonian Language House in Narva with both Estonian and Russian native speakers singing together. They will be performing with the Paldiski mixed choir. In addition, choirs, singers, and ensembles from Ida-Viru County and elsewhere will take the stage, as well as a surprise performer at the end of the evening.

When choosing the repertoire for the picnic, the creative team of the Estonian Language House preferred songs that are easy to sing along to or already familiar to the participants. In addition, the lyrics can be seen on a large screen. The songs will be sung in Estonian, Russian, Ukrainian, and Votic.

The Singing Picnic will take place on the slope of the castle in Joaorg. There will be a trampoline park and you will also have the opportunity to ride a boat and rent bicycles. Street food will also be sold.

Bring everything you need for a picnic: everything from food to a picnic blanket. Wear clothes suitable for the weather (in case of rain, we recommend bringing a raincoat).

Entrance at 4.30 p.m. The concert starts at 5 p.m. and lasts until 8 p.m. There is no need to buy a ticket – the event is free!

For the fourth year in a row, the Integration Foundation has offered Estonian language learners the opportunity to practice communicating in Estonian for three months by conversing with volunteers who speak Estonian as their first language. This year, 1,216 language friends – 618 learners and 598 mentors – participated in the Language Friends Programme (Keelesõber).

‘These are tense times, so we are extremely grateful to anyone who volunteered to become an Estonian language mentor, to take the time to listen and sympathise, and if possible, to understand and support. It is also a big step to allow oneself to be guided by a mentor in practicing a language. To admit as an adult that I might not be good enough – even when it comes to language skills – requires courage and surpassing yourself,’ said Ave Landrat, the leader of the Language Friends Programme and the Head of Partnerships of the Integration Foundation.

‘I am not afraid to use big words – thanks to the participants of this program, the world will become a better and more comprehensible place! The better we understand one another, the easier it is to find solutions. Meetings are necessary for this. The advantage of the Language Friend Programme is that we are brought together by a common desire – to meet in Estonian and with the Estonian language,’ added Ave Landrat.

This year, 618 Estonian language learners participated in the Language Friends Programme, using public registration. In total, 598 mentors, who participated in the programme as volunteers, helped them practice the Estonian language. The mentors helped the language learners to practice communicating in Estonian by talking to them at least once a week by phone or online about various daily topics.

A team of six members coordinated the programme so that language friends could meet and communicate smoothly. They helped to find personal solutions on a daily basis, taking into account their own previous experiences as mentors and also continuing their main work.

‘We thank the mentors for their good will and commitment, we recognise the openness and confidence of the learners, and we highly appreciate the work of the team. Thanks to them, important progress in the field of integration has been made: more and more people find a common language and all of this thanks to voluntary work. We will do our best so that even more people can take advantage of this opportunity next season,’ said Dmitri Moskovtsev, the Director of the Integration Foundation.

The Integration Foundation started the Language Friends Programme in 2020 to offer language learners the opportunity to continue practicing Estonian online instead of participating in communicative language practice events cancelled due to the lockdown. During these four years, a total of 3,728 language friends have taken part in the programme.

Find an overview of the Language Friends Programme’s fourth season here.