ÌìÃÀÓ°ÊÓ

Starting today, Tallinn University will be hosting 320 people from 50 countries until 2 August. Tonight at 6 p.m., the rector of Tallinn University, Tiit Land, officially opened this  year’s International Tallinn Summer School, which focuses on creativity and offers many different courses  from filmmaking to creative writing, or from photography to creative psychotherapy, as well as various language courses and creative workshops.

The biggest course of the Summer School is the course on Estonian language and culture with 72 participants - the studying takes place in three groups for beginners and four advanced groups. 18 participants are supported by scholarships provided by the Estonian Institute and another 10 by  scholarships  through SA Archimedes.

The origin and motivation of the participants vary. There are descendants of Estonians abroad, people from neighbouring countries, and those, who are simply interested in Estonian language and culture despite living in different parts of the world. Most of the students are from USA (8) and Hungary (7). The more exotic countries of origin are China, Indonesia and Uzbekistan.

The duration of the course is  three weeks, comprising of 3 hours of Estonian language and culture studies a day. In addition, there is a cultural programme organised for the students that introduces Estonia and includes different excursions in Tallinn and its museums, outings (to Pärnu, Haapsalu, Tartu county and around Lake Peipsi), plus afternoon seminars, movie nights, meetings and workshops.

The Summer School opening ceremony took place today, 15 July at 6 p.m. in Tallinn University Mare building’s Atrium (Uus-Sadama 5, II Floor).

The guest of honour for this year’s Summer School is Philip Gross, a distinguished British poet with Estonian ancestry, winner of the T.S. Eliot Prize for Poetry (2009), and professor for Creative Writing in the Glamorgan University. Philip Gross will be supervising the Creative Writing course in Tallinn Summer School from 26 July to 2 August. A concert-show with Philip Gross, Resonabilis and the artist Hannah Geara takes place on 30 July at 7pm in the headquarters of Kirjanike Liit (Estonian Writers’ Union) in Tallinn, Harju 1, II Floor. Philip Gross will be talking about his poetry collection „Deep Field“ (2011), dedicated to his  father, who is from Estonia.

Tallinn University is the main organiser of the Summer School, however, Estonian Business School will also be hosting some courses within the project. Tallinn Summer School is funded by the Tallinn City Enterprise Board

More information:  .