The House of Known Unknowns

The House of Known Unknowns is a centre for Estonian dramaturgy created by the Estonian Theatre Agency, which will operate at the Tartu German Culture Institute during the 2024 Draama Festival. The project is a part of the European Capital of Culture Tartu 2024 main programme.

On September 2nd, the Estonian Theatre Agency will open a centre for Estonian dramaturgy at theTartu German Culture Institute, which will be called the House of Known Unknowns. The centre will operate during the Draama Festival and will remain open until September 7th.

The House of Known Unknowns allows audiences – both local and foreign – to get to know Estonian drama in depth. An interactive exhibition, created in collaboration between the Estonian Theatre Agency and artist Illimar Vihmar, will be open for the whole week, reflecting the journey of becoming an author and seeking, among other things, the answer to the eternal question of where inspiration comes from. In addition to the exhibits, there is a pop-up library where you can borrow plays from the Tartu City Library’s collection.

The second half of the week, on September 5th and 6th, will see a unique play-reading marathon in the House of Known Unknowns. During the marathon, which will run from morning till evening, actors will read out excerpts from 30 Estonian plays. The marathon will be divided into 10 blocks, each of which will include three plays from a different era, offering an opportunity to discover new connections between the texts and narratives running through Estonian theatre history. The plays have been selected and grouped by dramaturgs Anne-Ly Sova (Endla Teater) and Sven Karja (Teater Vanemuine), and the readings will be directed by eight well-known Estonian theatre artists as well as two foreign performers.

As the entire meta-programme of the Drama Festival will be concentrated in the House of Known Unknowns, the programme will also include book presentations and public discussions. The Estonian Theatre Agency – the main mediator and promoter of Estonian dramaturgy – celebrates its 30th anniversary in 2024 with the House of Known Unknowns.

The exhibition of the House of Known Unknowns will be open at the Tartu German Culture Institute from September 2nd to 7th: on September 2nd at 14:00–21:00, September 3rd and 4th at 11:00–21:00, September 5th and 6th at 11:00–22:00, September 7th at 11:00–21:00. Other events taking place at the house can be found at the webpage: https://teater.ee/the-house-of-the-known-unknowns/?lang=en

The events of the House of Known Unknowns will be in Estonian with English translation.

If you want to grab a bite or need a place to stay, see what the Tartu 2024 hospitality network offers in the area: https://tartu2024.ee/recommendations-tartucity