Narva Art Residency is a unique cultural platform facilitating residencies, art exhibitions, talks and educational workshops. The international artist-in-residency programme is open for artists operating across a wide range of disciplines, including Visual Arts, Music, Performance, Architecture, Design, Film, Literature, Curatorial Practices etc. It aims to generate a creative exchange between practitioners and to strengthen links with the local community of Narva city and Ida-Virumaa region.

Narva Art Residency is operated by the Estonian Academy of Arts (EKA) in collaboration with Narva Gate and is supported by the Estonian Ministry of Culture.



Narva Art Residency is situated in Narva city on the Estonian (European Union) and Russian border at the historical Kreenholm area. The centre is located inside the historic style villa, originally built for the technology director of Kreenholm in the late 19th century. In close proximity stands a vacant textile factory which was once the largest of its kind in Europe and in Russia. In recent times, it has functioned as a major source of inspiration for artists and a space allowing an opportunity for experimenting.

The address is Joala 18, 20103 Narva, Estonia.

Kreenholm Textile Factory (est. 1857) in Narva was one of the biggest industrial centres of the times at the beginning of 20th century. The main buildings of the factory were situated on the Kreenholm island in Kulgu village at the south from Narva, and the settlement for its workers was built nearby on the west side of Narva river.

The settlement structure was inspired by the working-men villages in England. Such borough strived to be an ideal model for living, where all the material and spiritual needs of a society were satisfied. Therefore, Kreenholm district included its own school, kindergarten, Lutheran and Orthodox churches, hospital complex, shops, bakery, club building and so on – it was a universe on its own divided from the rest of Narva city.

During the years of 1888-1907 Paul Friedrich Wilhelm Alisch was the head architect of the Kreenholm Manufacturing Company. Among other buildings, he projected a villa for John Carr who was a technical director of Kreenholm during the time.

The building got damaged during the II World War — it had a fire and stayed empty and roofless for few years after the war. In 1947, it was reconstructed and repurposed as the club building for the manufactory. For this, a big hall with a stage was built on the second floor of the building that has its stalinism interior preserved until today. In 1949 a new volume was added to the north side of the building, which was needed for technical facilities of the cinema. There is a saying that at Joala 18 building there was the first cinema of Narva city. After eight years, a new club building named after V. Gerassimov was built, which is now abandoned space close by the residency on Joala street (Joala 8). After a manufactory club the building was used as a cultural house including a library and a sauna until 2007. It stayed empty until 2014 before it was repurposed as a venue for art exhibitions and artist residencies.

There are two ways to get from Tallinn to Narva when using a public transport: by train and by bus. Train takes less time than the bus: around 2h 40min (the express train goes once a day and it takes 2h 15min).

If you value more comfortable seating we suggest to sit in a first class (regular ticket ~12€, 1st class ticket ~16€). Bus takes 3h and the ticket costs approximately the same as for the train.

To get from Tallinn Airport to Narva by train:
* take a tram (nr.4) from the Airport tram station to Ülemiste Jaam station (2 stops)
* from Ülemiste train stop, take a train to Narva (goes 5 times a day, timetable: https://elron.ee/en/)
Tip: The tickets are slightly cheaper if booked in advance. The booking closes 5 min prior to departure.

To get from Tallinn Airport to Narva by bus:
* take a tram (nr.4) from the Airport tram station to Tallinna Bussijaam (Tallinn Coach Station)
* take a bus to Narva (timetable: https://www.tpilet.ee/en/)

To get to Narva Art Residency from Narva railway/bus station we recommend to:
* take a taxi (costs 3.5€)
Tip: catch one waiting by the station or order by “Bolt” mobile application.

The fastest way to walk from Narva Railway Station to the residency building, it takes about 15 minutes. Take a walk crossing the pedestrian bridge over the train tracks.

There is a common chat on the Telegram app for staff and residents. You’ll be added when you arrive and removed when you leave NART. Use the chat on all possible occasions, and post cat photos. https://t.me/+Lp5rr3gHcdsyMjBk

The emergency number in Estonia is 112.

Johanna Rannula, director of NART. Work phone: +572 59177795; Private: +372 5615 0154; johanna.rannula@artun.ee. Residents can ask about strategic planning etc.

Gleb Kuznetsov, coordinator. +37258513234, gleb.kuznetsov@artun.ee. Residents can ask about access to Kreenholm, if something is broken in the building, and about technical equipment, tools or leftover materials etc.

Maria Kopytova is the project manager for the Kreenholm community garden and is visiting the building over during the summer season. +372 56889139, to.maria.k@gmail.com

Lena Bojarchuk is an Ukrainian refugee herself who helps with refugees and cleaning.

There are a few exhibition guides, who help to keep the exhibitions open and are usually found at the reception desk during opening hours – Katya, Rein, Alan. The opening hours are Thu, Fri 15.00-19.00, Sat–Sun 13.00-19.00.

NART also has interns, who change every few months. Sometimes, NART hosts Ukrainian refugees in the dorms for a day or two. In addition, some people come to visit the building during non-gallery-opening hours – journalists, guests, politicians etc. We sometimes ask you to say hi and tell them a few words about your work.

Please take into account that there are other activities happening at the residency building such as student seminars, workshops, public events, exhibition openings etc. For example, we also have the Estonian Art Academy (EKA) students dropping by and sometimes they stay for a few days as a bigger group in the dorms. Keep an eye on the common calendar for any groups or events that are coming up.

During the summer season we have additional residencies happening at the Narva Venice Embassy. The residents are accommodated there, but come the the main building for cooking, washing, meetings etc. Thus, during the summer the house is more busy.

We have two routers with internet in the building and they are called “NART first floor” and “NART second floor”. The password for both is residentuur.

We ask you to arrive at the residency on the agreed date between 12.00 and 18.00 o’clock unless agreed upon otherwise. The staff has to meet you at the building, so it’s better if the time of arrival is not 3AM.

We have a set fee of 4€ for using the bedsheet, pillowcases, duvet cover and a towel. This is a one-time fee for the whole time of the residency which can be paid by cash or card upon arrival.

NART staff will take you on a tour to Kreenholm in the beginning of your stay. You are welcome to go more and on your own, but need to let the staff know ahead of time so we can arrange your entrance permission. The permission can be arranged only during working hours. For example, if you want go to the abandoned factory on Sunday at 3AM, you need to let us know by Friday noon.



Ask someone to make a nice photo of you at the residency, and send it to the staff. We prefer to add these on-site photos to your profile on our website here.

Make sure you got the instructions about the fire alarm system (how it works, what to check and how to turn it off in case of false alarm).
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Upon leaving, clean your room thoroughly, wash-dry-fold your bed linen, and hand the key to the staff.

Make sure you know what happens to the food in the fridge after you leave.

Before leaving, write something in the guest book in the kitchen! Leave tips for future residents! We will also ask you to fill out an online feedback form .

• Always lock the doors. There has been theft and it would be sad if someone’s computer was stolen. The front door is open only when exhibition guide is present during the gallery’s opening hours. Otherwise, it should always be locked.

• Please turn off the lights whenever you leave your room, also in the studio rooms, kitchen, foyer, etc if it seems that it has been left on unintentionally. We need to be aware of our energy consumption and be sustainable.

• Keeping the kitchen clean is everybody’s duty. Please take out the trash or bio waste when you see it’s full. There are bins around the corner of the house. We sort our waste!

• There are “private” and “common” drawers in the upstairs kitchen and dedicated shelves in the fridges. Use them accordingly and then there is less chance that your olive oil is suddenly gone!

• Let the NART staff and other residents know if you’re going to have guests (for tea, wine or for a few days). You can write it in the common chat, so that the other residents’ also know. You are always welcome to bring your pets!! Let everyone immediately know if you spot any strange strangers in the house walking aimlessly or somehow suspiciously.

• Make use of the washing machine and drier in the cellar. Use the washing liquid according to instructions (usually it’s not a cupful but a few big spoonfuls). If you need help with using the machine, ask the staff or other residents.

• You can use the cinema hall! Ask the staff how to connect your computer and enjoy your own private cinema screenings.

• Take notice of any other people who might have gotten in accidentally (eg if someone forgot to lock the front door).

• The staff do not live in the residency building and have flexible working hours. But sometimes things happen when we are not in the building, or things happen unannounced. So you might be asked to open the front door for the courier, electrician, art students, or other residents. Occasionally we might also ask you to help with small household tasks like turning off the lights, or showing the house to a guest etc. We will reach you via the telegram group chat when something like this comes up.

• We kindly ask you to smoke outside. Or not to smoke.

• Candles are nice, but dangerous when left unintended – you never know what kind of plans they have once you’ve left the room. So put them out when you go.

• Attend to the furniture, equipment, and tools at the residency as if they were your own. If something breaks, let the staff know.

• Using the sauna is strongly advisable and healthy! However, due to rising electricity costs we have had to implement the following guideline 1) write in the chat that you would like to have a sauna at least 24 hours before you want to have a sauna. 2) The sauna happens for free once a week if at least four people join. The weekly saunas are common for all NART’s people and NART’s friends will be invited as well. The one who initiates the sauna night is the one who makes sure that it’s cleaned up after all go to bed, and that the front door gets locked.

• If you want to arrange more saunas a week, can’t or won’t follow the “two sauna rules”, then the sauna can be reserved for use at 15€ per evening. However, this doesn’t mean it’s a rental sauna for people outside the residency’s circles. It means that if there are big sauna fans among us, they can have their extra saunas. There is an exception if a student group is in the house for the week. Please communicate directly with Johanna in regards to extra saunas.

• We have three bikes with respective locks. Locks should be used on bikes when left unattended in public spaces. And bikes want to stay in the residency house at night. Our bikes don’t have winter tires, and are not safe to ride during frosty times.

• If the alarm goes on and you know that there is no fire, please first call the security company to tell them not to send a patrol +372 3565662. Then also notify the staff on the chat or call them. To turn off the alarm you will need to go to the alarm system in the foyer and push these buttons:

We expect the artist-in-residence 1) to work with motivation on the project that he/she/they proposed in the application of the open call 2) to find the necessary aid, materials and possibilities in order to fulfil their project
3) to complete the project as described in the application or as agreed upon with NART staff during the residency period.

You can work in your room, and in the common studio rooms (when no group or event is using it). If you need more or a particular place for working, let the staff know, and we will try to find a solution.

We have two routers with internet in the building and they are called “NART first floor” and “NART second floor”. The password for both is residentuur. The connection is not always great – it depends on corner of the building you are located at. The walls are thick and the signal doesn’t go everywhere equally. If there are a lot of people in the house, like when there is a student group visiting, the internet is usually not too great. If you have an important Zoom meeting coming up, let the staff know and we’ll arrange that you have the router close to you.

Each resident has a possibility to access Kreenholm factory to discover the spaces and to work there towards their artistic practice. The entrance to the Kreenholm island is within a few minutes from the residency building.

We have weekly coffee meetings with all the residents and staff. Once a week we gather together for a work meeting at NART’s kitchen on the second floor to talk and discuss each resident’s needs, questions, feedback, artistic work progress, etc.

By default the meeting will happen every Tuesday at 10 am, if there are no other circumstances. You can always check the meetings and upcoming events at our calendar on this page. This is a work meeting so we expect every resident to be present. To structure the meeting we will have the following plan: Each resident will have about 10 minutes to tell about work progress in your project, share the feedback, expectations, impressions about past or/and upcoming events. Also you can question us for any necessary information and ask for help. Approximately the duration of the meeting is 1 hour.

We have a programme of visiting art experts from the Estonian Academy of Arts. They come every few weeks, but sometimes there are longer breaks also so we cannot quarantee that each resident will have such meetings, but most will do. The expert comes for a day to NART to have one-to-one meetings with each residents. This meeting can be like a portfolio review, you can tell about your residency project, or ask the expert to tell about their pratice and know-how on the Estonian art scene.

In autumn and in spring semesters we conduct an elective course for the students of the art academy. For this we take the residents to Tallinn three times per semesters for a day trip. We visit 2-3 galleries with guides to know a bit more about what is happening in the arts in Tallinn. And in the evening there is a public lecture by 1-2 residents for the students and whoever joins.

A resident once said that the staff help you when you need it and ask for it, but they don’t babysit. That is probably true 🙂 If you need help, let us know and we are happy to help. When necessary we will try to find some volunteers for translating & for building stuff, etc. (but can’t guarantee that we will find them!)

Narva Art Residency provides private bedrooms for residents (3 units) and a dormitory-type space for bigger groups (20 beds). First guest apartment is located on the 1st floor and accommodates 1-2 residents. It has a private bathroom and a washing machine. From 2020, another two bedrooms are available on the 2nd floor (they have shared washing facilities on the basement floor). In total Narva Art Residency can host 3-6 people at once.


Plan of the first floor.

On the 2nd floor there is a fully equipped kitchen (including a stove, oven, washing machine etc) and a long table for residents to cook together and gather around shared meals.

Basement is spacious and refurbished: it has two big rooms with 20 beds and a separate entrance, also the facilities of the kitchen. Shared bathing facilities include a sauna.

On the 2nd floor there is a cinema-/theatre hall with 140 seats and a raised stage and red curtains.

NB! At the current moment, the building is not very accessible for people with walking disabilities. There are quite a lot of stairs and none of the doors are automatic. 

shops
* Maxima XX – a big grocery store is available within only 8 minutes walk from the residency (open every day 07.00-23.00 Address: Kreenholmi 54).



local transport
* City centre is around half an hour walk from the residency, or you can order a taxi (3.5€)
* You can also consider buying a periodical bus card (https://narva.pilet.ee/buy) but we encourage you to walk around as the bus schedule is not very frequent. Timetable for bus: http://www.peatus.ee/#city;narva/eng 

sightseeing
* Old Town area — the actual old town got destroyed during the II World War and the soviet authorities decision to torn it down but the district is still known as “the old town”. To explore it start with the town hall square (Narva Town Hall), visit the new building of Narva College, explore the Dark Garden (Narva Pimeaed), take a walk on the top of Narva bastions and go downstairs to the river promenade from the Ghan’s staircase (Hahni Trepp).
* Narva river promenade (Narva Promenaad) — a nice walk by the river in the foothills of Victoria bastion with a view to Russian side.
* Narva Castle (Narva Muuseum) — together with the bastions, castle has always been the main attraction of the town; Narva Museum is located inside the museum.

Check out this Google Map tour with the main sights in Narva: GOOGLE MAP
Check out this virtual tour of different areas in Narva: VIRTUAL TOUR

eating places & bars
* Kohvik Kaar (Joala 20) – a restaurant in cellar of the neighbouring buidling of NART
* Alex Kohvik (Linda 2) – located at the theatre centre Vaba Lava.
* Pizza & Cafe (Kreenholmi 50) – a nice pizza and lunch place nearby. They serve great food with a taste of “cooked by your grandma”
* Kohvik Muna (Raekoja plats 2) — located in Narva College building, Muna is one of the favorites among locals; besides serving delicious meals, from time to time cafe hosts cultural events (to find out more, visit their Facebook page);
* Art Club Ro-Ro (Jõe 2) — a hip place by the river that serves drinks, simple and grilled food for reasonable prices & often hosts live music concerts; big open terrace is open during the summer period.
* Restoran “Manufaktuur” – the vocational school students of cooking practice their skills at the school restaurant. Should be open of weekdays 11-14.
* Also can check out the following places: Kuradigrill, Valge Korvits, Bublik.

hiking
*Äkkeküla — a great place to spend time in nature, with a hiking route and some open-air sport facilities. 

where to go
* Narva-Jõesuu — a popular destination to walk at the seaside: historical resort town 15 km from Narva with a long sandy beach by the sea, beautiful parks, and several SPA centres.
Tip: there are free buses going between Narva and Narva-J6esuu (lines 31/31A), you can find more information about it here: http://www.peatus.ee
There are two pools in Narva. We recommend the one in the police academy dormitory building: https://narvaujula.ee/
For a very authentic sauna experience, go to the city sauna of Narva-Jõesuu, address is Koidu 1. The house looks abandoned, but the entrance is at tthe back. Fridays are for men, Saturdays for women. Price is about 10 euros.

personal items
Please bring all essential personal items to make your stay comfortable – slippers are a must! Make sure to bring clothes suitable for the season and duration for your stay. Summers are usually around 22C and it can rain a lot, during the winters temperature will drop under OC and it will be snowing. It can go as low as -25 degrees Celsius.

Residency will provide sheets, linen, pillow, blanket and a towel. The house is equipped with a washing machine.

materials
Please bring the materials you need for your artistic process. Residency has only some basic tools (please ask in advance if you need anything special). Nb. In Narva there are several building supply stores.

technology and tools
At the residency you will find:
* 1 video projector
* 1 screen
* sound equipment (3 big speakers, 3 small speakers, mixer, microphone)
* MacMini
* camera tripod
* extension cords
* Blueray/DVD player
* Scanner
There are more technical items and tools available at the residency. If you need something please turn to the coordinator Gleb for further information.
*If you need anything else, please bring it with you!

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