RAHVAKULTUURIORGANISATSIOONE EESTIS
Different
folklore organizations in Estonia
We have in Estonia many folklore organizations for
folkdancers and folkmusicians and others
Estonian Folkdance and Folk Music Association
Eesti Rahvatantsu ja Rahvamuusika Selts
Estonian Song and Dance Celebration Foundation
Eesti Laulu ja Tantsupeo Sihtasutus
Estonian National Folklore Council
Eesti Rahvuslik Folkloorinõukogu
Estonian Traditional Music Center
Eesti Pärimusmuusika Keskus
Estonian Folk Culture Development and Training Centre
Rahvakultuuri Arendus- ja Koolituskeskus
Estonian Folk Art and Craft Union
Eesti Rahvakunsti ja Käsitöö Liit
Estonian Choral Association
Eesti Kooriühing
We have in Estonia many folklore
organizations for folkdancers and folkmusicians and
others
The explanation:
The independent society Estonian Local Committee of the Europeade was founded in
2006 and the committee took over all procedures.
The main idea of local
committee is publicizing of goals of international festival Europeade in
Estonia, bringing Estonian groups to the festival and helping TARTU city with
organizing Europeade 2011.
We have dealed with these things and keep going on
this road.
The Estonian local Committee of the Europeade is independent
nationwide organization whose activity don’t coincide with activity of any other
organization.
Different organizations in Estonia:
There are a lot of folk culture organizations in
Estonia what are called differently like association, union, society, council,
center, agency, foundation, committee etc.
But they all are non profit
organizations basically.
Every organization deals with his branch of work. Some
of them work quite actively, some act more passively.
The work of some
organizations coincide with each other but some are independent in his own
course of action.
We haven’t had the nessecity to add together all organizations and hopefully the
nessecity will never come.
There are a competition between some organizations
what is actually good and impelling.
There are also a local folk culture organizations in almost every county who try
to coordinate local activities.
They are independent organizations. Some of them
have his regional subunits.
There are some hundreds folk culture societies
acting as legal NGOs.
A lot of small local societies act totally autonomously
and don’t belong to any bigger organization.
Several organizations follow up each other and make a really good cooperation.
Some organizations have difficulties with setting their sights and accomplishing
them, some organizations manage well in every area.
So everything is relative.
As You see, the landscape of Estonian culture organizations is very varied and
we introduce You today only a small part of the
Estonian
Folkdance and Folk Music Association
Eesti Rahvatantsu ja Rahvamuusika Selts
(abbreviated ERRS) is the association of folk
dance, folk music teachers and amateurs.
ERRS is the central association in the area of folk dance and folk music.
The
central association consists of bigger and smaller units – various different
kinds of national associations, societies, unions of the same area, also county
and regional associations.
Estonian Folk Music Association was founded on 10.12.1988. The chairmen: Anti
Kalamees (1988-1989), Ülo Luht (1989-93, folk dance), Ahto Nurk (1989-93 folk
music), Valdo Rebane (1993-2002) ,Kalev Järvela (2002-2021) and Kadri Tiis
(since 2021...).
ERRS is one of the initiators of folk dance reward.
ERRS has its own badge of
honour. *Estonian Dance Leaders’ Folk Dance Group and *Estonian Folk Music
Orchestra of Conductors belong to ERRS.
ERRS is a co-operation partner for Estonian Song- and Dance Celebration
Foundation in the preparation and directing of nationwide dance festivals and
youth dance festivals
The main aim of ERRS is the preservation and development of folk dance and folk
music.
In co-operation with the Folk Culture Development and Training Centre we
arrange training sessions, seminars, courses (annual summer courses for folk
dance and folk music leaders) etc.
Estonian Song
and Dance Celebration Foundation
Eesti Laulu- ja Tantsupeo Sihtasutus
Estonia and Song and Dance Celebration – these
two belong together like Norway and skiing, Russia and bears or England and the
Oxford-Cambridge boat race.
The Song Celebration tradition started in the middle of the 19th century and it
has survived all of the twists and turns in Estonia’ s history.
It has defied the hardest of times like a frail plant that pushes its way
through concrete with its inner strength and then bursts into bloom.
Preceded by
some local Song Celebrations, the first nationwide Song Celebration was held in
Tartu in 1869.
At the time this was seen as the first attempt at national self-determination,
manifested before the Baltic-German rulers:
See, we can do something too! Fifty
choirs and musical ensembles from all over Estonia performed before an audience
of thousands, who experienced a blissful sense of belonging, enhanced by the
beauty of the music and the songs.
This celebration evolved into a tradition that still flourishes today.
The small
nation which started the tradition has had to prove to foreign authorities, even
in the 20th century, that they are a fully fledged nation with its own rights
and resolves.
Song and Dance Celebrations were not just big festivals of singing and music but
a way to demonstrate the national spirit and to strengthen the sense of
belonging.
The age of foreign rulers is past but Song and Dance Celebrations are still
alive – both local and nationwide.
And this proves how deep and strong is the core, spirit and meaning of Song and
Dance Celebrations.
It is definitely not only the spirit of protest and
resistance that brings hundreds of thousands of Estonians – and an increasing
number of guests from around the world – every five years to Tallinn.
The total
number of performers in the Song and Dance Celebration in 2004 was 34 000
and they performed before an audience of 200 000.
Rather, it is the unique combination of the sublimity of music and human warmth
that a rather distrustful northern nation dares to show during Song Celebrations,
much to the surprise of others and its self..
Song and Dance Celebration - this is a joy.
Because Song Festivals are
irreplacable and unique, they can only be experienced on site.
Many thanks to all who have contributed to this Celebration!
Estonian
National Folklore Council
Eesti Rahvuslik Folkloorinõukogu
Estonian National Folklore Council is a
non-governmental organization, set up on an interdisciplinary basis and acts as
the roof-organization for all institutions, which are practically,
organizationally and scientifically engaged in folk culture, folk art and the
cultural heritage and function in accordance with the aims of the Council - to
safeguard, transmit and diffuse of traditional culture.
The Estonian National Folklore Council (ENFC) was founded in 1992.
ENFC
represent Estonian Republic in the International Council of Organizations for
Folklore Festivals and Folk Art (CIOFF - NGO in formal consultative relations
with UNESCO) in the rights of the Estonian National Section (CIOFF Estonia) and
belongs to the Northern-European Sector of CIOFF. ENFC is fully acknowledged by
the Ministry of Culture of Estonia.
Estonian Traditional Music Center
Eesti Pärimusmuusika Keskus
If one says VILJANDI the first to come to mind
are Viljandi Folk Music Festival and Viljandi Culture Academy. This small town
is certainly considered to be the “capital of folk music” by lots of Estonians.
Estonian Traditional Music Center organizes Viljandi Folk Music Festival and
other traditional music events and various educational and cultural activities,
gives support to traditional musicians, establishes and tightens international
relationships in the field of traditional music.
Apart from reviving our
traditional musical heritage the Center gives it an opportunity to become
stronger, which in its turn forms basis for the birth of new music.
The mission
is to promote and teach traditional music, to give people back their “musical
mother tongue” as Hungarian composer Zoltan Kodaly has said. And to entertain
and make traditional music an active part of our everyday life by carefully
selected programmes.
The emphasis is laid on the Estonian traditional music.
At the same time we get
acquainted with other traditional cultures in the world by listening to the
artistically strong and cogent performers from abroad.
The Center came into
being and is run by a group of enthusiasts, who together with local authorities
now belong to a NGO, founded to keep Viljandi Folk Music Festival going. The
first festival was held in 1993
Estonian
Folk Culture Development and Training Centre
Rahvakultuuri Arendus- ja Koolituskeskus
... was founded on October 1st 1994 incorporating
the Folk Culture Training School and Folk Culture Developing Center.
Our main
function is consulting and training in the field of folk culture.
The target group is the personnel of public culture centers, libraries and
museums, leaders of amateur theatre groups, dance groups, music groups,
handicraft societies etc.
Through consulting and helping them we try to inprove
the preservation and development of regional folk life.
Identifing the repertoire has always been the greatest challange. We have been
trying to help solve this problem.
There have been published dance books, notes
for family music groups, register of plays.
Recently the dance books Kristjan
Torop’s “Kontratantsud”, “Maie Orava’s Dances” and “The Dances of the turn of
the century” and a memuar book of a grand old man in Estonian dance life
“Remainding of Kristjan Torop” were published.
Folk Culture Center offers training and continuous education in your profession,
as well as courses in general and cultural education.
Each year you can choose between ca 50 different courses.
Estonian
Folk Art and Craft Union
Eesti Rahvakunsti ja Käsitöö Liit
The valuation, preservation and development of
national handicraft traditions, appreciating regional diversity and maintaining
folk craft as a cultural phenomenon as well as a source of substance.
An effectively functioning central union which revives, supports, promotes and
develops national handicraft traditions and modern creative handicraft and
unifies local folk art and craft associations. It collaborates with similar
Estonian, Nordic and European organizations and its partners include museums,
higher and vocational education institutions that teach handicraft.
Estonian
Choral Association
Eesti Kooriühing
Estonian Choral Association (founded in 1982) is the umbrella organization for
all choirs, wind orchestras, choral conductors and music teachers in Estonia.
Its goals are to foster the choral and wind music tradition, to find and spread
repertoire, to create new contacts, to organize international choral festivals,
competitions, concerts, educational programs, seminars, one-day choral singing
events and other occasions for choirs, singers and conductors.
There are 6 societies belonging to ECA:
Estonian Male Choirs Association
Estonian Society for Music Education
Estonian Mixed Choirs' Union
Estonian Female Song Society
Estonian Chamber Choirs' Union
Estonian Wind Music Association
Association of Estonian Choral Conductors
Children’s choirs belong to School Choirs’ Section of ECA. Altogether about 32
000 musicians belong to ECA, among them choristers, conductors, wind players and
music teachers.
Estonian Choral Society is a member of the European Federation of Young Choirs
Europa Cantat, and of the International Federation for Choral Music (IFCM).
etc. and etc.