Pildikesi sügiskoolist / Pictures from the autumn school

Abstract

This newsreel text opens the 10-year history of the autumn schools of the Heritage Technologies (since 2020 the Creative Applications of Cultural Heritage) of the University of Tartu Viljandi Culture Academy. Each year, a semi-academic event dedicated to some fascinating professional theme has been organised by second-year master’s students in different Estonian tourist farms. For example, the most colourful themes have been ‘The Creative Hand Heals the Soul’ (2015), ‘Life Before and After Oil’ (2016), ‘Born of Fire’ (2017). The two-day gatherings, which have been open to all interested parties with pre-registration, have included thematic lectures and presentations, discussions and brainstorming, and practical workshops. Always on the evening of the first day, baptised freshers, that is, master’s students who have started their studies, have been treated to the sauna and songs and tunes have sounded. At times, there has been a night hike, which the participants reminisce in detail afterwards. The tradition of the autumn school has not died out and school continues to the present day. In recent years, the autumn school’s presentations have been recorded on video on the University of Tartu’s online TV channel uttv.ee.