Tartu 2024 Extended

Tartu 2024 Extended, the youth programme of the European Capital of Culture, introduces new organisers to the cultural scene, particularly among young people.

Tartu 2024 Extended is a development programme for 14-19 year olds in Tartu and Southern Estonia. We will learn how to organise cultural events together. We give information on how to develop projects, form teams, and plan and execute events. During the 5th class it is opportunity to make international events with Liepaja 2027 youth team.

All participants in the third class can help with the Tartu Youth Party, Southern Estonian Children’s Day, and the International Youth Day. Tartu Noorsootöö Keskus is Tartu 2024 Extended’s primary partner.

Participate

Participants at Extended events 6900
Graduates of the programme 52
Participants in the 3 class 26
Organised events 17
Mission meetings 6
Mentors 3

Schedule for Extended 5th class

22.–23. November 2025

Mission 1: Getting to know each-other
4.-7. December

Mission 2: Kick-off meeting in Liepaja | Location: Liepaja (Tartu 2024 office)
3. January

Mission 3: What is your idea? | Location: Tartu (Tartu 2024 office)
24. January

Mission 4: Finance and team | Location: Tartu
7-8. February

Mission 5: Technical production and programming| Location: Tartu
14 February

Tartu Youth Party | Location: Tartu

28.02-01. March

Mission 6: International meeting in Valga-Valka. How to make your event international? | Location: Valga-Valka
14th of March

Mission 7: Marketing| Location: Tartu
4 April

Ready fot the event mentor sessions | Location: Tartu
May-August

Events produced by Youth
August

Graduation
18.-20.09

Final meeting in Tartu

Youth Connect

The organization of the 5th class of the “Tartu 2024 Extended” program is funded through the “Youth Connect” project. The “Youth Connect” project is supported by the Interreg IV-A Estonia-Latvia Program 2021–2027, which aims to building skills and strengthen cooperation between the cross-border regions of Estonia and Latvia.

Project objective:
The Tartu–Liepāja Youth Connect Programme empowers 48 young people aged 14–20 from the Tartu region (Estonia) and Liepāja region (Latvia) to develop cultural management skills and gain hands-on experience in planning and implementing international cultural events. Through a joint training programme, cross-border teamwork, and practical co-created activities, Youth Connect nurtures a new network of young cultural coordinators across Estonia and Latvia.

Main activities and results:

Joint training programme. A comprehensive cross-border curriculum co-created by Tartu 2024 and Liepāja 2027 experts, combining cultural management skills, teamwork, communication, accessibility, sustainability and event production.
3 international joint training sessions
Kick-off in Liepāja
Mid-term session in Valga–Valka
Final session in Tartu, including pitching of cultural event ideas
Monthly local training sessions
Regular workshops in Tartu and Liepāja, including online components to support continuous cross-border collaboration.
Two co-created cultural events
International youth teams develop and implement at least two cross-border cultural events, showcasing the cultural landscape of both regions.
Creation of a cross-border youth network
Formation of a new generation of culturally aware, internationally minded young cultural coordinators who will continue collaboration beyond the project.

Project partners: Foundation Tartu 2024 (lead partner) and Foundation Liepaja 2027
Project duration: 01.09.2025 – 30.10.2026

Project budget:
The total budget is 87 410,00 EUR, of which 69 928,00 EUR is financed by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). This project is supported by Interreg IV-A Estonia-Latvia Programme 2021-2027 aiming to strengthen cooperation among regions across the borders of Estonia and Latvia. More info www.estlat.eu.

Schedule for Extended class of 2024

14-15 October

Mission 1: What is your idea? | Location: Tartu (Tartu 2024 office)
27 October

Mission 2: How to create a team? | Location: Tartu (Tartu 2024 office)
18-19 November

Mission 3: Funding and programme | Location: Southern Estonia
2 December

Mission 4: Marketing | Location: Tartu
13 January

Mission 5: Technical production | Location: Tartu
10 February

Tartu Youth Party | Location: Tartu

March

Mission 6: Is everything ready for the event? | Location: Tartu (Tartu 2024 office)
April

Mentor meetings | Location: Tartu
10 April

Graduation | Location: Tartu
30 May - 1 June

Southern Estonian Children’s Day | Location: Tartu city centre, Southern Estonia
12.-17. august

International Youth Day Celebrations | Location: Tartu (Car-free avenue) and Southern Estonia

The Tartu 2024 Extended program 3rd class was financed by the Erasmus+ Youth Participation Activities project, supporting the Extended missions. The aim of the project is to support the active participation of young people through the use of non-formal methods.

Get in touch!

Angela Ader

Education Project Coordinator (Finished work)

What did the previous classes do?

Natura Obscura
1 June 2022, Tartu

Natura Obscura is a unique installation in the middle of Tartu city, whose idea is to bring the nature experience to the urban environment and give young videographers and sound engineers all over Europe the opportunity to present their material to the public. The project is a box in Tartu’s public places, where you can enter and sit down to enjoy for a moment to enjoy beautiful views of nature and listen to good music on a big screen.

LOOMEEN Festival
31 May – 1 June 2022, Tartu

The goal of the LOOMEEN festival is to help youth to express themselves and highlight young artists from South Estonia and elsewhere.
On May 31, an event was held in the courtyard of the Tartu 2024 office (Raekoja plats 6), where mental health educator Loore Aaslav-Kaasik and Omída Velviste, chief organizer of LOOVUSE LOOMUS, shared their thoughts with the audience. In various workshops, participants could show their creativity or pick up a paper and pencil and listen and learn to express themselves through scribbling. On June 1, the festival moved to Tartu Küün street and next to Tartu Kaubamaja, where there was a stage, Loome tänav, and a place where you could take part in group dancing.

Extended Exchange
June 2022, Tartu Aparaaditehas

Extended Exchange is an Exchange market that gives young people the opportunity to exchange decent clothes left in their closets for others. At the event, participants of the Extended Exchange could also tell a cool story of their awesome clothing items, for example, what have you done or where have you been while wearing it.

Extended Festival
20 May 2022, Tartu Alexela loomelava

Extended Festival is a one-night electronic and pop music festival, the program of which was put together by young people. This festival is a contribution to a better, more youth-friendly city through an intense and high level music festival. We bring together the youth and give them an unforgettable night.
The festival program brings attention to the fact that still not so well-known talented artists get experience on stage and also brings Estonia’s top performers to Tartu.
The artists were SMRP, säm, villemdrillem, K&M and Substract.

NewHeritage festival “Give and Wear”
21 May 2022, Elva

NewHeritage festival “Give and Wear” focuses on sharing intergenerational skills and connecting genuine tradition with today.

Turing the festival audience could try their hand both in modern and traditional workshops. Several musical and dancing artists performed in the stage program, in addition, you could participate in a discussion group with the National Archives on the topic: “How do you reach your roots?” The evening ended with the main performer Oopus, who before their musical performance talked about creating music today with the help of various technologies. You could also experience the farm’s magic forest, which hides a lot of exciting things.

In addition to those, Tartu 2024 Extended youth took part in the organization of subsequent already existing events.

Europe Day in Võru
9 May 2022, Võru

Tartu 2024 Extended youth organized Europe Day’s discussion “How to be successful?” in Võru. 5 young people participated in it and it was led by Elisabet Raju. During the conversation, it became clear it is possible to become successful only with willpower. The main cooperation partner of the event was Võrumaa Arenduskeskus.

Europe Day in Tartu
9 May 2022, Tartu Raekoja plats

The entertainment part of Tartu’s celebration of Europe Day was curated by Tartu 2024 Extended youth. At the event, there were two youth-led discussions: “What does the European Union offer an individual and what can an individual offer to the European Union?” and “How to create greater smaller cities?”

Musical interludes were performed by E STuudio choir and dance school and representatives of the local Ukrainian community. The evening ended with a performance by musician Egert Milder.

With tents and workshops in Town Hall Square were Rakett 69, European Commission, State Support Services Center, Tartu City Youth Council, MTÜ YFU Estonia, Tartu Noorsootöö Keskus, and Tartu 2024 Extended.

Tallinn Music Week Young People and Stories
4 May 2022, Tallinn Terminal Records & Bar

TMW free public conversations create an arena, where ideas and ideologies collide in friendly and bold ways. Tartu 2024 Extended organized the discussion: “How to make cultural life flourish even outside the capital?”

In discussion took part:
Mihkel Kübar, organiser of Intsikurmu Festival
Georg Eessaar, musician in Viljandi youth band Onkel Jonkel
Kermo Kukk, project manager in Treski

The discussion was curated by Tartu 2024 Extended team member Carolyn Mardim.

Tartu Youth Party
19 March 2022, Tartu

Tartu Noorsootöö Keskus organized a 14+ youth party in March with the support of Tartu 2024 Extended youth.
The event was able to test itself by making a pop-up escape room and relieving tension in the demolition room. At the party performed Dyvour and the flagship of Estonian folktronics OOPUS.

Tartu 2024 Extended