EAMT Cultural Management Master's Programme

☕️ This morning, we gathered for the last Morning Coffee of this academic year and ended the season with a conversation on cultural diplomacy in practice.

Our guest was José Carlos Esteso Lema, Deputy Head of Mission at the Embajada de España en Estonia / Hispaania suursaatkond Eestis, who shared insights from his diplomatic career and reflected on the role culture plays in foreign policy, international relations and everyday embassy work. 🇪🇦

Together, we discussed how cultural diplomacy works in real life: why its impact is often difficult to measure, why results may take time to appear, how cultural messages are received differently by different audiences, and how embassies decide which cultural activities are worth pursuing.

Warm thanks to José Carlos Esteso Lema for joining us and to everyone who has taken part in our Morning Coffee meetings this year! ❤️

🌿 Last Saturday, Kalamaja was full of open gates, music, food, workshops, and some very real cultural management in action!

Kalamaja Open Courtyards brought life, music, workshops, exhibitions, food, drinks and joyful encounters to more than 70 locations across Kalamaja. Gates that are usually closed opened for one day, inviting people to discover the neighbourhood from a completely new angle.

This year, the project was led as part of course work by our student Ružena Vakulenko, and what a learning opportunity it turned out to be!

Public event regulations, house rules of Kalamaja Days, late registrations, surprises with sales permits, text editing, coordination, communication, and all the little things that somehow become very big things right before an event… In other words: cultural management in its most practical form. ✨

And as a lovely CM coincidence, our risk management lecturer Marko Lõhmus was also present with his own home café. We can only imagine the satisfaction of seeing theory immediately put into practice — possibly with freshly squeezed orange juice in hand 🍹

Well done, Ružena and team! This is exactly how learning becomes real! 💛

🎶 How can music support the mental wellbeing of people who care for others every day?

As part of the Erasmus+ project "Inclusive Wellbeing Through Arts and Culture in the Baltics" (WITAC) six participants of the Estonian WITAC micro-qualification programme are carrying out a practical pilot project that brings together culture, health and social care.

The EAMT Cultural Management MA programme is proud to be part of WITAC, exploring how arts and culture can contribute to wellbeing across the Baltic region.

Under the title “This is what self-care sounds like”, the pilot uses sound and music-based creative activities to help prevent and reduce signs of stress and burnout among social care workers. Led by musicians Kadi Uibo (on the photos) and Kärt Tambet, eight workshops are being held for employees of AS Hoolekandeteenused, who work daily with people with psychosocial disabilities. No previous musical experience is needed — only curiosity, a safe space, and a moment to step away from everyday pressures.

The workshops have already been received with great warmth and the musicians’ visits are eagerly awaited! 💛

WITAC is carried out in collaboration with the Latvijas Kultūras akadēmija, Rīgas Stradiņa universitāte (Riga Stradins University), Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, Eesti Muusika- ja Teatriakadeemia / Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre, and the Northern Dimension Partnership on Culture.

🇫🇮 Our Cultural Management students recently headed to Helsinki for an international study visit - a couple of days full of new perspectives, meetings and behind-the-scenes glimpses into cultural and creative organisations.

The visit began at Aalto University, where the group learned more about the university’s history, study specialisations and the creative processes behind film production, from colour grading to sound design.

At the Taideyliopiston Sibelius-Akatemia (Sibelius Academy), our students met with SiBa Arts Management students for a joint lecture and exchange of ideas. Presentations from both sides opened up conversations about the different projects students are currently working on and reminded us how valuable it is to see what peers in neighbouring countries are exploring.

The tour ended at Helsingin Kaupunginteatteri (Helsinki City Theatre), where the group was warmly welcomed by Cultural Management alumna Anni Leino. There, students had a chance to look behind the scenes of one of Finland’s largest theatres and reflect on how major cultural institutions operate in practice.

Even with only a few photos to bring back, the visit clearly offered plenty to think about, from creative collaboration to international study paths and future possibilities in arts and cultural management. ✨

🇫🇮 Our Cultural Management group is in Helsinki!

The study visit is already well underway, with visits to Aalto University and the Sibelius Academy’s arts management programme behind us — and Helsinki City Theatre still to come.

More insights (and more photos) to follow! 📷✨️

🎙 The Cultural Reflector Podcast: Season 4 is here! 🎙

Contemporary artists today are rarely confined to a single role. Whether by choice or circumstance, additional titles often come into play — producer, composer, instrumentalist, songwriter, and more. The creative professional has become something of a Swiss Army knife, with each tool serving its own purpose.

In this episode, we dive into the multifaceted career of Sander Mölder, exploring what has shaped his success, which creative roles he enjoys the most, and what defines a contemporary creative career.

This special episode in Estonian was recorded together with Mölder and his manager Thea Zaitsev being part of a new season coming your way this autumn. Stay tuned! 🍂

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🎙 Kultuurireflektori 4. hooaeg on alanud! 🎙

Nüüdisaja artist ei piirdu enam tihtipeale üksnes artisti rolliga. Kas omast soovist või eri olude mõjul lisandub artisti tiitlile veel teisigi nimetusi, sh produtsent, helilooja, instrumentalist, laulukirjutaja jne. Loovisikust on saanud justkui Šveitsi taskunuga, mille iga tera täidab oma eesmärki.

Selles episoodis sukeldume Sander Mölderi mitmekülgsesse karjääri. Kuuleme lähemalt, mis ja kuidas on talle edu toonud, millist loomerolli ta ise kõige rohkem naudib ning mis elemendid kujundavad tänapäeva loomekarjääri. Vestlust juhib Mölderi mänedžer Thea Zaitsev Tier Musicust ning see on osa uuest hooajast, mis jõuab teieni sel sügisel. Püsige lainel! 🍂

https://kultuurireflektor.simplecast.com/episodes/loomeinimese-karjaar-kui-veitsi-taskunuga

Our Cultural Management programme made its way to Tartu for the Estonian Annual Conference of Humanities at the Eesti Rahva Muuseum / Estonian National Museum bringing together a wide range of perspectives from across Estonia’s universities and research institutions.

🗣 Among these conversations, Kai Kiiv and Kaari Kiitsak-Prikk presented the "Inclusive Wellbeing through Arts and Culture" (WITAC) project, which explores the intersection of culture and wellbeing — a topic that is finding its place more and more across different fields.

The conference was a good reminder of just how diverse (and lively) the humanities can be. And moments like this matter not only for sharing research, but also for bringing fresh ideas and questions back into the classroom. 💫

☕ Today's Morning Coffee brought us into the world of contemporary art production and large-scale exhibition-making.

We were delighted to welcome Kaisa Maasik — curator, artist, and Head of the TASE Graduation Festival at the Eesti Kunstiakadeemia / Estonian Academy of Arts.

Kaisa shared her experience of working at EKA and, in particular, leading TASE, one of the most ambitious annual exhibition projects in Estonia. Bringing together the works of around 270 graduating students across disciplines, TASE is not only a showcase of emerging artists, but also a complex organisational challenge.

💎 What became especially clear during the conversation was the reality behind such a project: coordinating the expectations of students and supervisors, navigating technical requirements, and finding spaces that can accommodate a wide variety of artistic visions. As Kaisa put it through her examples — every student is an artist who wants the very best for their work, which makes the role of the organiser both demanding and delicate.

Our students were particularly interested in how to manage this intensity — balancing workload, strong personalities, and high expectations — and how to stay grounded in the process.

The conversation was guided by Sven Idarand, long-time project manager at EKA and lecturer in project management in our Cultural Management programme.

Thank you, Kaisa, for your openness and honesty, and for offering such a real and insightful look into the practice of exhibition-making! 🧡

🎷 Yesterday, we visited Jazzkaar — one of Estonia’s most recognised cultural brands and a true cornerstone of the local music scene.

We were warmly welcomed by the festival’s founder, the “Grand Old Lady” of Estonian jazz Anne Erm, together with CEO Eva Saar and Head of Marketing and Communications Kaisa Potisepp — a real privilege to meet the people behind the festival.

As Jazzkaar prepares for its 37th edition in 2026, it was inspiring to see how such a strong international festival is built and sustained by a relatively small but deeply committed team. What stood out was not only the scale and reputation of the festival, but the way it is constantly reflected upon and shaped — analysing what worked, what didn’t, and what could be done differently next time. Jazzkaar is not just “run” — it is continuously developed. In many ways, it truly feels like a living organism!

And beyond the main festival in April (and Christmas Jazz later in the year), the work continues year-round, with concerts and activities that keep the festival present in the cultural landscape.

With just one month to go until the 2026 edition, this was the perfect moment to visit — before things (quite literally) become a festival whirlwind.

A heartfelt thank you to the Jazzkaar team for their openness, honesty, and dedication! ✨

P.S. If you have the chance — do go and experience Jazzkaar concerts yourself. 🎶