The new music and city culture festival Tallinn Music Week (TMW) that took place in the capital of Estonia last week explored economic benefits of the arts and affirmed North Tallinn as the new creative city district. The 11th edition of the festival proved to be more compact and focussed than before.

The common theme of this year’s TMW that took place from 25th to 31st of March was the impact of arts on economy. In addition to the music programme and the conference, visitors were able to enjoy public discussions, an art and design programme, creative workshops for kids and urban space explorations.

Most of the festival was concentrated in the walkable, compact area of North Tallinn, with the main landmarks being Telliskivi Creative City, the Kalamaja district, Port Noblessner and the new building of the Estonian Academy of Arts (EAA) which hosted the TMW conference and the cross-genre audiovisual showcase EKA ÖÖ.

The TMW conference, entitled “The Impact of Arts on Economy,” took place on the 29th and 30th of March at the Estonian Academy of Arts. It featured 113 speakers from various sectors, of which 64 were men, and 49 women. The discussions at the conference were centred on the impact of culture as a driver of the economy and the artist’s role to provoke and to enlighten. The topics included, among others, how to make the cooperation between enterprises and the culture sector more effective, the possibilities for music festivals to survive and thrive, the future of the Russian music industry, and the gender pay gap. Conference topics were developed in collaboration with Music Estonia and Tattarrattat production company.

President of Estonia Kersti Kaljulaid greeted the conference participants and international tech companies at the e-Residency and Startup Estonia reception held within the conference.

“30 years ago we did not know what Estonia was going to be,” she said. “Now we know —it is the creative hub of Europe. We want Estonia to be the safe dock for people who think globally and act globally. Without freedom there is no creativity.”

President’s speech in full:

“Tallinn Music Week is here to serve the society, and we measure our success by impact and sustainability,” says Head of TMW Helen Sildna. “Our aim is to create opportunities for artists and talent who perform and for guests who arrive and do business here. We are here to facilitate global collaboration, and to make Estonia bigger. While doing it, we need to keep in mind that our task is not to grow in numbers, but in impact, content and knowledge. By keeping this purpose in focus, we will continue. The next Tallinn Music Week will take place from 23rd to 28th March 2020.“

The international audience gathered at the auditorium of the Estonian Academy of Arts was greeted by the academy’s rector Mart Kalm, the CEO of Telia Robert Pajos, student and initiator of the climate strike in Estonia Kristin Siil, and the Head of TMW Helen Sildna. A key figure in British contemporary design, Malcolm Garrett, gave an opening address  entitled “Brexit Is Over! If You Want It,” providing a window into the context of the time and its social issues.

“Just like Amos Rex in Helsinki or Fotografiska in Stockholm, inspirational institutions like TMW or the Estonian Academy of Arts help to create an environment that is worthwhile to live in, and thus make it possible to do business successfully,” said rector Mart Kalm, paraphrasing the slogan of TMW conference.

“The main motivator for travelling is culture,“ stated the Director of Enterprise Estonia’s Estonian Tourism Board Margus Sameli at the TMW conference. “There were less than one million euros worth of investments made in international culture and sporting events in 2018, but the economic impact of that was approximately 14 million euros.”

One of the speakers to express the central topic of the conference was Finnish entrepreneur and culture leader Gunvor Kronman. Exciting pop-cultural conversations and discussions on different music-related topics were provided, among others, by polymath musician Barry Adamson and pioneering designer Malcolm Garrett, acclaimed music writer Zoë Howe, the Head of Independent Label Support at Spotify Jennifer Masset, the logistics manager and pilot of the infamous Fyre festival Keith Siilats, the CEO of Tampere Hall Paulina Ahokas, and the CEO of Keychange and PRS Foundation, Vanessa Reed. In collaboration with the Finest Sounds project, the conference hosted a largest number of participants from Japan so far.

The music festival united the best new artists from all over the world, with more established stars from home and abroad. A diverse range of sounds were represented—experimental future sounds alternated with chart pop, jazz and metal. The most popular events were, among others, the 30th birthday party of Finnish record label Stupido Records, which plays an important part in the Estonian music history, the audiovisual exploration EKA ÖÖ at the Estonian Academy of Arts curated by Üle Heli festival and British record label 130701 / FatCat, and a concert by the Russian neo-classical star Kirill Richter at Kalju Baptist Church in Kalamaja.

TMW is becoming an increasingly important destination, most of all for Estonia’s neighbouring countries, as seen in the fact that after 70 local artists from Estonia, the most foreign artists that performed at the festival arrived from Finland and Russia (14 each).

Tanya Makarova, Co-Founder of Russian music export office RUSH said, “I think that TMW is something like a hub for Russian artists and professionals who want to know more about the music industry in Europe, and build their career outside of their home country. It’s really a very important cultural exchange. In addition, the conference raises very important issues, and every year you find new topics and questions that you have not thought about  before.”

In addition to the main showcase programme TMW also offered free City Stage concerts, bringing the festival buzz to unexpected locations; the art programme, curated by the Estonian Contemporary Art Development Center; music-related workshops for kids at Estonian Children’s Literature Centre; TMW Tastes, presenting North Tallinn restaurants; and a TMW-special Record Fair.

TMW Talks took place at Telliskivi’s Pudel Bar, Velvet design office and Tallinn Arts Gymnasium, tackling topics varying from the role of TV channels in showcasing music culture to the occurrences of “cancel culture” as a reaction to scandals in the entertainment industry.

Festival visitors also enjoyed a light-and-sound installations exhibition—“Time as Light”—by students of the Estonian Academy of Arts at the Port Noblessner, providing access to a space uniting scenarios of futures already past or histories yet to arrive.

Port Noblessner’s head of special projects Ann Virkus said: “Our aim is to breathe new life into the grand industrial architecture and create a district that is open to people and the sea, alive in every sense. Arts, promoted by TMW, is the foundation and engine of this development.”

The founder of Telliskivi Creative City Jaanus Juss said that by concentrating TMW in Kalamaja area the festival got more visitor-friendly and the slogan “Arts as the engine of economy” became a reality. “Culture—the driving force of the Creative City—does not only cover art and entertainment, but it also represents a major boost to the economy,” he said. “Our shops saw more than a one-third increase in the number of visitors and our restaurants worked at full capacity, even running out of dishes and drinks at times.”

According to Katrin Isotamm, the Head of Communications at Telia Estonia, the partnership between Telia and TMW has become more substance-based with each year, saying: “There is a lot of potential in culture and business partnerships if you have similar values. Music makes it easier to understand challenges that might at first seem distant and the new technologies of Telia, in turn, help to carry music and important messages to more people.

The next TMW will take place on 23rd–28th March 2020.

TMW 2019 in numbers:

170 artists from 28 countries
75 festival venues, incl 18 showcase venues
22 587 festival visitors
956 delegates, incl 456 international delegates
100 international journalists

Photos: TMW 2019 best of

TMW conference opening speeches on Youtube.

TMW festival is organized by Shiftworks OÜ together with many partners and co-organizers.

TMW 2019 programme partners:
Jazzkaar ja Eesti Jazzliit, Rada7, Fenno-Ugria, Manka Boutique Pop Festival, Intsikurmu Festival, Station Narva, Kalana Saund, World Clinic, Made In Baltics & Sony Music, Üle Heli & 130701/ FatCat Records, Damn.Loud Agency, Stupido Records, Sveta Baar, HALL, MÜRK, Kasaganaan, Kivi Paber Käärid, Estonian Contemporary Art Development Center, Design Center

TMW 2019 City stage venues:
Viru Keskus, Estonian Academy of Arts (EKA), Telia shop at Kristiine Keskus, Tallinn Arts Gymnasium, Balti Jaam Market Humalakoda, design office Velvet, bookshop Puänt, Põhjala Tap Room, Leila Baar

TMW 2019 Tastes:
Trühvel, La Muu, Kaja Pizza Köök, Jahu Resto, Kopli Puljongibaar, Moon, Kolm Sibulat, Bekker Pagariäri, Põhjala Tap Room, Noodle Box pop-up @ Burger Box Bar, Burger Box, Kokomo Coffee Roasters, Sfäär, Fika – Leib ja Kohv, Muhu Pagarid, Kärbes Kitchen&Bar, Homeart, Lendav Taldrik, Kivi Paber Käärid, Frenchy Bistro, F-hoone, Taibaan, VLND Burger, Curated by Bakerman

TMW 2019 presenter: Telia Estonia.

Main sponsors: Nordic Hotel Forum, Enterprise Estonia, Telliskivi Creative City

Partners: Music Estonia, Estonian Academy of Arts (EAA), BLRT Grupp / Noblessner, Estonian Contemporary Art Development Center, Viru Keskus, Estonian Children’s Literature Centre, Yandex.Taxi, Postimees Grupp, Raadio 2, Raadio 4, ERR Culture, IDA Raadio, Soundhouse, RGB, aKustikAudio, Kingivabrik, Vita Pictura, Moe Peenviinavabrik, Economy Hotel, Go Hotel Shnelli, Go Bus, Go Travel, Digiekraanid.

International partners: Embassy of Finland, Embassy of Canada, Finnish Institute, British Council, Tattarrattat, Stupido Records, 130701/ FatCat Records, Chimes, Noise Unit PR, Ebba Lindquist PR, Keychange, The Orchard, Finest Sounds, Radio Helsinki, Tiketti, ETEP

Supporters: Ministry of Culture, Tallinn Culture Board, Cultural Endowment, Tallinn Entrepreneurship Board.

TMW 2019 website: Velvet and Festivality
Visual identity: AKU

 

The visitors of the ongoing new music and city culture festival Tallinn Music Week can enjoy a light and sound installations exhibition “Time as Light” by students of the Estonian Academy of Arts at the Noblessner Port starting tomorrow. The exhibition opens on Thursday, 28th of March at 9 pm.  

The sound and light path, consisting of seven installations, is located between the historic industrial buildings of Noblessner and can be enjoyed after sunset from 28th to 30th of March. The exhibition was created by the students of the Estonian Academy of Arts under the guidance of sculptor Elo Liiv. The journey—under the umbrella title “Time as Light”—both clouds and accentuates the bounds of the buildings telling the story of Noblessner, providing access to a space uniting scenarios of futures already past or histories yet to arrive.

On all three nights visitors of Port Noblessner can experience a river of shadows and lights flowing down Peetri Street; a gleam of hope of the old shipyard walls; an upside-down techno party mapped on the facade of club HALL, and a tunnel that deconstructs perceptions into fragments. The more adventurous can try their hand at writing light messages and directing a light-dance party.

Installations have been created by the following students of the Estonian Academy of Arts: Silvia Ilves, Henri Kaarel Luht, Merilin Põldsam, Kati Müüripeal, Elis Rumma, Rebeka Vaino, Eliise Saar, Klarika Mäeots-Uustal, Mati Uustal, Elisabeth Juusu, Joonas Timmi, Nina Lang, Moonika Mällo, Johanna Põldemaa, Annika Ülejõe and Karl Kristian Kits. The students were operating under the guidance of Elo Liiv.

There is an opportunity to meet the young artists and their instructor Elo Liiv on site at the opening of the exhibition on Thursday, 28th of March at 9 PM. More information.

In addition to the sound and light installations, Noblessner will also stage musical happenings during TMW. Põhjala Tap Room, which recently opened its doors at the port city, hosts three free City Stage concerts on Thursday, 28th of March from 5 pm to 7 pm, featuring Latvian finger-drummer Rick Feds, Czech electronic duo Bratri and Ukrainian rap sensation alyona alyona. Techno music club HALL showcases the residents of the MÜRK party series and Berghain’s resident DJ Efdemin on Friday, followed by a Kasaganaan marathon on Saturday featuring Terrordisco—an Icelander mixing bass music and italo-esque themes—and Perforated Cerebral Party, the flagship of the psychedelic “somatik” wave from St. Petersburg.

Port Noblessner is located in Tallinn by the sea next to the Seaplane Harbour. The history of the port dates back to 1912, when two businessmen from St. Petersburg—Alfred Nobel’s nephew and the biggest oil manufacturer in Europe Emanuel Nobel and his business partner Arthur Lessner—established the most important submarine plant of the Russian Empire at that time. The name “Noblessner” was a combination of the surnames of these two men. There were 12 modern submarines built here from 1913 to 1917.

Today Noblessner has become a port district that is open to people and the sea. It is home to historic industrial buildings, a sea promenade, a marina and new developments of residential buildings and business spaces. Noblessner can be associated with culture events, business, creativity, home and sea culture.

TMW takes place from 25th to 31st of March, with the two main components of an international new music festival and a conference focusing on the impact of creativity. TMW City Festival includes public discussions TMW Talks, City Stage concerts, Arts, Design and Tastes programmes, Urban Space projects at Telliskivi Creative City and Port Noblessner, music-themed workshops for kids and a Record Fair.

TMW is presented by Telia Estonia, main supporters Nordic Hotel Forum and Enterprise Estonia, partners Music Estonia, the Estonian Academy of Arts, BLRT Group / Noblessner and the Estonian Children’s Literature Centre. The festival is supported by the Ministry of Culture, Tallinn Culture Department, the Estonian Cultural Endowment and Tallinn City Enterprise Department.

TMW 2019 Festival Pass at €65, Conference + Festival Pass at €250, Conference Pass at €90-€150 and Supporter Pass at €150 on sale at the TMW online shop.

Single tickets for TMW music showcase events are available at Piletilevi sales points and webshop.

Telia clients receive a 20% discount for presale TMW Festival Pass, Supporter Pass and single tickets to concerts and club nights.

As part of the new music and city culture festival Tallinn Music Week (TMW), taking place next week from 25th to 31st of March, the public discussion series Talks creates an arena where ideas and ideologies can bounce off one another in a friendly and lively way. The topics vary from the role of TV channels in showcasing music culture to the occurrences of “cancel culture” within scandals in the entertainment industry.

Public and free Talks discussions are awaiting listeners from Tuesday, 26th of March, to Friday, 29th of March, at Pudel Bar, Tallinn Art Gymnasium and Velvet design office.

Can culture be erased? Or is “cancelling” culture sometimes even mandatory? Where is the line between a joke and an insult? If TV channels are not yet extinct, then how should they showcase music culture? What more do women want? TMW Talks seeks to find answers to these questions, also putting home-recording artists face-to-face with studio bosses, and giving an overview of the 30-year history of Finnish record label Stupido.

TMW Talks starts at 5 pm on Tuesday, 26th of March at Pudel Bar in Telliskivi with a panel discussion “Think inside the box – music on TV”. What should the role of Estonian TV channels be in showcasing music culture? In a situation where both audience and advertisers have moved online, how has this changed the opportunities and needs of TV? Media expert Mart Normet helps to find answers to these questions, alongside a group of former and current television professionals.

On Wednesday, 27th of March at 4.30 pm, Telia presents a talk entitled “How do I know if this was a joke?” at Tallinn Art Gymnasium, focusing on good manners—online, in the arts, and in real life. At 5 pm in Pudel, there will be a discussion titled “What do women want?”. This discussion seeks to examine the positive contributions of female artists and music professionals to the local music industry, and to discuss problems of identity perception, gender representation, and common underlying biases—and to identify ways forward from heres. The discussion is moderated by Kadi Viik, an editor at the feminist media outlet Feministeerium, and we expect a heated discussion from panelists including, among others, Estonian musician and sociologist Hannaliisa Uusma and controversial morning show host at Radio Sky Plus Kristjan Hirmo.

At Pudel on Thursday, 28th of March at 5pm, we’ll hear the story of how one Finnish music buff has kept an ear open towards Estonia for the last three decades. In 1989 Finnish music buff Joose Berglund found an outlet for his creative fascination with Estonia by recording and releasing the single “Tere, perestroika” by punk band J.M.K.E. That single not just launched the Stupido Twins label but proved instrumental in the process of Estonia’s re-establishment as an independent country. Berglund himself and two former Stupido signees—Estonian music icons Villu Tamme from J.M.K.E. and Tõnu Pedaru from Röövel Ööbik—join in a talk celebrating the label’s 30th anniversary.

At Velvet design office on Friday, 29th of March at 5 pm, the discussions focuses on the occurrences of the so-called “cancel culture”. Is it justifiable to amputate big pieces from the cultural canon when the artist behind them is accused of crime? Musician Lauri Pihlap and culture critic Tõnis Kahu, among others, will share their opinions on this.

TMW Talks series finishes at Velvet on Friday at 6.30 pm with a discussion on mixing and mastering titled “Home sweet home sound – how to record world class audio in your bedroom”. The conversation is led by American musician and journalist Alex Maiolo, and includes, among others, Estonian composer and producer Sten Sheripov and home-recording rap act Pluuto, who’ll share their experiences and give expert tips.

TMW Talks takes place from 26th to 29th of March at Pudel Bar (Telliskivi 60a-5), Tallinn Art Gymnasium (Kopli 102A) and Velvet design office (Telliskivi 60a-5).
TMW Talks programme:

Tue, Mar. 26th at 5 pm
Pudel (Telliskivi 60a-5)
Think inside the box – music on TV (in Estonian)

Wed, Mar. 27th at 4.30 pm
Tallinn Art Gymnasium (Kopli 102A)
How do I know if this was a joke? (in Estonian)

Wed, Mar. 27th at 5 pm
Pudel (Telliskivi 60a-5)
What do women want? (in Estonian)

Thu, Mar. 28th at 5 pm
Pudel (Telliskivi 60a-5)
Stupido Records: 30 years of the label and the legend (in Estonian)

Fri, Mar. 29th at 5 pm
Velvet (Telliskivi 60a-5)
Testing the limits of cancel culture (in English)

Fri, Mar. 29th at 6.30 pm
Velvet (Telliskivi 60a-5)
Home sweet home sound – how to record world class audio in your bedroom (in English)

More information.

Full programme and Talks’ descriptions are available on TMW website.
Press accreditation for TMW 2019, taking place next week from 25th to 31st of March, is open until Monday, 25th of March at 5 pm on the festival website.

TMW 2019 Festival Pass at €65, Conference Pass at €150, Conference + Festival Pass at €250 and Supporter Pass at €150 on sale at the TMW online shop.

Single tickets for TMW music festival events are available at Piletilevi sales points and webshop.

TMW takes place from 25th to 31st of March, with the two main components of an international new music festival and a conference focusing on the impact of creativity. In addition to the Talks programme, the TMW City Festival also includes free City Stage concerts, an Arts programme curated by the Estonian Contemporary Art Development Center, a Kids programme, and the Telliskivi design tour.

TMW is presented by Telia Estonia, main supporters Nordic Hotel Forum, Enterprise Estonia, partners Music Estonia and the Estonian Academy of Arts. The festival is supported by the Ministry of Culture, Tallinn Culture Department, and the Estonian Cultural Endowment. The conference venue is the Estonian Academy of Arts is the only public university offering higher education in arts, architecture, design in Estonia.

Next week, from 25th to 31st March the new music and urban culture festival Tallinn Music Week (TMW) will take over the Estonian capital. In addition to the music festival in the evenings TMW adds to the buzz with free daytime concerts that bring music to the more hidden corners of town.

The TMW 2019 City Stages will pop up at an intriguing range of locations: Viru Keskus, the Estonian Academy of Arts (EAA), the Telia shop at Kristiine Keskus, Tallinn Arts Gymnasium, Humalakoda restaurant at Balti Jaama Market, Velvet design office, bookshop Puänt, Põhjala Tap Room and Leila bar.

The TMW City Stage programme will kick off on Wednesday, 27th March in the atrium of Viru Keskus with the jazz-funk orchestra JT Conception. This will be the venue for seven other performances from Wednesday to Saturday. Among the performers are Estonia’s new “It” gal Maian and dubstep producer Bisweed, the Swedish indie pop band Melby, the Canadian R’n’B group Port Cities, Finnish folk-pop duo Karina, Danish punk rock band Little Fury and the Russian adventurous free-pop ensemble Super Collection Orchestra. The TMW info desk will be open in Viru Keskus from 25th to 30th March to exchange festival passes for wristbands, general assistance, and to share programme recommendations.

For the first time, this year there will also be a city stage at the new venue of the TMW Creative Impact conference, the Estonian Academy of Arts. On Thursday, 28th March the EKA city stage will send the audience to the other side of rock’n’roll with the racket made by Estonia’s noise-rock kings Zahir – a band that called EKA’s rehearsal room, Heven, their home in the 1990s. The warm-up will be delivered by Diana Burko—aptly, an alumnus of Rodchenko art school in Moscow—with her interdisciplinary electronica project rosemary loves a blackberry. Friday offers a unique audio-visual spectacle by the famous Finnish musician Jimi Tenor and students of EAA’s interior architecture students on DIY instruments created at the special Tenor-mentored workshop “Hombla Kjurr”. The info desk at EKA atrium is open from 27th to 30th March.

TMW will also stretch to the district of Kopli this year with the free concert of Estonian R&B and trap newcomer YASMYN at Tallinn Art Gymnasium on Wednesday, 27th March. The gig will follow a public talk “How do I know if it was a joke?” by students of the gymnasium and EKA, and representatives of Telia addressing the subject of good manners—on the internet, and in real life. The Telia shop at Kristiine Keskus will host live shows by Maian, and Estonian alternative rock trio Sibyl Vane and Duo Ruut.

The pub-brewery Humalakoda at Balti Jaama market will host the Estonian accordion experimenter Tuulikki Bartosik, the antithesis of an old-school “pop-act-with-microphone” Galina Ozeran aka Chikiss, the rapid-fire Japanese noise-duo MOJA, English dream-pop trio Wyldest and two Canadian artists – indie rock band Hello Delaware and singer-songwriter Nick Faye.

Design office Velvet, located in the thriving Telliskivi neighbourhood, hosts the stage for Estonian Gram-Of-Fun and YASMYN, and the LA-based Russian new wave band Pompeya. The bookshop Puänt at Telliskivi creative city will host Russian producers Åmnfx and Alex Kelman and the audiovisual duo Vera Vice by Ave Vellesalu and Helen Västrik.

The newly opened microbrewery Põhjala Tap Room at Noblessner port city also presents three city stage episodes, featuring Latvian producer and finger drummer Rick Feds, Czech electronica duo Bratři and the Ukrainian rap sensation alyona alyona. The legendary Leila Bar on Kopli Street serves sounds by the Estonian neo-zombie-post-folk duo Puuluup and Lithuanian beatboxer GON to go with your shashlik.

The city stage concerts are free of charge and open for all age groups.

TMW 2019 City Stage Concerts

Viru keskus (Viru väljak 4/6)

Wednesday, 27th March
12.00 JT Conception (EE)

Thursday, 28th March
12.00 Melby (SE)
12.45 Port Cities (CA)

Friday, 29th March
15.00 Karina (FI)
15.45 Maian (EE)

Saturday, 30th March
14.30 Bisweed (EE)
15.15 Little Fury (DK)
16.00 Super Collection Orchestra (RU)

Estonian Academy of Arts (EKA) (Põhja puiestee 7)

Thursday, 28th March
12.00 rosemary loves a blackberry (RU)
12.45 Zahir (EE)

Friday, 29th March
18.00 Jimi Tenor (FI) and EKA students of interior design: „Hombla Kjurr“

Tallinn Art Gymnasium (Kopli 102A)

Wednesday, 27th March
17.00 Yasmyn (EE)

Kristiine Keskus Telia shop(Endla 45)

Saturday, 30th March
12.00 Maian (EE)
12.45 Sibyl Vane (EE)
13.30 Duo Ruut (EE)

Balti Jaama Market Humalakoda (Kopli 1)

Thursday, 28th March

14.00 Tuuliki Bartosik (EE)
14.45 Nick Faye (CA)
15.30 Moja (JP)

Friday, 29th March
13.00 Hello Delaware (CA)
13.45 Chikiss (RU)
14.30 Wyldest (UK)

Puänt bookshop (Telliskivi 60a-1)

Friday, 29th March
15.00 Amnfx (RU)
15.45 Vera Vice (EE)
16.30 Alex Kelman (RU)

Leila bar (Kopli 4/6)

Saturday, 30th March
15.00 Puuluup (EE)
15.45 GON (LT)

Põhjala Tap Room (Peetri 5)

Saturday, 30th March
17.00 Rick Feds (LV)
17.45 Bratri (CZ)
18.30 alyona alyona (RU)

Velvet (Telliskivi 60a-5)

Saturday, 30th March
13.00 Gram-of-Fun (EE)
13.45 Yasmyn (EE)
14.30 Pompeya (RU)

More info and event in Facebook.

TMW 2019 Festival Passes cost €65, and the Conference Pass is €125 (rising to €150 from 19th March). A Conference + Festival Pass is €225 (rising to €250 from 19th March). A Supporter Pass is €150. All are on sale now at the TMW online shop.

TMW 2019 Single Tickets are on sale at Piletilevi and online shop.

TMW 2019 press accreditation deadline is 25th March. More info.

TMW is presented by Telia Estonia, main supporters Nordic Hotel Forum, Enterprise Estonia, partners Music Estonia and Estonian Academy of Arts. The festival is supported by the Ministry of Culture, Tallinn Culture Department, Estonian Cultural Endowment. The conference venue Estonian Academy of Arts is the only public university offering higher education in arts, architecture, design in Estonia.

The new music and urban culture festival Tallinn Music Week (TMW) has revealed new speakers at the Creative Impact conference, taking place on March 29th and 30th in Tallinn, Estonia. The new additions to the speakers’ lineup include pioneering British designer Malcolm Garrett, unconventional Finnish pop maverick Jimi Tenor, and Keith Siilats, the logistics consultant and pilot for the notorious Fyre Festival.  

TMW 2019 Conference + Festival Pass at €225 (from the 19th March €250) and Conference Pass at €125 (from the 19th March €150) are on sale at TMW web shop.

TMW 2019 conference is scheduled to take place at the Estonian Academy of Arts (EAA) on March 29th and 30th at 10:00 – 17:30. The opening of the conference takes place on Friday, March 29th at 9:30.

Scheduled to take place at the Estonian Academy of Arts (EAA) on March 29th and 30th, the TMW conference will focus on the impact of arts on the economy. A special emphasis will be put on the role of arts in urban and regional development, and the artist’s role to provoke and to enlighten, not just mirroring the aesthetic standard of the day but also providing a window into the context of the time and its social issues.

Something of a legend in British graphic design, Malcolm Garrett cut his teeth designing landmark artwork for bands such as Buzzcocks, Magazine, Simple Minds and Duran Duran. He has also become a key figure in the evolution of the sector, developing pioneering work in the digital space, and founding the annual Design Manchester festival, which is committed to ensuring the industry’s voice is heard as the country charts its future outside the European Union. On The New European weekly’s 2018 Christmas issue Malcolm famously declared “Brexit is over! If you want it” (an homage to the iconic “War Is Over! If You Want It” poster by John Lennon and Yoko Ono). TMW sees him in conversation with the fellow Mancunian punk and journalist John Robb about his iconic artworks and the power of social motivation in design.

What does it take to remain an eccentric act beyond current trends? That will be revealed in the artist talk with renowned Finnish musician and composer Jimi Tenor. Saturated with black humour and a romantic tone, Tenor has never settled for the traditional role of a pop artist. His output has been described as the musical equivalent of Andy Warhol for his ability to combine spontaneous silliness and shameless glamour. A master with his own tools, Tenor has built music instruments out of scrap throughout his career, including the noise-producing device the main components of which were from a Walkman and a bicycle dynamo. Jimi Tenor will also supervise the music instruments building workshop entitled ‘Hombla Kjurr’ for the students of the Estonian Academy of Arts (EAA) Interior Architecture Department. The DIY-instruments will be put to use at the special TMW City Stage performance at EAA.

Is running a music festival a glamorous business of planning carefree weekends of “the best in food, art, music and adventure”… or a cutthroat survival game? There’s an oversaturation of festivals all over the world, and dozens have been cancelled just in the last year, whilst some never even get off the ground. Opening up on the panel moderated by TMW founder Helen Sildna is Keith Siilats from the team behind Fyre—the notorious “the greatest festival that never happened”—amongst other festival promoters. Helen herself will also share the trials and tribulations of the TMW festival.

Whilst nightlife metropolises like Berlin and Amsterdam recognise the positive impact of nighttime tourism on the cities economy, then what does it take when the desire to run a nightclub is forced into politically loaded role of an activist? The TMW conference gathers club promoters from the cities with different notions of freedom and regulation, among them Alexander Ionov, the patron saint of Russia’s outsider groups and the art director of the St. Petersburg underground club Ionoteka; Tato Getia, a founding member of Tbilisi’s techno mecca Bassiani; and Elena Natale, the co-founder of HALL, Tallinn’s own “DIY-Berghain” in Port Noblessner.

What are the positive results of architectural rethink? Elsa Hessle, Head of Education at Amos Rex—a newly opened private art museum with unique architecture in  Helsinki—will tell the story behind the meeting place for art and urban culture, and the importance of giving new lease of post-modernist life to 20th Century modernist landmarks.

How to provide and support life worth capturing? Fotografiska Museum in Stockholm is a meeting place for all kind of visual culture, examples of how photography can raise awareness on different social and political issues, and much more. The story of Fotografiska, one of Europe’s great photographic successes, will be told by Fredrik Andersson, partner at the Fotografiska Museum for contemporary photography.

The TMW conference will also deal with myth-busting in the music synchronisation market. A reality check on the topic will be provided by established professionals like Connie Farr, music supervisor and creative director of a “one-stop music supervision” company ThinkSync Music. Farr will also be one of the mentors of a practical sync workshop within the conference. In the workshop by Jennifer Masset — Global Head of Independent Label Support at Spotify—artists, managers and songwriters will be presented with an exclusive insight into how Spotify is evolving—from new formats and playlists, to tools artists can use to understand and engage their fans.

Some of the previously announced central figures of the TMW conference are the postpunk polymath Barry Adamson, Zoë Howe, one of the brightest rock writers of the 21st century, artists and film-makers Iain Forsyth & Jane Pollard, music supervisor Lucy Bright, Gunvor Kronman —who has turned arts into the engine for economy of Helsinki — and the specialist of sensitive artistic design Samuli Woolston.

The ABC of the TMW conference’s music industry programme emerges in cooperation with Music Estonia, and the film music programme in cooperation with the international film and TV production company Tattarrattat.

The full lineup of the TMW 2019 conference speakers and the complete schedule will be published next week.

Confirmed panellists of TMW 2019 conference.

TMW 2019 Conference + Festival Pass at €225 (from the 19th March €250) and conference-only pass at €125 (from the 19th March €150) are on sale at TMW web shop shop.tmw.ee along €65 Festival Pass and €150 Supporter Pass. Additional information.

The deadline for TMW 2019 press accreditation is the 25th of March.

TMW 2019 takes place from 25th to 30th of March, with the two main components of an international new music festival and a conference focusing on the impact of creativity. The TMW City Festival includes an Arts programme, free City Stage concerts, a public discussion series entitled TMW Talks, a kid’s programme, and the Telliskivi design tour.

TMW is presented by Telia Estonia, main supporters Nordic Hotel Forum and Enterprise Estonia, and partners Music Estonia and Estonian Academy of Arts. The festival is supported by the Ministry of Culture, Tallinn Culture Department, and the Estonian Cultural Endowment. The conference venue—The Estonian Academy of Arts—is the only public university offering higher education in arts, architecture and design in Estonia.

Header image: collage from Malcolm Garrett exhibition ‘Buzzcocks – Fizzing at the Terminals’ held at the Design Manchester 2017 festival (photo by Sebastian Matthes) and Malcolm Garrett’s ‘Brexit is Over! If You Want It” cover art for The New European (Dec 2018)

Music and city culture festival Tallinn Music Week (TMW), taking place from 25th to 31st of March, this year again includes a special contemporary art programme—TMW Arts—curated by the Estonian Contemporary Art Development Center. A gallery evening, with extended opening hours, called “Tallinn Thursday” features exhibitions from both Estonian and international artists spread across seven galleries.  A street art tour will also take place in Telliskivi Creative City.

The deadline for TMW 2019 press accreditation is 25th of March.
More information

The main part of TMW Arts takes place on the evening of Thursday, 28th of March, with a special programme and gallery evening with extended opening hours called “Tallinn Thursday.” Starting from 5 pm, visitors can enjoy fresh works at seven galleries around Tallinn by both Estonian and international artists. Audience members can take part in exhibition tours, and meet the gallerists and artists until late evening hours. A bus will be arranged to aid with transportation between the galleries.

“Escape room nr. 1”, an exhibition by Maarit Murka, mostly known as a painter, will be presented at Vaal Gallery. The exhibition is a game of perceptions and senses, examining how urbanisation results in loss of wildlife, and how self-explanatory elements turn into something absurd. The gallery tour includes meeting the artist and a presentation of the dynamic installation “Talking Heads”.

Visitors can enjoy a group exhibition by Helena Keskküla, Anna-Mari Liivrand, Inga Meldere, Ann Pajuväli, Jaanus Samma and Sigrid Viir at Temnikova & Kasela Gallery. The exhibition shows the parallels and similarities between the work of artists from different generations. The exhibition will be introduced by Lilian Hiob of Temnikova & Kasela Gallery.

The NEO*EKS*PRE*POST art group was one of the first flagships of the trash aesthetic in these parts, stepping into the light for the first time more than 30 years ago. Now they will be landing at Haus Gallery on Uus street with their exhibition “PUNK-BAROKK,” carrying a load consisting of abstract paintings by the president of the group Andro Kööp and sculptural shapes courtesy of Urmas Puhkan, all this flown under the banner of rebellious metropolitan beauty and punkish baroque. On the gallery tour, the artists will lead visitors through the glamorous chaos set up in the basement space.

“Ideal Black” is a photo exhibition at Okapi Gallery by Temuri Hvingija, Shalva Khakahanašvili and Zura Arabidze, who share a country of origin in Georgia. The artists are also connected through a love for the colour black, which is reflected in their works. At the gallery tour, the artist and Okapi Gallery gallerist Temuri Hvingija will introduce the exhibition.

With the photo exhibition “Without” at Positiiv Gallery, documentary photographer and travel journalist Silvia Pärmann examines the particular dramatic poetry present in abandoned environments, and the magic and pain of “dark tourism” attractions. At the gallery tour, visitors will meet the artist, who will introduce the exhibition and her work.

The debut exhibition of the new jewellery collection “Loneliness is the Slowest Death: A Requiem to Longing” by American Erinn Michelle Cox—a student at the Estonian Academy of Arts in the Master’s programme of Jewellery and Blacksmithing—will be displayed at EKA Gallery, located within this year’s TMW conference centre, the Estonian Academy of Arts. At the gallery tour, visitors can meet the artist, who will introduce the exhibition and her work.

A presentation entitled “There’s a Story in a Documentary Photo” will take place at Juhan Kuus Documentary Photo Centre, located in Telliskivi Creative City. The focus is on the story and works of an extraordinary character and photographer Juhan Kuus. At the gallery tour, Toomas Järvet, one of the leading figures behind the Center, will share stories of Kuus and the influence of his legacy on Estonian photography.

The Arts programme continues at Telliskivi on Saturday, 30th of March, with a street art tour from 4 to 6 pm. Telliskivi Creative City is one of the most joyous places in Tallinn, where street art or graffiti can be enjoyed at every step. The tour gives insight into how these paintings have occurred and what they are telling you. We will look into the interior of the works of art, while trying to remember whether there was ever a pre-street art era in Telliskivi. The tour is organised by Tartu Pseudo Tours.

The TMW Arts gallery exhibitions will remain open for your visit after the Tallinn Thursday event, with regular opening hours during TMW festival week.

The TMW Arts programme was created in cooperation with the Estonian Contemporary Art Development Center. Find more information here.

TMW 2019 Festival Pass (€55), Conference + Festival pass (€225) and Supporter Pass (€150) are on sale at the festival webshop.

Single tickets for TMW music festival events are available at Piletilevi.

As part of the new music and urban culture festival Tallinn Music Week (TMW), a night of cross-genre music and supra-sound levels – EKA ÖÖ – will take place at the Estonian Academy of Arts on Saturday, 30th March, curated by the Üle Heli festival and FatCat’s sub-label, 130701 Records. The EKA ÖÖ line-up features Estonian folktronica duo Maarja Nuut & Ruum, US noiserockers Ceremony and Irish techno twosome Lakker, among others

Presale tickets for TMW EKA ÖÖ are available at Piletilevi for €20. The TMW Festival Pass (€55) and Conference + Festival Pass (€225) are on sale at the TMW webshop.

The Estonian Academy of Arts, which is also the TMW conference centre this year, hosts the cross-genre showcase EKA ÖÖ on 30th March, curated by Estonian festival Üle Heli in cooperation with 130701, a sub-label of the British FatCat Records. The programme, which joins together different music styles and supra-sounds—the plateaus within and beyond sound—extends to three areas: the hall, the lobby and a conference room on the 5th floor.

130701’s roster is represented by enigmatic Estonian duo Maarja Nuut & Ruum whose 2018 collaboration was called “one of the year’s most beautiful journeys through inner and outer space” by The Quietus. One of the key performers of the night is Hüpnosaurus, an institution for synthetic sounds in Estonia that formed in the early ‘90s and has come to life again in the new millennium. Binding past ideas with modern approaches, they rediscover a distinctive post-Soviet era feeling, when music was created for an imaginary ideal club.

One of the highlights at EKA ÖÖ are Irish duo Lakker, who paint intricate sonic tapestries ranging from haunting Arctic soundscapes to bass driven warehouse weight, presenting their upcoming album “Época” and a brand new audio-visual show. US noise rockers Ceremony will treat the audience to their “love songs with distortion”, loaded with drone bass lines, lofi post-punk and ear-piercing volume. A completely different experience is provided by Canadian violin-experimenter respectfulchild whose experimental ambient soundscapes and slow improvisations  bring quiet to even the noisiest of rooms.

EKA ÖÖ will also showcase the Czech Trio Heinz Herbert’s broad fusion of free jazz psychedelica and contemporary club music, Icelandic Hekla who binds the sounds of the “primeval electronic” instrument—the theremin—with Iceland’s dreamy glacial echos, and Belorussian Yegor Zabelov’s experimental mix of accordion, avant-garde, jazz and neo-classical sounds.

Sound and vision alchemists from near and far are also invading the conference room on the fifth floor of the academy where Estonian sound designer ekke tests the possibilities to cut into different sound vibrations, Italian noisenik Stromboli invites the guests to “a journey into a world of nighttime psychosis, wizards and outsiders,” and Polish producer M8N and Estonian duo Vera Vice play with echoing loops, field recordings and video projections.

The 130701/FatCat label maps the edges of the post and modern classical genre and has been described by Drowned In Sound as “something of a blueprint outlet for instrumental based musicians worldwide whose creations don’t quite fit safely into any genre or roster.” Their roster has included, among others, post-minimalism composer Max Richter, piano experimenter Hauschka, and Icelandic composer Jóhann Jóhannsson, whose life and creations will be featured in this year’s TMW conference programme.

Üle Heli festival aims to find and create connections with other art forms, and to explore relationships between sound and space. Üle Heli is not only an environment to present what has already been created, but also an experimental stage for new ideas and collaborations.

TMW 2019 EKA ÖÖ line-up

Saturday, 30 March

Hall:

21:30 Trio Heinz Herbert (CH)
22:30 Hüpnosaurus (EE)
23:30 Ceremony (US)
01:15 Lakker (IR)

Auditorium / lobby:

22:00 Hekla (IS)
23:00 Yegor Zabelov (BY)
00:00 Maarja Nuut & Ruum (EE)
00:45 respectfulchild (CAN)

Room 501:

22:00 Vera Vice (EE)
23:00 M8N (PL)
00:00 ekke (EE)
01:00 Stromboli (IT)

Event on Facebook.

In addition to EKA ÖÖ, the Estonian Academy of Arts will host this year’s TMW conference. The TMW info desk is also located at the academy throughout the festival week.

TMW 2019 music festival takes place on 28-30th March across various venues, showcasing 170 artists from 28 countries. Additional information.

Presale tickets for TMW 2019: EKA ÖÖ are available at Piletilevi for €20. Tickets cost €23 on the day of the event and at the venue.

Entrance to EKA ÖÖ is also granted with TMW Festival Pass (€55), Conference + Festival pass (€225) or Supporter Pass (€150). TMW passes are on sale at the festival webshop.

The new music and urban culture festival Tallinn Music Week (TMW) has announced new speakers of the conference, taking place on March 29th and 30th. The new additions to the speakers’ line-up include a polymath musician and composer Barry Adamson, one of the brightest rock writers of the 21st century Zoë Howe and Gunvor Kronman, who has turned arts into the engine for economy of Helsinki.

TMW 2019 Conference + Festival Pass at €225 and Conference Pass at €125 are on sale at TMW web shop

Scheduled to take place at the Estonian Academy of Arts on March 29th and 30th, the TMW conference will focus on the impact of arts on the economy. A special emphasis will be put on film music and the role of arts in urban and regional development.

One of the central figures of the film music section will be the musician, composer, writer, photographer and film maker Barry Adamson. From post-punk to film scores, he has enlivened British music for decades – from playing bass in the influential Manchester band Magazine and in The Birthday Party, and forging his own highly acclaimed solo career with a series of distinctive and thematically linked “film noir meets dark comedy“ albums, including the 1992 Mercury Music Prize nominated Soul Murder, and 1996’s Oedipus Schmoedipus, featuring Jarvis Cocker, Nick Cave, and The Associates’ Billy McKenzie. Adamson’s ability to tell a story with music has also led him to work with some of the film industry’s most intriguing mavericks like Derek Jarman, David Lynch, Oliver Stone, and Danny Boyle.

The multi-talented Adamson will be interviewed by the equally talented author, artist and musician Zoë Howe, considered one of the best rock writers of the 21st century. Howe has written about artists such as The Jesus and Mary Chain, Stevie Nicks, Lee Brilleaux and Florence + The Machine to name a few. Musically, she has worked with Viv Albertine, Mick Jones, Charli XCX, and others. Her new book called Dayglo! telling the story of punk icon Poly Styrene, will be published just in time for the TMW on 28th March.

Zoë Howe will also moderate a film music discussion “Hearing is Believing”, featuring Barry Adamson, artists and film-makers Iain Forsyth & Jane Pollard, and the music supervisor Lucy Bright, who has been in charge of the soundtracks for hits like “This is England ‘90”, “Assassin’s Creed” and “Marjorie Prime” as well as BBC/AMC series “McMafia” and the soon to be released “The Nest”.

TMW film music programme curator Anna Hildur will lead a discussion with the Icelandic composer, artist manager and music entrepreneur Sigurður Magnús Finnsson, dedicated to his long-term cooperation partner, the late Icelandic composer and author of some of the best-known Hollywood soundtracks Johan Jóhannsson.

The role of arts in regeneration of cities and regions is another focus of the TMW conference. The keynote speaker of the topic is Gunvor Kronman, who has put arts in charge of economy in the Finnish capital Helsinki. She has led the creation of the world class Amos Rex museum, the reconstruction of the Hanaholmen centre, is the CEO of the arts foundation Konstsamfundet and Kalevala Koru but also an active member of the team of the former Finnish president Martti Ahtisaari, dedicated to international conflict resolution. Samuli Woolston, founder of the Helsinki-based ALA architecture office will share some more Finnish success stories of city planning, all of them combining sensitive artistic design and cross-sectoral approach.

TMW 2019 conference will also look into the survival techniques of music festivals, the future of European nightlife in the era of gentrification, the fate of music video in the post-TV world and what can old-school record labels learn from the influencer generation’s net-labels. On both days international music expert panel will audition and judge festival artists performing on the night.

The ABC of music industry programme will emerge in cooperation with Music Estonia, the film music programme in cooperation with the international film and TV production company Tattarrattat.

Confirmed panelists of TMW 2019 conference.

TMW 2019 Conference + Festival Pass at €225 and conference-only pass at €125 are on sale at TMW web shop  along €55 Festival Pass and €150 Supporter Pass.

TMW 2019 Single Showcase Tickets are on sale at Piletilevi.

In addition to the conference and music festival TMW 2019 includes free city stage concerts, public talks, music activities for children, arts and design programme and TMW Tastes programme introducing the restaurants in the hip North-Tallinn district.

TMW is presented by Telia Estonia, main supporters Nordic Hotel Forum, Enterprise Estonia, partners Music Estonia and Estonian Academy of Arts. The festival is supported by the Ministry of Culture, Tallinn Culture Department, Estonian Cultural Endowment. The conference venue Estonian Academy of Arts is the only public university offering higher education in arts, architecture, design in Estonia.

Tallinn Music Week (TMW), the international new music and urban culture festival, taking place in Tallinn, Estonia from 25th to 31st March has announced this year’s music line-up.

TMW 2019 Festival Pass at €55 and Conference + Festival Pass at €225 are on sale at the TMW online shop. From Thursday, 14th February single tickets for concerts and club nights will be on sale at Piletilevi.

 

The three-day music programme from Thursday 28th to Saturday 30th March will offer a multi-genre mix from the edgiest sounds to chart pop, from dance beats to metal and from folk to contemporary classical. 170 artists from 28 countries have been confirmed in the programme. 72 artists come from Estonia to be followed by 15 from Russia, 13 from Finland, 8 from the UK, 7 from Canada and 5 each from Belarus and Sweden.

While showcasing the most diverse sounds and genres from all over the world, TMW’s aim is to offer a genuinely focused and user-friendly festival experience. The final line-up won’t exceed 200 artists, and all venues will be located within short walking distance from Telliskivi Creative Hub, the Estonian Academy of Arts and Port Noblessner.

Altogether, 21 showcases across 10 venues will take place during three nights. According to TMW tradition the Telliskivi Vaba Lava will host jazz and folk nights on Friday and Saturday. Estonian Jazz Association and festival Jazzkaar will showcase exciting collaborations like the trio of Estonian guitarist Jaak Sooäär, Armenian-Estonian bassist Ara Yaralyan and Finnish drummer Markku Ounaskari as well as the ubermodern Estonian-Lithuanian-French collective Captain Kirke and the Klingons. Viljandi Folk & Crossroads of Cultures night will feature Estonian premier folk stylists Trad.Attack! and Mari Kalkun along with the scene’s promising newcomers Duo Ruut.

The Black Hall of Telliskivi F-Hoone will host the 30th birthday party of the Finnish Stupido Records on the festival’s opening night, Thursday 28th March, presenting the perpetuum mobile of Estonian punk, J.M.K.E as well as a true Finnish punk rock legend Pelle Miljoona with his new band. Made In Baltics & Sony Music will present established Estonian musicians like TMW 2017 artist prize winner Erki Pärnoja and ethereal singer-songwriter Anna Kaneelina along with the British dream pop trio Wyldest at F-hoone on Friday, and Saturday will see the massive hip-hop army marching into the F, headed by young Estonian popster Maian and Ukraine’s rap sensation of the year alyona alyona.

The Green Hall of Telliskivi will stage Intsikurmu Festival acts on Thursday, among them Estonian ”neo-zombie-post-folk” duo Puuluup, and Karina, one of the most well-received new indie acts from Finland. Friday will see a drum’n’bass night at the Green Hall with Estonian residents Thing and Protokoll 0 on decks along a Londoner Genotype. On Saturday night the Damn.Loud Agency’s showcase will shake the green walls with the metal-tinged programme, incl. Danish MØL, the masterful blenders of hissing vocals and My Bloody Valentine’s heritage, and Estonia’s very own glorious noise-rockers Zahir.

Telliskivi’s Club of Different Rooms (ETK) will also host three TMW events. Made in Canada Night, presented by BreakOut West and Nova Scotia will feature the Winnipeg-based hiphop trio 3PEAT and Saskatchewan singer-songwriter Megan Nash among other Canadian talent on Thursday, whilst on Friday the venue will come alive with Fenno-Ugric chants by the Udmurt singer Maria Korepanova and the Finnish world music favourite Okra Playground. Saturday night will bring the Station Narva festival’s intercontinental line-up with a slick amalgam of new wave and electropop by L.A.-based Russian band Pompeya, Berlin-based Russian queer eccentrics Sado Opera, and the most charmingly nonchalant Estonian punks Psychoterror.

Sveta Bar will show off the brightest young things on Thursday night at “The Kids Are Alright” night – such as Estonian R&B and trap newcomer YASMYN, and the teenage DJ-producer myspacebabe who draws inspiration from “both the chaotic cityscapes of Tallinn and the forests surrounding it”. The most significant local music web Rada7 will take Sveta Bar over on Friday with the Japanese noise duo MOJA, “Talsinki’s mad punks” Huiabella Fantastica, and more. World Clinic record store will step up on Saturday with Taiwan’s iconic post-punk squad SEN and Finnish garage rockers Teemu & The Deathblows.

Kauplus Aasia venue will host the Päästevest label night, featuring Estonia’s celebrated hardware-producers Kask and Nikolajev and the British DJ Mother on Thursday. Friday’s bass night will host the Estonian electronic scene’s vet Out-Or and dubstep promoter Dread. Saturday will fill Kauplus Aasia with Kalana Saund festival’s selection, among them Estonian meta musician Ratkiller and Russian Galina Ozeran aka Chikiss whose DIY approach is opposed to the “girl with a microphone” image dominating in pop culture.

Kivi Paber Käärid (KPK) club will host Manka Boutique Pop Festival’s faves on Friday night, among them local lo-fi post punks Sny Matildy and melancholic synth pop group Molchat Doma from Belarus. Saturday will bring heavier sounds to KPK – from math rock instrumentals by Estonian Kaschalot to the ear-piercing guitars of Ceremony from the US East Coast. The techno haven HALL at Port Noblessner will let the festival embrace Estonia’s after-hours culture with the help of MÜRK resident-DJs Artur Lääts and Denis Punch on Friday and “Kasaganaan” party marathon from Saturday night to Sunday morning, featuring the captivating beats by Icelandic Terrordisco and “somatik” techno for cyberpunks and posthumanists by St Petersburg’s Perforated Cerebral Party.

The finale of TMW music programme on Saturday, 30th March will reach out to two very special new venues. Kalju (Rock) Baptist church in Kalamaja district will host the brightest representative of the Russian neo-classical scene Kirill Richter whose portfolio includes both piano pieces and the original theme for the World Cup 2018 broadcasts of the FOX Sports TV channel. The TMW’s conference centre Estonian Academy of Arts (EKA) will be embraced in the adventurous programme by Estonian Üle Heli festival and the British label 130701 / FatCat. The entrancing duo of Maarja Nuut & Ruum (Hendrik Kaljujärv) will perform their last year’s debut album “Muunduja”, “one of the year’s most beautiful journeys through inner and outer space” (The Quietus). Also performing at EKA are Canadian violin experimenter respectfulchild and Irish electronic duo Lakker with their intricate sonic tapestries ranging from haunting Arctic soundscapes to bass driven warehouse weight.

TMW 2019 full music programme, free city stage concerts and special events will be announced in February and March.

TMW 2019 Festival Pass at the price of €55 and Festival + Conference Pass at €225 are on sale at the TMW web shop. Single tickets will be on sale at Piletilevi from the 14th February.

Special 2-Day Conference Pass is on sale for €125 and Supporter Pass for €150 at the TMW web shop.

Clients of Telia, the TMW 2019 presenter will receive a 20% discount on all pre-booked tickets and passes.

TMW is presented by Telia Estonia, the festival’s main supporters are Nordic Hotel Forum and Enterprise Estonia, partners Music Estonia and Estonian Academy of Arts (EKA). TMW is supported by Ministry of Culture, Tallinn Culture Department and Estonian Cultural Endowment.

 

TMW 2019 music programme lineup

The conference of Tallinn Music Week (TMW), part of the new music and urban culture festival, taking place from 25th to 30th March will be held in the new building of the Estonian Academy of Arts. The two-day conference on 29th and 30th March will explore the impact of arts on economy. The programme will be compiled in cooperation with Music Estonia.

The combined conference and festival passes of TMW 2019 are on sale in the TMW online shop for 175€ until 11th February. Conference only passes are on sale for 100€.

The new venue of the conference, exploring the multi-layered impact of arts and creativity, is a unique landmark for TMW and Tallinn according to the director of TMW, Helen Sildna: “The Academy of Arts (EKA) has played an invaluable role in Estonia’s culture as it has not just provided generations of artists, designers and architects but also many trailblazers of our music scenes. TMW will focus on the North Tallinn district this year and EKA will become not just the conference centre but a focal point of the festival together with Telliskivi Creative City and Noblessner. We are excited to present the future creative district of Tallinn to our guests.”

Rector of the Estonian Academy of Arts Mart Kalm points out that EKA and TMW represent many similar values like creativity, cooperation, equality, which is why the academy is happy to host the conference: “TMW is an internationally visible brand of progressive thought and the topic of the conference – impact of arts as an engine of economy – is an important issue for EKA. Arts no longer means visiting exhibitions, concerts or theatre but is a question of education, security and image for whole of Estonia.”

This year’s TMW conference will look into the impact of arts as an engine for the economy and the functioning of an innovative society while offering inspiration to music professionals, art promoters, entrepreneurs and policy makers from different areas. Among other topics the cooperation models of Estonian entrepreneurship and arts will be discussed as well as strategic goals of arts export and the funding of the next round of Creative Europe (2021-2027). The role of arts in urban development will be looked at through the examples of EKA, Telliskivi and the new arts museum of Helsinki, Amos Rex. Communication expert Michael Frohoff, the marketing chief of legendary “Top of the Pops” and “Pop Idol” will lead a workshop on PR and marketing.

Music topics will be in the focus of the conference with discussions, workshops and mentoring sessions prepared in cooperation with Music Estonia. Topics include the survival of festivals, European nightlife vs gentrification, the role of arts manager – a business or a hobby? How to make the most of music videos in the post-TV-era and what can independent labels learn from the generation of influencer labels like NoCopyrightSounds and Future House Music? On both days international music expert panel will audition and judge festival artists performing on the night.

A special section of the conference will look into film music under curation by Anna Hildur, cofounder of the Tattarrattat film and TV production company from Reykjavik and London. British artist-film director duo Iain Forsyth and Jane Pollard will lead a discussion with Lucy Bright, music supervisor of the latest most successful British features and series. There will also be speed dating sessions on film music.

 

The programme and speakers of the TMW conference will be announced in February 2019.

In addition to the music festival and conference TMW offers free city stage concerts, public TMW Talks and different actions in public spaces joining art forms and civic engagement. The complete programme will be announced in February and March.

The TMW Conference + Festival Pass is of sale for €175 until 11th February at the TMW online shop. Two-day conference-only pass is on sale for €100, Festival Pass at €55 and Supporter Pass at €150.

TMW guests can book their accommodation at the Nordic Hotel Forum for the discount price of € 99per room per night until 11th February. From 12th February the price is €119. The price includes breakfast, VAT and the use of the hotel’s relaxation area. For booking, please use: https://www.myhotelreservation.net/b/HATLLNOR/?i=TALLINNMUSICWEEK&f=2019-03-27.

 

TMW is presented by Telia Estonia, main supporters Nordic Hotel Forum and Enterprise Estonia, partners Music Estonia and Estonian Academy of Arts.

TMW is supported by Estonian Ministry of Culture, Tallinn Heritage Department, Estonian Cultural Endowment.

The Estonian Academy of Arts (EAA), founded in 1914, is the only public university in Estonia offering higher education in fine arts, design, architecture, media, visual studies, art culture, cultural heritage and conservation. Located in the capital city, Tallinn, it is an active study and research institution and the leading national centre of innovation in visual culture. More info

 

TMW 2019 confirmed panellists:

Alessandro Pavanello

Shanghai-based Alessandro is a music industry professional as well as a producer/musician, currently working for China’s top indie distributor Kanjian Music.  He relocated to China after completing his master’s degree in Music Industry Management and Enterprise at London Metropolitan University in 2015. Alessandro specializes in the Chinese music market and has been consulting both Western and Chinese labels.  With Kanjian, Alessandro has been part of the inaugural edition of the Electric Zoo Shanghai festival, and enjoyed working with the Grammy-nominated artist ZHU and indie labels such as Hyperdub and Ninja Tune.

The producer and singer-songwriter Alessandro is actively ghostwriting for Chinese labels and touring local clubs with his drum and bass project Fractale and as a drummer for Shanghai-based metal band Alpaca.

 

Amanda Freeman has over 30 years experience as a music publicist working at major labels and in the independent sector.  After heading up the press team at Island Records Amanda joined the team at RMP working alongside artists including U2 – as tour publicist on two world tours – Blur, PJ Harvey and the Smashing Pumpkins before moving to Sainted PR to develop the rock/indie side of their roster.  She took a roster that included The Kills and Travis when she launched Freeman PR in 2007 – winning Record Of Day’s Best Individual Independent PR award the same year.  She’s led campaigns for Roisin Murphy – Mercury Prize nominated in 2015 – Fatboy Slim, Hercules & Love Affair, Ash, Ladytron and Mykki Blanco as well as advising on Classic Album Sundays and taking care of UK PR for Pledge Music.  Recent campaigns have included a production co-written by Bloc Party’s Kele Okereke currently running at the Lyric Theatre and PR for London Records re-launched back catalogue.

 

Anna Hildur is a producer and the co-founder Film and TV production company Tattarrattat. The Reykjavik and London-based company was set up spring 2017 and specialises in hybrid and cultural documentaries.  Anna initially began her career in media as a London-based radio and TV correspondent for Icelandic broadcasting and worked as a researcher and assistant producer on documentaries for NHK and BBC. She became an artist manager of a female rock band called Bellatrix after working with them on an NHK documentary. Anna Hildur worked over 20 years in the music industry initially as an artist manager and later as Managing Director of Icelandic Music Export and Programme Director of the Nordic Music Export programme NOMEX, founded in 2009. She established innovative projects such as the Nordic playlist and the Ja Ja Ja club night and festival, producing over 130 pieces of digital content and live broadcast from performances with Nordic bands. She was also the first chairperson of the European Music Export Exchange. Anna Hildur received The Tampere Music Award in 2018 for her extraordinary contribution to the development of the music industry.

 

Anika Mottershaw is the A&R and Project Manager at Bella Union where she has worked for the past 9 years. Anika started at Bella Union after moving to London, dropping out from university and meeting label founder Simon Raymonde at the gigs she was going to. Not long after this, Anika became Label Assistant, moving on to sign her first artist in 2012. She now works as Project Manager and A&R, looking after about half of the roster, working closely with Bella Union artists and overseeing dozens of campaigns. Outside of the label Anika is a huge fan of literature and film, and loves to get involved in creative endeavours as often as possible.

 

Ashraf el Gamal is a first generation Egyptian-American who was born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area where he currently works as a Strategic Partner Manager on the YouTube Music team. In his role, he helps artists navigate the YouTube platform while advocating for their perspectives within the company. Naturally, he is an avid music fan and spent the better half of a decade music blogging as a hobby. He now funnels his favourite finds into live DJ sets around San Francisco and a weekly show on the local community radio station BFF.fm.

 

Iain Forsyth & Jane Pollard are artists and filmmakers working across film and TV drama, installation, performance and sound. They have worked collaboratively since meeting at Goldsmiths in the mid-nineties. Their work is now exhibited worldwide and collected by museums and institutions including the Tate Gallery and the British Government Art Collection. Commissions have included the British Film Institute, BBC Radio and the City of Toronto, who commissioned their first major outdoor public work.  When their film 20,000 Days on Earth won two awards at Sundance, the jury described it as “arguably the most exciting film in competition.

They’ve also worked for ten years in the music industry for Britain’s leading independent record labels as Head of Creative Strategy at Beggars Group (4AD, Rough Trade, Matador and XL Recordings) and Head of Digital at Mute Records (EMI). They’ve directed and written for television and currently have series in development with Kudos and Channel 4. They’re also award-winning directors in the commercial world – their recent campaign for Bacardi winning a D&AD Pencil and three Cannes Lions. Their next feature film is currently in development with the Film4.

 

Jenni Kääriäinen graduated as a Master of Theatre Arts from the Theatre Academy of Finland, Department of Lighting and Sound Design (later known as University of the Arts Helsinki). She has worked as an artist and visual designer for different theatre productions and dance companies in Finland, as well as in Spain and Germany. At the same time, she started her first tours with alternative rock bands as a lighting operator/technician. In 2011, Kääriäinen was called for a job as a Chief of Visual Design for a brand new startup event, Slush. Together with the Slush team, the fascinating “atmosphere of Slush” was quickly created and in 2016, the brand was ready to expand towards Tokyo, Shanghai and Singapore. In the years 2015–2018, Kääriäinen created an international career mixing high art with high-profile commercial productions. In autumn 2018, Finnish Metal Events Ltd. headhunted her as an Event Designer for the legendary metal music festival Tuska.

 

Lucy Bright

Following a decade working at record labels including Mute Records and Warner Classics, Lucy Bright joined the independent music publisher Music Sales in 2008 where for a decade, as director of the film & TV department, she oversaw an extraordinary roster of film composers. Lucy has music supervised some of the most critically-acclaimed British film and television productions of recent years: Slow West (John Maclean) which debuted at Sundance Film Festival in 2015 where it won the Jury Prize for World Cinema – Dramatic and BAFTA Award winners The Unloved (Samantha Morton, 2009), The Swimmer (Lynne Ramsey, 2012), Southcliffe (Sean Durkin, 2013) and This is England ‘90 (Shane Meadows, 2015). International projects have included the blockbuster Assassin’s Creed (Justin Kurzel, 2016) starring Michael Fassbender and Marjorie Prime. Most recently she has music supervised the BBC/AMC series McMafia (James Watkins, 2018), the new Channel 4 series from Shane Meadows The Virtues, Chris Morris’s The Day Shall Come and Sean Durkin’s The Nest starring Jude Law which will be released in 2019.

 

Mart Kalm
Architectural historian and critic Dr. Mart Kalm is the Rector of the Estonian Academy of Arts in Tallinn. He has authored books about architects such as Alar Kotli (1994) and Olev Siinmaa (2012), as well as Estonian Functionalism: A Guidebook (1998) and Estonian 20th Century Architecture (2001) among others. Professor Kalm was the editor and one of the main authors of History of Estonian Art: Vol. 5, 1900–1940 (2010). Kalm co-chaired the Estonian delegation of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee from 2010 to 2013. In 2010, he was elected a member of the Estonian Academy of Sciences.

 

Michael Frohoff started the agency Kruger Media in 2001 with the communication for legendary TV programs Top of The Pops and Pop Idol. The mix of artists, music events and TV shows became a core expertise of the agency. At The Dome on RTL II the likes of Lady Gaga and Rihanna stepped into the german market, at the Echo Klassik awards on ZDF Placido Domingo and Lang Lang walked the red carpet up to the iconic MTV Europe Music Awards. Today, the Berlin based agency consults as experts in music and lifestyle communication clients such as Viacom, Deutsche Telekom/T-Mobile, Kia Motors, Uber, Soundcloud or Casio. The expertises stretch from public relations, social media, influencer relations up to content production under the umbrella of a good story.

 

Sarah Stam is an Amsterdam based Music enthusiast who focuses on Marketing, Branding, & PR within the (electronic) music scene. Having worked for Spotify and Armada Music in the past, Sarah consults artist and labels on their branding, identity and marketing strategies under the umbrella Set The Tone. One of her roles is working as a Marketing & PR Manager at the AEI Group in London, known for (YouTube) labels like UKF, NCS, TheSoundYouNeed, Drum&BassArena, Subsoul and festivals like Let It Roll and El Dorado. Furthermore, Sarah is closely involved with the global movement of SheSaidSo, stimulating a positive movement to encourage equality & diversity within the music industry, spearheading the Dutch department with SheSaidSo.Ams.