MTÜ Tartu Folk projektitaotlus

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EEA AND NORWAY GRANTS

FUND FOR BILATERAL RELATIONS

INITIATIVE PROPOSAL

Title of the initiative: Community cooperation development between Tartu and Bodø folklore

groups

Implementing entity (beneficiary state entity): MTÜ Tartu Folk (Eesti)

Partner(s) (minimum one donor state entity):

• BUL Bodø (Monika Vågan, Ingebjørg Vestrum)

• Nuorisoseura Motora (Eveliina Pilke)

• Latvijas Nacionālais kultūras centrs (Katrīna Feldmane)

•

Bilateral priority area identified by the JCBF beyond the programmes:

 promotion of core European values, such as respect for human dignity, freedom,

democracy, equality, the rule of law and the respect for human rights for all people,

regardless of their racial or ethnic origin, religion or belief, gender, disability, age,

sexual orientation or gender identity;

Allocation (total sum): 3160

(A more detailed project budget description in the activity plan)

Short description of the initiative:

(background, aim, participants, activity plan, budget outline, communication and dissemination)

Participants

Folklore Club Maatasa is an ensemble based in Tartu dedicated to studying and sharing the traditions

and folklore of Southern Estonia through song, dance, music, folk tales, national costumes and

traditions. The ensemble connects people from the ages of 7 to 30. The ensemble features both

widespread instruments, such as the violin, Jew’s harp, bagpipes, guitar and mandolin, as well as

instruments that are representative of Southern Estonia, such as the karmoška (garmon) and kannel

(zither).

An umbrella organization for Maatasa is the Tartu Christian Adolescent Home. Tartu Christian

Adolescents' Home was established in 2000 as an NGO to help children who cannot grow up with

their families for various reasons by providing substitute and aftercare services.

BUL Bodø is a group from Bodø in Nordland in the northern part of Norway. The members are

between 13 and 22 years old. The group specialises in traditional folk music with violins and

traditional dance, mainly from northern Norway. BUL Bodø’s repertoire includes traditional

Norwegian dances and tunes, such as Walz, Reinlender, Polka, Pols, and Halling. The group

performs in the Norwegian National Costume.

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Background of collaboration

Tartu and Bodø have been chosen as the European Capital of Culture 2024. The two cities’ folklore

music communities desired to meet each other. Tartu Folklore Club Maatasa received an invite and

proposal for collaboration in November 2023. Folklore Club Maatasa’s trip to Bodø took place from

28 May until the 2nd of June. The trip was very fascinating and inspiring. The two ensembles

became good friends. The Norwegian tunes learned from the trip are still part of Maatasa’s

repertoire.

Read more: https://tartufolk.ee/en/news/folklore-club-maatasa-and-bul-bodo-collaboration-2/

Folklore Club Maatasa awaits BUL Bodø musicians and dancers to visit Tartu for the duration of

14.-17 November, during which an international folklore festival, Tartu Folk, will take place. The

festival will be hosted for the 9th time. It will offer the chance to share and perform traditional

dances and songs at school concerts and a collective folklore concert, where there will be about 250

dancers and musicians. The festival’s final concert will take place at the Estonian National Museum,

allowing room for a grander audience. The concert will also be broadcast live on the YouTube

channel of Tartu Folk.

The folklore festival Tartu Folk’s primary goal is to offer young people interested in folklore the

chance to participate in an international culture exchange project to raise awareness of the diversity

of folklore traditions from all around Europe. The festival will host folklore groups from Norway,

Finland, Latvia, and Estonia, including various workshops and concerts. The festival is organised by

Folklore Club Maatasa, with members ranging from ages 7-30.

Tartu Folk is a festival focused on community. The festival’s goal (besides the exchange of

cultures) is to host a gathering place for Tartu youth interested in folklore to come together, but the

connection to the guest performers will always be there. Numerous visits and collaborations,

including hosting workshops, will hold the communities together.

Read more: https://tartufolk.ee/en/event/tartu-folk-2024/

Performers: https://tartufolk.ee/en/news/ix-tartu-folk-bridges-the-gap-between-two-european-

capitals-of-culture/

Communication and dissemination and reason for necessity:

UNESCO: Respecting cultural diversity and dialogue between cultures is the best way to ensure

peace.

The festival Tartu Folk aims to offer a way for a dialogue between cultures to prosper in the best way

possible. Because of this, the festival hosts a relatively limited number of foreign guests to ensure

that one can genuinely deepen their understanding and focus on a country’s culture and make

interacting between groups more accessible and more natural. The festival shines a light on

communities focusing on unarranged, traditional folklore who study folklore through numerous

ways: song, dance, traditional instruments, costumes, food, culture, etc. Folklore groups are one of

the best sources of information for introducing their local, unique culture to a broader audience.

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BUL Bodø and Tartu Folklore Club collaboration necessity

The project offers an invaluable learning opportunity for both parties. Both groups have the same

mission - to learn and preserve and teach on the culture of their regions. Working in the same field

but coming from different backgrounds, there have already been many in-depth discussions to learn

from each other’s experiences and knowledge that have helped with the work.

Both groups work with children and teenagers, offering a chance to be involved in music and dance

in a very accessible way as no prior experience is needed to join the group. The groups help found

strong communities and friendships and give a sense of belonging and meeting with like-minded

people of a similar age but from a different country has been a very enriching experience for both

parties and the members have kept in touch regularly after the trip in May.

Budget outline

Tartu Folk’s main sponsor and partner is Tartu City, where the quality of the living environment is

of great importance, as is maintaining sustainability. Tartu Folk also deems the developments in

environment, education and social politics important, which is also one of the EMP’s principles.

We are applying for monetary support from the EMP Programme to host the Norwegian group BUL

Bodø in Tartu Hotel (cost 2140.00) and transport between Tartu and Luunja (11 km) and others

concert places (cost 1020.00). Whole budget: 3160

All festival’s budget is ca 30000.00.

All supporters here: https://tartufolk.ee/event/tartu-folk/#toetajad

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Activity Time Location Cost Participants

Tartu Folk, pre-day:

Guest performers

arrive in Tartu;

Settling in hotel;

Concert at the

German Cultural

Institute dedicated

to the Year of

Cultural Diversity

14.11. 2024 Tartu Tartu Hotel rooms: 2140.00

• BUL Bodø group

• Performers from different Tartu ensembles

Tartu Folk, I day

School concert in

Tartu Waldorf

School; Festival

opening in the

Luunja Culture

and Leisure Centre

15.11.2024 Tartu,

Luunja

Transport:

Tartu Hotel-

Tartu Waldorf

School -Tartu

Hotel and

Tartu Hotel-

Luunja - Tartu

Hotel – 420.00

• BUL Bodø group

• Nuorisoseura

Motora (Soome)

• Tarkšķi (Läti)

• Sörvemaa

sörmitsejad

(Saaremaa, Eesti)

• Folklore Club

Maatasa (Eesti)

Tartu Folk, II day

Folklore dance

and music

workshops in the

Luunja Culture

and Leisure

Centre; Grand

concert of the

festival with main

performers and

Tartu ensembles;

International

dance evening –

Estonian, Latvian,

Finnish,

Norwegian dances

16.11. 2024 Luunja Transport:

Tartu-Luunja-

Tartu - 420.00

• BUL Bodø group

• Nuorisoseura

Motora (Soome)

• Tarkšķi (Läti)

• Sörvemaa

sörmitsejad

(Saaremaa, Eesti)

• Folklore Club

Maatasa (Eesti)

• Tartu folklore

groups and folk

musicians

Tartu Folk, III day

Festival final

concert with main

performers in

Estonian National

Museum; Ending

the festival;

Collective dinner

with Tartu

Folklore Club

Maatasa and BUL

Bodø at Christian

Adolescent Home

17.11. 2024 Tartu Transport:

Tartu Hotel-

Estonian

National

Museum-Tartu

Hotel - 180

• BUL Bodø group

• Nuorisoseura

Motora (Soome)

• Tarkšķi (Läti)

• Sörvemaa

sörmitsejad

(Saaremaa, Eesti)

• Folklore Club

Maatasa (Eesti)

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OUTPUT INDICATOR TARGET

Collective concerts and

workshops

It is interesting for young people to

study different nationalities’ dances

and songs.

A sense of respect will be

developed for the other country

Bul Bodø activites at

Tartu Folk:

3 concerts

*Schoolconcert – ca 300

people

*Main Concert – ca 300

people

*Final Concert – ca 400

people

*Final Concert ülekanne

veebis -ca 1000 people

3 workshops

*Songs and song games a

cappella (ca 100 people,

participants)

*Intrumental tunes and

traditional dances (ca

100 people, participants)

*International dance

evening (ca 300 people,

participants and

audience)

* 6 events and learning

opportunities for all

participants

Strengthening communities Mutual communication motivates

the young people from Tartu and

Bodø to further participate in

folklore.

The inspiring collaboration will

positively impact the hometown’s

culture, which is experienced by

hundreds.

5 communities

strenghtened:

Bul Bodø (Norra)

Nuorisoseura Motora

(Soome)

Tarkšķi (Läti)

Sörvemaa sörmitsejad

(Saaremaa, Eesti)

Folklore Club Maatasa

(Eesti)

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