The Ministry of Culture allocated a total of 40,000 euros to the Estonian National Folklore Council in order to organise the international folklore festival Baltica 2016 in Estonia. The folklore festival, which takes place in June, is focused on the period of summer solstice, in other words, on traditional Midsummer and its celebrations.
Folk Culture Adviser to the Ministry of Culture Eino Pedanik said that Baltica is a unique festival that values intangible cultural heritage. “Baltica helps to preserve and bring back our ancestral customs and traditions to modern day. I am glad that this year’s festival has completely moved out of concert halls and heads to the authentic environment,” Pedanik emphasised.
The International folklore festival Baltica, which values local cultural heritage, has been taking place since 1987 and it is alternately organised in each Baltic State. This year marks the 29th Baltica festival, and it is organised in Estonia for the 10th time.
According to Krista Sildoja, a representative of the Estonian National Folklore Council and Programme Manager of the Festival Organising Committee, Baltica festival aims to remind people the value of ancestral skills, share knowledge, refresh relations with Latvia and Lithuania with regard to folk culture, as well as attract guests from further away. “We want to encourage people to be present in traditional culture on a daily basis, and also to use the inherited values. The Estonian National Folklore Council has created the slogan “Baltica conquers hearts and brings you closer to home!” so that the folklore festival could be moved away from the cities and held even closer to the countryside – in the middle of communities, villages, and homes. We will organise pre-celebrations, heritage training, and a big heritage festival during Midsummer in all counties across Estonia,” Sildoja said.
Baltica will be attended by the folklore enthusiasts from all Estonian counties, the folklore groups of national minorities, but also guest groups from many foreign countries, such as: Poland, Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Georgia, Switzerland, Finland, and Estonia’s neighbouring countries Latvia and Lithuania as well.
Folklore festival Baltica 2016 takes place from 22–24 June and the festival is organised by the Estonian National Folklore Council. The Baltica 2016 programme can be found here.
Read more about the allocation of funds on the basis of the Directive of the Minister of Culture from the call for proposals of “Support for cultural societies and associations” here.
More information
Kristin Viljamaa
Public Relations and Communications Manager of Folklore Festival Baltica 2016
+372 58 14 4253
[email protected]