The project “Artists Are Present” aims to increase the accessibility and presence of contemporary art in Narva. It creates opportunities for young people to practice the Estonian language and to find their voice and confidence through creativity.
NART director Johanna Rannula explains the background and goals of the project: “Young people in Ida-Viru County today have fewer opportunities to participate in art and cultural life than their peers elsewhere in Estonia. Language barriers and limited contact with the Estonian-speaking cultural space deepen this gap. At the same time, the ongoing education reform presents a major challenge for local schools — young people have few opportunities to communicate with native speakers, and the ‘ordinary Estonian-language cultural space’ often remains distant and abstract.”
“What impressed me was how the artists discovered for themselves that they have a role in shaping Estonian identity among young people, and how this identity is formed through art and communication in the Estonian language. The artists became aware of their importance in creating an Estonian-language educational and communicative environment and approached this creatively and with great responsibility,” recalls Anna Golubeva, Head of the Multilingual Education Centre at the Development Department of Narva College and mentor of the project.
The residency is short-term, with three artists and three Ida-Viru schools participating in each block. NART provides accommodation in Narva, mentoring, and organisational support. To ensure the success of the project, a dedicated support system has been created for artists: before arriving in Narva, online meetings take place with a mentor and school representatives; artists can share their activity plans and receive feedback; and during the residency they can consult both the mentor and the NART team. Creative stipends are also provided.
The Artists Are Present project was inspired by several similar initiatives previously carried out both in the region and internationally. In Latvia, this project was successfully implemented, in which seven Latvian artists worked in six different schools (see more here). In Estonia, the project Artists in Schools involved a large number of artists visiting schools in Southern Estonia. And a third one was organised to mark the 100th anniversary of the Republic of Estonia (see more here).
The project first took place in Narva in spring of 2025 under NART’s leadership, when three artists were selected through an open call. Their week-long school visits were filled with workshops, discussions, games, and hands-on creative activities. The project continued in the autumn of the same year with six new artists and five new schools. The British Council supported the project in both spring and autumn of 2025.
From January 2026 until autumn 2027, the project is supported by the Smart Future Fund (Targa Tuleviku Fond), enabling a larger scale as well as an innovative turn. Artists and teachers are supported by preparatory training on integrating language and subject teaching (CLIL), multilingualism, and classroom communication in collaboration with art education specialists from the Estonian Academy of Arts and beyond. Master’s students from EKA will assist participating schools in preparing creative projects. A thorough impact study will also be conducted during the project.
The first season of the project (spring 2025)
The winners of the first season’s open call were selected by an expert jury of four members. The jury included Olesja Katšanovskaja-Münd, Curator of Cultural and Educational Programmes at Tallinn Art Hall; Liina Siib, Professor and Head of the Department of Graphic Art at the Estonian Academy of Arts; Pille Maffucci, a teacher at the Narva Estonian Language House; and Johanna Rannula, director of the Narva Art Residency.
The artists completed a mentoring programme led by Anna Golubeva, focusing on working in a multilingual classroom. In addition, a session dedicated to media literacy was held and led by Aleksei Shishkin. The artists also engaged in discussions with students on media-related topics.
According to the jury, the quality of applications was high, and the sincere interest of Estonian artists in meeting young people in Narva came as a pleasant surprise. Making the selection was not easy; however, three artists clearly stood out. A one-week paid residency programme was awarded to Helena Atkin, Daria Titova, and Liisbeth Horn. The residency took place from 31 March to 4 April 2025.
Helena Atkin is a British-Estonian composer and performance artist whose work centres on music. He aimed to inspire young people in Narva and to show that musical notation can have meaning beyond music itself. Notation can be used as a tool for critical thinking, self-expression, and analysis.
Daria Titova moved from Ukraine to Estonia three years ago and has since adapted well and learned the Estonian language. Her goal was to support children in Ida-Viru County and to boost their confidence in learning Estonian. Daria led a textile art workshop in which cutting, sewing, and embroidery functioned as tools for both language learning and creative expression.
Liisbeth Horn is an independent performance artist whose practice focuses on actionism. She wanted to contribute to integration processes. In her work with young people in Narva, Liisbeth used practical and contemporary methods of art education. Her workshops helped participants develop skills in artistic research, analysis, and dialogue.
During this season, the project involved Narva Vanalinna Basic School, Kreenholm School, and Narva-Jõesuu School.
The artists’ visits took place during regular school hours. After the school visits, the artists created artworks or installations reflecting their experiences. These works were brought together in an exhibition that was open throughout May at the gallery of the Narva Art Residency.
The second season of the project (autumn 2025)
In autumn 2025, six artists were given the opportunity to take part in a creative residency. With the support of NART, they held creative sessions in Narva schools between 27–31 October and 3–7 November. The final event of the project for artists, teachers, the team, and partners took place at NART on 29 November. During the meeting, the artists’ experiences and the project’s impact on schools and students were discussed. Afterwards, an article was published with contributions from students of the Narva College of the University of Tartu, offering a wider audience insight into the inner workings of the project.
The winners of the open call were selected by an expert jury. The jury included Olesja Katšanovskaja-Münd, Curator of Cultural and Educational Programmes at Tallinn Art Hall; Anneli Porri, Lecturer and Junior Research Fellow at the Estonian Academy of Arts and Head of the Art Education Programme and Department; Eva-Erle Lilleaed, Head of the Education Centre at the KUMU Art Museum; and Johanna Rannula, Head of the Narva Art Residency.
According to the experts, the quality of applications was once again very high, as in the first season. They also highlighted the courage of Estonian artists to offer schools an experience of contemporary art through diverse approaches — ranging from work with form to sound and movement. The one-week residency and stipend were awarded to Allan Kukk, Loora Kaubi, Silver Tsäko, Henri Hütt, Annika Sellik, and Indrek Haas.
Sound is a central theme in Annika Sellik’s artistic practice, in which she works with perception and resonance. To engage in dialogue with students in grades 8–9 at Narva Central School, she used methods of field recording and deep listening.
VON BOMB (Indrek Haas) is known for his large murals and stencil-based street art. Students of the Narva Language Lyceum Gymnasium had the opportunity to work with spray paint and created murals on the school walls.
Allan Kukk explores the social aspect of drawing in his practice. Under his guidance, 5th-grade students at Narva School No. 6 played with line and the act of drawing, experimenting with capturing new viewpoints and perspectives.
Henri Hütt is a performance artist whose wide-ranging practice includes various forms of performance, staged exhibitions, curatorial projects, writing, installative spatial environments, and other elusive formats. Students in grades 8–9 at Narva Central School also took part in this experience.
In her work, Loora Kaubi addresses themes of sleep, personal and collective memory, and fatigue. In her collaboration with students from Narva Pähklimäe School, she focused on form-making using clay, plaster, and alginate.
Silver Tsäko is a young sculptor whose artistic practice explores longing, the passage of time, grief, and youth. Through a queer lens, he addresses people, objects, and emotions that society often rejects, fears, or ridicules. Silver worked with 5th-grade students with special educational needs at Narva Paju School, exploring emotions through abstract forms and a variety of materials.
The project involved Narva Pähklimäe School, Narva School No. 6, Narva Central School, Narva Language Lyceum, and Narva Paju School.
The hird season of the project (spring 2026)
Starting in January 2026, the Smart Future Fund enables the mission to grow even more ambitious. Over one and a half years, nine Narva schools and 27 practicing Estonian artists selected through open calls will participate. Each artist will complete a two-week residency in the border city and meet with a student group on five days to conduct creative activities, making, experimentation, and discussions.
The project also introduces innovation. Artists and participating teachers will receive preparatory training on integrating language and subject teaching, multilingualism, and classroom communication. Support will be provided by Anneli Porri from the Estonian Academy of Arts, Hanna-Liis Kont — leader of the “Art Creates Closeness” platform, CLIL trainer Christina Lään, and Anna Golubeva, Head of the Multilingual Education Department at the University of Tartu Narva College.
Nine artists will be selected for the third season. The application deadline is 8 February, and each artist will receive a €1000 stipend, travel compensation, and additional support. In March and April, these nine artists will visit Narva-Jõesuu School, Narva Pähklimäe School, and Narva 6th School. Other schools will participate in subsequent stages. See more details about the open call HERE.