Inclusion: Station Narva Case Study

Inclusion: Station Narva Case Study (EE)

Name: Station Narva
City & country: Narva, Estonia
Total # of visitors: 4,000
Site: changing large and mid-scale venues (museums, clubs, performance centres etc.)
Number of days: 4
Established in: 2018
Keywords: inclusion of minorities, elderly, people with low income, accessibility, gender equality, LGBTQIA+ representation

The first Station Narva festival took place in the city of Narva in 2018 as part of the festivities to celebrate the 100^th anniversary of the founding of the Republic of Estonia. Since then, the festival has taken place yearly, moving around various large- and mid-scale venues in Narva, presenting a high-level art and music programme with an international lineup as well as communal events like shared breakfast and lunches.

Station Narva is organised by Shiftworks – the team behind the international music showcase festival Tallinn Music Week (TMW) – and NGO Muusikanädal, in cooperation with representatives from Narva. In 2022, TMW took place in both the Estonian capital Tallinn and in Narva, which is right on the border to Russia. It was a statement of solidarity in reaction to the local polarisation about the war in Ukraine: “Each of us in Europe is as safe and strong as our border states and communities,” tells us Kertu Süld, Head of Administration at TMW and Station Narva.

Developing through culture

Narva’s location on Estonia’s northeastern frontier, along the river banks dividing and uniting North and East, has led to the city losing and rebuilding its identity time and time again, says Kertu. “It’s as if Narva has a split personality – you will hear Russian spoken ubiquitously, whereas the written language of street names and advertising is mostly Estonian.”

With 96% of the city’s population speaking Russian, Narva is the centre of Estonia’s Russian-speaking minority. Station Narva was founded both to integrate this minority and other less integrated groups into Estonian society and to create a dynamic tool to develop the whole region of Ida-Viru, Kertu tells us. “The festival’s broader goal is to connect Narva closer to the rest of Estonia and Europe, helping to create a better integrated joint info space and promote entrepreneurship and city space development through culture, creative thinking and citizens’ inclusion.”

Audience of diverse adults applauding at an indoor event, some smiling, captured in a brightly-lit amphitheater. — Station Narva 2023: Opening concert. © Anastassia Volkova

Outdoor group of people participating in a lively dance session led by a man at the forefront, near a lake under the trees. — Station Narva 2023: Opening concert. © Anastassia Volkova

TMW has been systematically working with the Russian-speaking audience in Estonia since 2015 and Station Narva more specifically with a regional focus since 2018. According to Kertu, Station Narva enlivened the cultural and business life of Narva and the whole of Ida-Viru County, bringing positive attention to the border city: “For this, we have involved local community activists and cultural organisers in the festival team, ensuring that their voice is represented throughout the festival activities and communication. We wish to offer both our stakeholders and audiences an insight into how music and culture bring encouragement, collaboration and unity.” This is especially important in a time when trustworthy Russian-speaking media is vanishing and the cultural offerings to Russian-speaking audiences in Estonia have decreased.

To fight this trend, Station Narva offers a dedicated city festival programme with a wide range of activities, such as concerts, art gallery tours, exhibitions and public discussion panels. Most of them are free. “This way we ensure that festivals are accessible to various target groups, including people with special needs, various ages, incomes and identities, and risk groups such as people with no professional qualifications.”

Including youth and people with disabilities

TMW also offers special events for kids and youth, co-organised with the target participants. “We have offered discounts for students to help them access professional contacts (via the conference) as well as to participate in cultural life (via the music programme),” Kertu adds.

Woman in traditional folk costume serving food at a cultural event, with onlookers observing the process. — Tallinn Music Week 2022: Fenno Ugria night. © Saara Mildeberg

Cooking class led by an Asian woman in a kitchen with exposed brick walls and arched windows, attended by adults seated around a table filled with dishes. — Tallinn Music Week 2022: Fenno Ugria night. © Saara Mildeberg

Station Narva takes accessibility into account when choosing the venues it works with. Most of them are regular concert venues, clubs, eateries or galleries, which already have solutions for people with specific needs in place. The festival marks the venues in terms of accessibility on their map, website and in their booklet. “We have also collaborated with the Accessibility Forum and the Equality Commissioner to mark accessibility on advertising materials.”

More accessibility measures:

Caretakers accompanying people with disabilities don’t have to pay.
Guide dogs are allowed in the venues.
The festival cooperates with Helpific, a platform that connects people with disabilities to people who are willing to help them out with certain tasks. This way, festival visitors can accompany a person with special needs at the event.
Recreational areas in and around the venues.
When recommending additional activities and places to visit, Station Narva makes sure that most of these are accessible to visitors with special needs.
The free city festival programme is also aimed at people from socially and economically disadvantaged households.
The festival shares detailed info about the attendance options both before and during the festival.
Communication in up to three languages (Estonian and English, plus Russian where needed).

LGBTQIA+ rights & gender balance

Further, TMW is a vocal proponent of gender equality and LGBTQIA+ rights. “TMW has been a dedicated promoter and advocate of diversity and inclusion. Our programmes aim at gender balance and we create opportunities for LGBTQ+ minorities to actively participate in music life,” Kertu states. For instance, TMW signed the Keychange pledge to achieve at least 50% FLINTA* artists in their programme and staffing.

In 2023, 51% of the acts on the TMW music festival line-up had women or queer representation. In 2018, TMW’s conference was the first international conference in Estonia to reach gender balance among speakers. TMW’s public conversations series ‘Talks’ have held discussions on the topic of gender-fluid identities to make their voices heard and spread education, acceptance and appreciation. According to Kertu, these values are represented in TMW’s other events like Station Narva, too.