LEADING artists from Estonia will perform in Glasgow as part of Estonia Now, a multi-arts festival held to celebrate the centenary of the Estonian Republic.
Co-produced by the Estonian Embassy in London, the festival brings together top names from the country acclaimed for their work in film, visual art, music and contemporary performance and includes the first-ever performance in Scotland by the Estonian National Ballet.
Silent Monologues, choreographed by Estonian National Ballet’s artistic director Thomas Edur, will feature as part of a triple bill of works by Estonian choreographers on November 16 and 17.
The performances will take place at Tramway, one of the Glasgow venues hosting the festival alongside the University of Glasgow, the GFT, Stereo, Strathclyde University and the CCA, which has recently re-opened following June’s second fire at the Glasgow School of Art.
The triple bill also features a work called Time by Tiit Helimets of San Francisco Ballet and another titled Echo, which is choreo-graphed by former principal ballerina with Scottish Ballet Eve Mutso. On November 16, Mutso and Edur will take part in a pre-show discussion in which they will give insight into the history of the Estonian National Ballet, which, like the Estonian National Opera, also celebrates its centenary this year.
“Estonian National Ballet’s performances in Glasgow at Tramway as part of Estonia Now will be an exciting and emotional time for me,” says Mutso.
“Estonia and Scotland are both my homes and seeing them come together thanks to Echo’s performances in Glasgow is very special to me.”
Estonia Now also features a triple bill of new and landmark contemporary performance work at Tramway on November 13 and 14, including Mart Kangro’s Based On A True Story, a work regarded as a milestone of Estonian contemporary dance.
Also at Tramway is Trial and Error (November 12 to 18), a moving image programme presenting work by nine Estonian artists, while at Stereo on November 17 there is Electronic Communications, a rare opportunity for Scottish audiences to experience Estonian electronic music. The late night show will feature techno pioneer Hypnosaurus, DJ Ilmajaam, HAPE and Cubus Larvik with Karl Saks and others.
“The Estonia 100 programme searches for inspiring partnerships and this is exactly what we found in Glasgow,” says Jorma Sarv, head of Estonia 100’s international programme.
“When Estonian National Ballet described the idea to work with Tramway it sounded like a true creative dialogue where the art is in the lead and everything else in the project is there to support that aim.”
With a population of around 1.3 million, Estonia’s de facto independence only came in 1991 following the peaceful “Singing Revolution” against Soviet Rule.
Sarv says that culture plays a role in nation-building as well dialogue between other countries.
“Estonia is Estonia because of its culture,” he says, noting that “culture” has a wide meaning encompassing nature, heritage, arts, social behaviour and other aspects.
“We have to know where the essence of our heritage lies but in the same time we have to guarantee its organic freedom and dialogue with the rest of the world. Culture has to stay alive and isolation is not something that makes it stronger.”
The festival will also show films such as Taming A Wild Country (November 15), a documentary portrait of Mart Laar – the first prime minister of Estonia following the country’s 1991 independence – a brunch of traditional Estonian cuisine at Gandolfi Fish (November 18) and an event at Strathclyde University discussing the role of digital technology in Estonia.
Estonian Ambassador Tiina Intelmann will make her first visit to Glasgow for In 1918 to 2018 and Beyond (November 15), a public lecture exploring the country’s tumultuous past and hopes for the future.
“Today, Estonia is a modern and cool Nordic country, fully integrated into our common European space and culture, a wonderful place to visit and to live in,” says Intelmann. “I am glad that this festival happens in Glasgow, a vibrant city with which we have enjoyed a long-standing and fruitful relationship.
“People make Glasgow and people make Estonia. Estonia Now is a wonderful celebration of our shared European values and culture.”
November 12 to November 18, venues across Glasgow. Tickets and full listings at bit.ly/EstoniaNow www.ev100.ee
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