Head of Tartu 2024: some of the Tartu 2024 events are already attracting widespread global attention

Kuldar Leis, who had been elected to lead the Capital of Culture in 2021, believes that the year could be considered a success, especially as quite a few things were more successful than in other cities that have held the title before. But he also sees room for improvement and what could have been done smarter and differently.

When we met at the beginning of the year, you said that everyone was working at full capacity and that it couldn’t last long. Is there any energy left now?

It went in waves. The opening event at the beginning of the year was a really complicated production for us. What the public saw on the banks of the Emajõgi River was just one part of it; behind the scenes, there was a lot more work involved. On top of that, of course, there were a few other events of a similar scale throughout the year where everyone had to contribute at once. I myself really thought that it would get easier somewhere in September, but I have to admit that it didn’t and the pace is fast even up until the end.

We also learned from the experiences of previous European Capitals of Culture, and their feedback implied that February to April would be calmer, and then again in the autumn, but the reality of it was different. That part was only about the team. Other Capitals of Culture also claimed that the public would get tired in September, because of the intense summer events, and they’ll need to get back to their daily lives. Again, our experience doesn’t support this, because attendance remained the same. Events just moved indoors, and instead of one-day events there were, for example, exhibitions that would last longer.

So, the fear that the team would burn out at this pace didn’t come true?

Fortunately, no. I was actually worried that our employees would get offers from abroad and decide to leave before the end of the year, but that hasn’t happened either. Our team is still intact, and for projects that last almost five years, keeping the core together is quite remarkable. Many other Capitals of Culture haven’t had the same luck, and it’s a huge advantage. Looking at the teams behind our major projects, it’s much easier for them to do a good job when the core team is still in place.

So, do you go around telling people in Estonia and beyond, ‘We’ve got some talented staff who’ll be available soon’?

It’s definitely something people ask, and I have to admit, we’ve got some amazing individuals here who are about to take on some exciting new opportunities.

Now is the time to take stock. If you were to sum up this year for yourself, how satisfied are you?

I’m very satisfied, of course! It’s difficult to put it on a scale, but the main tasks got done and that’s the most important thing. Our approach was very international, we offered a variety of events for absolutely everyone and we were visible all over Southern Estonia throughout the year. It had not been easy to meet these goals, as all of them required stepping outside of our comfort zone. Often, people don’t seek international collaboration for their projects, but being a cultural capital was an important incentive to do so. Besides, there is a temptation to only do big events in the summer, but it is important to do them at other times too. It requires constant support.

In terms of internationalism, at the beginning of the year you received a lot of letters and there was also a lot of talk in the press about why you were bringing so many foreign artists here and what kind of Capital of Culture you were to do that. Have the concerts by Sting or Bryan Adams, or the exhibition by Ryoji Ikeda at the Estonian National Museum changed this attitude?

There are two sides here. People have often asked whether we want the Capital of Culture to be only for Estonians or whether we also want to attract foreign visitors.

As in, will this be an Estonian or a European Capital of Culture?

Yes, but in reality it goes both ways. We need to offer the programme first and foremost to our own people, but not just the same things we’ve always offered – we also need to bring an international aspect. Both must be done; using our own artists and bringing some in from abroad. The ideal is for us to create new projects with international reach.

Is there any hope already with some of the projects?

One of the first projects that applied was the short film collection ‘Arts of Survival’, which is currently touring Europe. The latest news is that the production of ‘Business As Usual’ is moving out of Estonia, and Ryoji Ikeda is also going to one of the most exciting stages in Paris along with the Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir. There are many such examples. I think one of the key factors for us was the open call for applications, where we didn’t tell anyone to do anything in particular, but anyone who wanted to could come and take part in any way they wanted. In the end, we only made a few offers that we felt were missing from the programme.

In the interludes of Eesti Laul, there were comedy sketches where Ott Sepp played a local man from Tartu who didn’t want outsiders in the area, while Märt Avandi portrayed a newcomer exploring the area and inviting a community there. You said that if, by the end of the year, even one Ott becomes a Märt, then the year has been a success. Did you eventually manage to get any of the people who fear outsiders on board?

This change cannot be done overnight; it takes time. We just need to keep highlighting this issue, especially in Southern Estonia. It’s an ongoing process and I rather appreciate that we have managed to attract some locals who were previously focused on one cultural area to other areas. Someone who used to only go to the cinema or the theatre to see a comedy now had a broader cultural experience. Maybe they started to enjoy culture more, but it is difficult to measure. I’ve noticed it with my own friends – some events really had that ‘wow’ factor for them. Take the Ryoji Ikeda exhibition, for example. At first, they thought it was some kind of highbrow culture that wasn’t for them, but when they actually went, they realised it was something universal, resonating with people of all ages and backgrounds. This is just one example, but it applies to many of the events.

If we can exaggerate a bit, exhibitions by top artists that appeal to a broad audience can reshape the way people experience culture and even help them grow. In Põlva, the ‘Celebration of the Heavenly Grounds’ was an extraordinary event, which ended with a performance of Japanese Taiko drumming. You might think “What’s the big deal? A drum collective shows up and that’s it.” But in reality, the crowd stood up five times and clapped with full enthusiasm, because it was something completely different for them.

How easy or difficult is it to measure the impact of a Capital of Culture? The public attention on this is enormous and the amount of money involved is very large in Estonian terms.

The financial impact of a particular event can be measured relatively quickly and easily. We have already done an impact analysis of the summer concerts, which gives a clear picture, but it’s much more difficult to measure the psychological impact. For example, whether and how much a particular event affected people’s thinking. This can be done through longer surveys. Our final report, together with a number of other surveys, will be ready by autumn next year. For this, we are gathering opinions from regular citizens, politicians, businesses and many others to map perceptions more accurately. In addition, we have received feedback from projects in our programme, all of which are required to produce mid-term and final reports and have similar questions, from media to visibility. It takes time to fill in, but it gives us as complete and accurate a picture as possible. It’s something that just needs to get done.

So, in financial terms, have the targets been met? Your budget for five years was 26 million euros, but I think you already made back at least 5 million from the summer concerts at the Song Festival Grounds, right?

Based on the experiences of other Capitals of Culture, the understanding emerged that for every euro invested, we could expect four in return – meaning, in our case, 100 million euros. We’ll have the exact results by autumn next year, and even then it won’t be conclusive, but it’ll be fairly close.

At the very least, it’s safe to say that for every euro invested, there’s at least one euro in return, right?

Yes, that is for sure. Of course, we won’t get it back directly into the bank account of the City of Tartu or Võru County, but the surrounding area, which contributed in one way or another, will benefit. Some contributed with hotels, others with pastries. If the people and businesses here benefit from it, then that’s great. On top of that, the state will certainly get back a lot through taxes.

Especially in culture, where Estonia collects much more in taxes than our neighbours because we apply the full VAT rate on tickets for cultural events? In our neighbouring countries, cultural events are exempt from VAT tax.

Exactly. I didn’t realise it so much at the beginning, but when we started adding up the figures, the summer concerts at the Song Festival Grounds alone generated 1.1 million euros in VAT for the state. It’s great that our country benefits from this, but on the other hand, it’s also very difficult to attract artists. The issue is not about Estonia per se, but about the fact that if a concert promoter has the choice between Riga or Tartu, he would simply have to pay more taxes here. So, why would he come here? The only reason could be in the organisation and making their experience as smooth as possible for them here. However, it was very difficult for us to prove this before 2024, because there simply weren’t any concerts here before. Now that they’ve been here and seen that we work together with the city and other partners to organise everything really well, hopefully, they’ll want to come back. Whether our country is more expensive or not.

I don’t know how much you can talk about this, but you’ve been in the cultural sector for several years now. Do you have any thoughts on how to change the whole system to make it easier for us to organise and attract artists?

On the contrary, I would say that the public authorities we have been in contact with have done an excellent job. Our cooperation with the Ministry of Culture and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has been very good. Of course, the tax side of things remains, but on the other hand, we have a strong human aspect. Compared to other Capitals of Culture, the relationship with the state and local authorities has been extremely good. It has also helped our team and projects a lot and kept motivation up. On a human level, all is really well. The legal side is a bit more complicated, but that’s complicated everywhere.

Did you ever have moments where you felt like nothing could be done? Or is the team betting on constant enthusiasm and the mentality that anything is possible?

We had a few moments where we decided as a team that we were going to help where we really shouldn’t. In the end, we had to go, because there was a problem. These are difficult moments, because we have to decide where to put more effort to make everything work. It might’ve been someone else’s territory, of course, but it’s worked well because the team works together regardless of what position anyone is in. We just do it together, and it doesn’t matter if we help with marketing, programming or administration. We do it together. This is a great value of ours. These have been exceptional events, but never once has there been a mentality that something ‘isn’t our responsibility’.

The year of the Capital of Culture is now drawing to a quiet close, with some events still running next year, but what happens next? Compared to 2024, will the city be emptier?

Certainly not in the summer. I think the biggest change in Tartu is that, whereas it used to empty out of students in the summer, now there’s been something happening here for several summers in a row. Next, we’re looking forward to a smooth transition to Siuru. In addition, the more than a thousand cultural organisers who helped us with various projects and continue to work in the region will remain active. Of course, they need a little break, as many of them worked on these projects alongside their regular jobs, but they’re eager to keep organising great events. Wider cooperation in Southern Estonia will continue, and while Estonians are introverted by nature, looking at the bigger picture, we can do things bigger and better.

How long a holiday are you planning to take?

I don’t know yet.

Then, let me put it this way: has this period completely worn you out?

It kind of comes in waves, but things are really hectic right now. Fortunately, Christmas is just around the corner, and the end of December and the beginning of January are naturally quieter months. It’ll be a much calmer period for all of us compared to now. Once the final report is finished, it’ll be the perfect opportunity to just sit back and relax.

Finally, what is the biggest lesson you have learned and the biggest success that Tartu 2024 has brought you?

The lesson is that you need to find solutions with everyone involved. If you just stick to your own point of view and ignore the other side, conflict is bound to arise. Constant dialogue is essential in order to achieve the best results. This is something I would recommend to everyone in the cultural sector, because it’s much more common here than in the business world. In business, decisions are made more quickly and rationally, and that’s how it should be. But in culture, you have to spend more time seeking consensus and having discussions. There are many people with strong opinions, but the challenge is finding common ground on how to move forward together. Not that there were any major problems, but I’m referring to situations where the solutions aren’t measured in money, but on a psychological level.

And your biggest success?

Never before has anyone carried out such a big project with one city and 19 municipalities. It was a huge challenge, and if you compare it to other Capitals of Culture, a smooth and unified effort of such a large region hasn’t often worked out so well, so it has been a great success. I would also like to underline the support from the state, as it was very strong, both morally and financially. We were able to maintain it from start to finish, and that gave us confidence for several years ahead.

It was also a great success that our team was extremely strong and our main partners stayed with us until the end. I am so grateful to everyone for this experience – the team, the partners, and of course, the audience at every event. How amazing it is that we were all able to go through such an adventure together.