Talks

TMW 2021 Talks programme will be announced in spring 2021. Till then take a look at what we talked about in 2o2o.

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TMW 2020 public discussion series Talks creates a friendly public arena for battling hot issues within and beyond music culture. The topics vary from analysing the difference between appropriation and appreciation to exploring the undertones of depression in global pop and from tackling the challenges of Estonia’s Russian-speaking population to seeking the new ways to spread heritage music.

Thu, 27 August 16:30 – 17:30
Looking for lost music (In Estonian)
Terminal Records & Bar (Telliskivi 60/2)

Estonia is proud of its digital leadership in many areas, but showcasing our musical past is not one of them. A large portion of our aural heritage is accessible only via frail physical copies in archives. Should music from the past be uploaded onto the same digital platforms that new music is currently using, so it could just as easily be shared? Perhaps blockchain technology could be used for monetizing the uploads fair and square in lieu of the current practice in Estonia of only the most popular artists receiving royalties? Is there a way to give music back to the people without taking it away from the authors?

Moderator: Jüri Muttika, ETV
Panellists:
Vaiko Eplik, musician and the head of Estonian Authors’ Society
Kärt Nemvalts, Adviser to the Ministry of Justice
Virgo Sillamaa, Director of Music Estonia
Martin Adamsoo, Head of The Year of Digital Culture 2020

Fri, 28 August 17:00 – 18:00
Appropriation versus appreciation (In English)
Terminal Records & Bar (Telliskivi 60/2)

During the past decades, Planet Pop has undergone several gear shifts that have radically changed the “do’s” and “don’ts” of acceptable behaviour as well as overall mentality. From #MeToo and #BlackLivesMatter to cancel culture, a recurring topic has been the fine line between tribute and loan, appreciation and appropriation. These discussions have been initiated in the power centres and trickle down to local scenes where they inevitably adjust to the situation on the spot. Sometimes their meaning and purpose get lost in the process. When that happens, artists develop a blind spot to the ways in which the international scene they long to be a part of can interpret their artistic endeavours as racist, homophobic or misogynist. In culture, where does exploration end and colonization begin?

Panellists:
YASMYN, musician
Lauri Pihlap, musician
Linda Kaljundi, Associate Professor of History at the Estonian Academy of Arts
Ingrid Kohtla, Head of PR & Communications at TMW

Sat, 29 August 17:30 – 18:30
Viva Sadness or Lust for Life? (In Estonian)
Terminal Records & Bar (Telliskivi 60/2)

As the largest generation in the history of the world is coming of age, they forge connections with each other that are beyond anything experienced by mankind before. They are intimately in touch with each others’ culture and (private) lives via the internet. Perhaps this unification is needed in preparation for the next chapters that require large-scale cooperation to tackle issues ranging from global pandemics to cyberbullying, and from climate change to the constant pressure to present the perfect self-perception on social media. In the midst of trying times has the trend of being candid about mental health issues sparked a fetish for sadness? Anxiety used to be a medical condition, but now it resembles a shared cultural experience. As the new generation acts as a bridge between the past and the future, can they sustain the musical trafficking of negative emotions or will it break them down?

Panellists:
Katrin Isotamm, Head of Communications at Telia Estonia
Ede Schank-Tamkivi, anthropologist
Neit-Eerik Nestor, record label LAGI
Natalia Wójcik (FREMEN), musician

Sun, 30 August 19:30 – 20:30
LasnaKino: “14 Cases” public discussion and screening
Laagna Community Garden (Võru 11)

TMW 2020 Talks series finishes at Laagna Community Garden in Lasnamäe district with the LasnaKino screening of the documentary “14 Cases” that examines the challenges of Estonia’s Russian-speaking population. The screening will be preceded by an open discussion (in Estonian and Russian) with the film’s director Marianna Kaat and its protagonists.

The LasnaKino screening is part of the TMW Lasnamäe programme curated in collaboration with NGO Lasnaidee.