The urban culture festival Tallinn Music Week (TMW) drew 36 823 visitors last week, including 1193 delegates attending the TMW Creative Impact conference. 250 artists from 32 countries performed at the festival that in addition to the music and comprehensive conference programme also offered many discoveries of the city space, film, art, food and public talks. The festival is presented by Nordea Bank, supported by Telia, Nordic Hotel Forum, Eesti Meedia, Enterprise Estonia and Estonian Ministry of Culture.
The ninth edition of TMW attracted nearly 37 000 visitors from 27th March to 2nd April. The overarching topic of this year’s festival was sustainable development and its many areas from environmental urban development to inclusive communities and equal opportunities.
The TMW conference Creative Impact on 31st March and 1st April was attended by 1193 delegates, among them 781 international delegates. President Kersti Kaljulaidcalled TMW in her opening speech the test polygon of the society that shows how to creatively find a compromise between different opinions.
“Here you can think away all contradictions and make room for all different opinions! Think about how to use technology to overcome contradictions and if that is not an option, then think how to talk yourselves and your conversation partners through the contradictions so that finally they will simply dissolve. Show us what a resourceful spirit and flexible mind can achieve!” said Kaljulaid.
The 30 discussions of the conference presented 112 speakers, among them London’s first night czar Amy Lamé, influential pop culture author Simon Reynolds, founder of Sound Diplomacy Shain Shapiro, Barbara Gessler from the EU Culture Directorate and others. TMW conference also presented inspiring stories like the “Forbidden songs” of Norwegian Moddi, the North-Korea experience of Laibach, the nomadic artists Alexander Hacke and Danielle de Picciotto as well as the award-winning sound engineer Mandy Parnell.
Helen Sildna, founder and head of TMW pointed out the symbolic value of the conference venue, Russian Cultural Centre: “With the creative impact we can bring communities, nations and mindsets together. That’s the core of our debates.”
TMW 2017 concerts took place on 80 stages across town. In addition to the showcase concerts on main stages also more than 100 city stage concerts brought music and audiences to unusual places from a thrift store to a hotel suite. Among the most popular events were the techno marathon at the railway station Balti Jaam, the Weekend Festival club night in Club Hollywood, concerts by Jazzkaar, Jazz association and Viljandi Folk at Vaba Lava and Radio 2 showcase at Von Krahl. The sold-out opening concert “Radio Head Rewritten” at Kultuurikatel, conducted by Kristjan Järvi was one of the highlights as well as a joint concert by power-folk band Trad.Attack! and the Ukrainian electro-folk group Onuka.
Tommy Cash and the Danish rapper Black Daniels played secret gigs at the garage hack. Also new and notable were the concerts at the thrift store Uuskasutuskeskusand Tallinn Botanical Garden as well as three acoustic sets at people’s homes.
Other TMW events – the gallery tours, film screenings, restaurants and city space actions – also attracted lots of visitors. The footpath from the railway station to Telliskivi Creative City was lit up with light installations by students of Estonian Academy of Arts, music and street food. Old soviet era garages at the foot of Tallinn’s business district were given a new lease of life. Special Mexican and Japanese home dinners were popular as well as the unique Trash Cooking dinner by top chef Peeter Pihel.
The TMW pop-up restaurant, run by Ungru from Hiiumaa island this time, attracted full houses of foodies as well as participants to the talks on topics from future urban developments to space exploration. 30 songwriters and producers joined the international song writing camp.
The public vote for the favourite artist, organized jointly by Telia, Spotify and TMW is open until midnight of 5th April. The winner will be announced next week. More info.
The video competition #hoolin about sustainable lifestyle will end on 7th April. More info.
The tenth Tallinn Music Week will take place from 2nd to 8th April 2018. Festival passes at €35 and conference passes at €100 are on sale at TMW web store.
Tallinn Music Week 2017 in numbers:
250 artists from 32 countries
36 823 festival visitors
1193 conference delegates, 879 international delegates
132 international press
80 venues
250 000 website visits from 150 countries
Tallinn Music Week 2016 in numbers:
250 artists from 30 countries
34 676 festival visitors
1036 conference delegates, 781 international delegates
128 international press
70 venues
195 505 website visits from 144 countries
Tallinn Music Week thanks the supporters:
Presenter: Nordea Bank.
Main sponsors: Telia, Nordic Hotel Forum, Enterprise Estonia / Visit Estonia and Eesti Meedia
Festival centre and official hotel: Nordic Hotel Forum
Partners: Uber, Viru Keskus, Telliskivi Creative City, Solaris, Music Estonia, NGO Mondo, Lingvist, Tuborg, LaMuu, Fritz-Kola, Moe Peenviinavabrik, architecture practice PART
Supporters: Ministry of Culture, Tallinn Cultural Heritage Department, Tallinn Enterprise Department, European Fund of Regional Development, Embassy of Canada, British Council, Swedish Embassy.
TMW sustainability initiative was supported by Ministry of Environment, NGO Mondo, Representation of the European Commission in Estonia, Government Office, embassy of Sweden and KODA by Kodasema.
Festival website and #hoolin campaign: Velvet
Festival app: Festivality
Festival visual design: Mariana Hint-Rääk, illustration Viktor Gurov
Music compilations: Eesti Pops