Event Guide

ESTONIA

November 07-09, 9th International Jazz and Rhythm Music Festival IDeeJazz, various venues in Tartu

The Tartu jazz and rhythm music festival IDeeJazz brings into Tartu the Estonian music that is packed with creative power. Keywords like good sound, improvisation and idea connect the best thoughts of the Estonian jazz elite and the bold projects of the young musicians’ generation, filled with positive energy. 

The festival draws no clear genre borders – providing very diverse music from mainstream and chamber jazz, ethno and world music to groove rhythms and fusion. The official information on the festival is available at www.ideejazz.ee and on social media.

Open till November 13, Exhibition ‘Once I Had…’, Artist-Run Space Kraam, Tallinn

The exhibition's title Once I Had... refers to the transience of possession, convenience of over-consumption and other self-destructive implications of human behavior on the future of Earth. 

Once I Had... is a conceptual continuation of Britta Benno recent solo exhibition Dystopic Tallinn. In this project the apocalyptic landscape scenery is site-specifically depicted with the Mustamäe district's panel houses, as they are located in the vicinity of the Kraam artist run-space. 

Benno invited American artist Heather Beardsley to this project, as they met while during an artist residency in Vienna, where they were coincidentally both depicting dystopian landscapes. The works relate not only through imagery, but also materially and technically. There are many common links between the two artists: Benno and Beardsley both use nostalgic found objects, collage-like layering, printmaking and transfer methods, and inconvenient materials combinations. 

Benno draws, prints or animates water or fire on her dystopian landscapes, Beardsley sews or embroiders volumetric flora on top of photographic cityscapes. More information is available on Facebook.

November 14-15, Black Food Festival, various venues in Tartu

Festival Tartu is an international interdisciplinary festival where writers, poets, musicians and artists from Estonia and abroad come to perform. One of the main principles of the festival is to bring as many unprecedented performances to the audience as possible. This principle is also followed when choosing the venue for the event. Each year, a piece of art is unveiled for the first time in the new environment. For more information please go to www.tartu.kirjandus.ee or the festival’s Facebook page, email [email protected] or call (+372) 742 7079.

November 15 – December 01, Black Nights Film Festival, various cinemas in Tallinn and Tartu

Started in 1997, the Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival has grown into one of the biggest film festivals in Northern Europe and busiest regional industry platforms, hosting more than 1000 guests and industry delegates and over 160 journalists. The festival screens around 250 features and more than 300 shorts and animations and sees an attendance of 80 000 people annually. As of 2014 the festival holds the FIAPF accreditation for holding an international competition program which puts the festival into the so- called A-category of film festivals, alongside other 14 festivals in the world. To see the full program and many more please go to the festival’s official website www.poff.ee 

November 23, Black Food Festival Tallinn 2019, Tallinn

What is black food? The Black Food Festival provides a number of answers to this question. The black part is not artificial: it’s entirely natural. Coffee, chocolate, berries, garlic, black bread... It’s found in other, ever more intriguing combinations, too: pasta, burgers, cheese, ice cream, balsamic vinegar and more. In fact, there’s nothing in which you don’t find it. It’s also well suited to music. Discovering and sharing this surprisingly diverse palette is what the festival is all about. The Black Food Festival is coming to Estonia for the first time this year. Having set out its stall in Berlin, London and New York in the last 12 months, it’s be coming to the Põhjala factory in Tallinn. The aim is to open the door to culinary creativity and experimentation and to do so under the umbrella of an enjoyable city festival during some of the blackest nights of the year. Taste-wise, there’ll be something for everybody! To find out more about the event please visit www.events.ekspressmeedia.ee/BFF-eng 

 

LATVIA

October 29 – November 02, Riga Fashion Week, Hanzas Perons, Riga

Within the coming Fashion Week the spring-summer 2020 pret-a-porter collections by the best Latvian and foreign designers will be presented. Riga Fashion Week has indefeasibly contributed to the development of the Latvian fashion industry, providing to local couturiers the platform to present their collections, and discovering each season new names of talented local designers. As the scope of Riga Fashion Week has grown, the trendy brands of designer clothes from Latvia have also been gaining more and more importance in the international market, positioning Latvia as a country with big creative potential and extensive possibilities in the area of fashion. The full program of Riga Fashion Week is available at www.rfw.lv

October 29 – November 02, New Music Festival ‘Arena’, Reformation Church, Riga

New music festival ‘Arena’ has been held in concert halls of Latvia every autumn since 2002 to bring together composers, performing artists and audience from many countries of the world. The motto of the festival – “Hear the Future!” – reflects its main idea and objective – to present the diversity of contemporary music in all its magnificence thus encouraging creation of new music, its performance and recording. This is one of the most innovative culture events in Latvia without which regular and logical development of contemporary music culture in Latvia would be unthinkable. Festival program and more is available at www.arenafest.lv 

November 10, Classical Music Concert ‘Vienna Ball’, Culture Center Ziemelblazma, Riga

The concert program is designed as a small theatrical performance with a palace court atmosphere – wigs, outfits and makeup. The concert will be performed by the Latvian Sound Quartet – four young and talented ladies who seduce listeners with their attractive performances and also their musical qualities. The quartet is made up of oboe player Jana Zelenska, violinist Liva Plocina-Janova, cellist Mara Botmane and pianist Roksana Tarvide. To buy tickets online please go to www.bilesuparadize.lv

November 11-17, Sigulda Restaurant Week, various restaurants in Sigulda

As part of Sigulda Restaurant Week, guests are invited to enjoy three-course meals from a selection of restaurants in Sigulda and the surrounding area. Each restaurant will offer meal sets for two prices – 20 and 25 Euros. For more information please visit www.tourism.sigulda.lv 

Open till November 13, Juris Jurjans’ Solo Exhibition ‘Message of Love’, MuseumLV, Riga

The artist will present to his viewers yet unseen works, as well as well known paintings in a new light. Juris Jurjans’ art is like an exclusive drink, which over the years has become more valuable and finds new nuances of taste that can be enjoyed by a true art connoisseur. The painter is interested in life; his artistic motif is love, which is rich in gradation and is all-encompassing. 

Juris Jurjans is aesthetic in life and in art, and with gold in his hands he gives a new meaning to everyday things, elevating them to a sacred level. Birds, flowers, beautiful ladies, the sun, the moon – gold and silver – reality shines in a new light, it is expressive and dynamic. The entrance to the exhibition is free.

November 15-18, Festival of Light ‘Staro Riga’, various venues in Riga

The festival of light ‘Staro Riga’ has become highly popular and anticipated among Rigans and tourists. ‘Staro Riga’ is an exhibition of outdoor installations, used to transform Riga’s panorama using modern light and video technology. Full information on the festival can be found at www.staroriga.lv The entrance is free.

November 22, Concert ‘Arrivederci Rome’ by Tenor Trio, Latvian National Opera and Ballet, Riga

Raimonds Bramanis, Mihails Culpajevs and Juris Vizbulis – three young, bright and recognized tenors of the Latvian National Opera have joined their voices and charisma in a new musical union Tenor Trio. They will perform popular opera arias, as well as Neapolitan songs, and instrumental pieces of opera music. To buy tickets online please go to www.bilesuparadize.lv

November 29, Concert by Latvian Radio Big Band, Spikeri Concert Hall, Riga

The concert program will feature original pieces by guitarist Marcis Auzins which have been composed especially for the Latvian Radio Big Band, as well as music composed by Pat Metheny. To learn more please visit www.latvijaskoncerti.lv and to buy tickets online please go to www.bilesuparadize.lv

LITHUANIA 

November 04-10, Lithuanian Gastronomy Week, various venues across Lithuania

During the Gastronomy Week of Lithuania restaurants will open doors for everyone wishing to acknowledge higher level of food culture, tendencies of gastronomy, and craftsmanship of the chefs. Festival is organized by association of Lithuanian hotels and restaurants, head chefs and confectioners association. To see the list of restaurants participating in Lithuanian Gastronomy Week please go to www.skonis.lt/category/lietuvos-gastronomijos-savaite-2019-ruduo/ 

November 07-10, International Literary Festival ‘Vilnius Pages’ 2019, various venues in Vilnius

International literary festival Vilnius Pages celebrates acclaimed and popular Lithuanian and international authors. It favors spontaneous author reader dialogue through meetings, discussions, debates, live public author readings, musical and poetic improvisations, concerts, exhibitions, performances and literature-based film screenings. The Lithuanian National Drama Theatre situated on the city’s main avenue is the central venue for the events although they take place in numerous locations across the city and many are free of charge. Vilnius Pages brings contemporary literature to the general public, making it a popular, attractive and enjoyable pastime. The festival program can be found at www.vilnius-events.lt and tickets to certain events can be purchased online at www.tiketa.lt 

November 07-24, European Film Forum ‘Scanorama’, various cinema theatres in Vilnius

This year the organizers will be screening worthy of attention from the recent European news, the most promising film debuts, the bravest experiments; they will introduce you with the newest Lithuanian films, award the young talents of the Baltic Sea region countries. As usual there will be a lot of guests to talk to at “Cinema Club”, many surprises at movie theaters, oh! For detailed information please go to www.scanorama.lt 

November 13-17, International Jazz Festival ‘Vilnius Mama Jazz’, Contemporary Art Center, Vilnius

The international festival Vilnius Mama Jazz stands out for the relevance of its program and focus on contemporary developments in jazz. Visitors will find there Main Stage performances, Showcase Stage performances, Vilnius Mama Jazz Margins panel discussions, conference, visual arts exhibition, record labels’ shops, reading room and many more attractions. One of the main innovations of the festival is the discussion platform Vilnius Mama Jazz Margins. It offers an artistic and cultural dialogue between those who work in the creative sphere, the academic community and the representatives of the jazz world. The aim of this project is to capture current trends in jazz music and jazz identification within the context of other cultural phenomena, and to understand the authenticity and relevance of Lithuanian jazz today. In addition to prominent figures in the jazz scene, Vilnius Mama Jazz presents a comprehensive panorama of jazz in Lithuania. Lithuanian performers have an opportunity to present their latest projects or stage original artistic programs specially created for the festival. For the third time, the festival is organizing the Showcase Stage program, which is attended by foreign experts, critics, journalists, producers, publishers and organizers, who are directly introduced to Lithuanian jazz scene. This serves to publicize Lithuanian jazz abroad. To find out more please visit www.vilniusmamajazz.lt and to buy tickets online please use www.tiketa.lt

Open till November 17, Exhibition ‘Our Selfie’, MO Museum, Vilnius

The portrait in the most contemporary generations explores the possibility of representing the action and the sentiment that lies behind every individual, together with the exaltation of his own culture and of the social environment that characterizes the diversity of any human being. Portrait – a possibility to show how a human being changes over time. All artworks in the show are related to changes and all its synonyms: transformation and metamorphosis, how the external world pushes our inner side to react and how different cultures influence human behaving, interpretation of the inner self. The exhibited artworks are the pieces of foreign artists Tschabalala Self, Damir Ocko, Patrizio di Massimo, Paulo Nazareth, Neil Beloufa, Buhlebezwe Siwani, Simon Denny from Lewben Art Foundation and Lithuanian artists Eglė Budvytytė and Violeta Bubelytė from MO Museum collections. To learn more please go to www.momuziejus.lt

November 28 – December 01, 17th International Animation Film Festival ‘Tindirindis’ 2019, various venues in Vilnius

The international festival of animated cartoons ‘Tindirindis’ is an arena of non-commercial films. The mission of the festival is to present the spectrum of the world animated cartoons as wide as possible: works of different styles, by the representatives of different schools, to show animated cartoons, which encourages creativity. The festival will offer diverse program, featuring films of the famous directors, debutants and animation students from various countries, many of whom were awarded at numerous international animation festivals. The admission is free. For more information please visit www.tindirindis.lt