The school-focused NART art residency “Artists are Present,” aimed at increasing the accessibility and presence of contemporary art in Narva, was launched with the support of the British Council. The project first took place in the spring of 2025, when three Estonian-speaking artists were selected through a competition to participate. During the residency, they worked in schools in Narva and Narva-Jõesuu. The artists’ visits took place during regular school lessons, which they filled with workshops, discussions, games, and craft activities at their discretion. All activities were conducted in Estonian, which was particularly important given the ongoing education reform. See more information here
This time, 6 artists will be selected to conduct creative sessions in Narva schools with the support of NART during the periods of October 27–31 or November 3–7, 2025. A concluding event for the artists and teachers will take place at NART on November 29.
The key criteria for evaluating the competition are:
- Contemporary art as a language and a means of self-expression
- Emphasis on creative content rather than technique
- The idea supports the development of general competencies through creative activity (for more on general competencies, see §4(3) of the Riigiteataja)
- Suitability of the idea for the school context
- Originality of the idea (i.e., activities not typically done in schools)
- Feasibility of carrying out the creative work together with students
- Expected criteria for the successful completion of the creative work
NART provides artists with accommodation in Narva, guidance, and organizational support. Each artist receives a grant of 500 euros. A limited budget is also planned to cover material costs, enabling the creative work to be carried out together with students in schools. The winners of the competition will be selected by a jury consisting of experts from the fields of art and education.
❖ The application deadline is September 21, 2025, at 23:59 (Eastern European Time). Applications must be submitted in Estonian to the following address: residentuur@artun.ee
To apply, please send a PDF file containing the following:
- CV (name, address, email, personal website, etc.)
- Examples of previous work and a link to a portfolio that provides an overview of the applicant’s creative work
- A short description of the creative project idea with the estimated budget (up to 1,000 characters)
The project is carried out with the support of the British Council.
Contact: Johanna Rannula, NART director
johanna.rannula@narvaartresidency
+372 59177795