For the second year, the Estonian Culture Ministry has funded the San Francisco Estonian Society’s “Eesti By The Bay Cultural Exchange Project.” Over the last few years, the Estonian Society has been sponsoring more music, dance, and theater events, in part because a growing number of groups and performers from Estonia are looking for opportunities to perform for audiences in the US.

This grant provides a modest amount of funding to help cover event costs when featuring visiting performers from Estonia, such as renting venues, insurance, and other similar expenses. This means the Estonian Society can host more events than would otherwise be possible, and gives more performers an opportunity to share their talents with Estonian-American audiences in the Bay Area.

The goal is to host three cultural events per year, including one aimed for a children's audience. In 2015, Vanemuine Teater's performance of "Appi? Ooper!" and Vox Populi's "Meditations with Tormis" were both supported by this program.  Polygon Theater's upcoming September 24th performance of "Palju õnne argipäevaks!" is also made possible by this grant.

The Estonian Society has also sponsored several other events over the last few years that, while not directly supported by the grant, are in the same spirit. These include Mait Malmsten's performance of "Fenomen," Ivar Lett's children's theater, Nukuteater's Animation Generation workshop, and Rahvusooper Estonia Poistekoor's concert in San Francisco this past summer.

If you have enjoyed these programs and would like to find more ways to support this project, or you would like to put the Estonian Society in contact with visiting artists, please contact Tõnu Viitas ( This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. ). Volunteers are always needed. These concerts and performances also would not have been possible without the generosity and hospitality of several local families, who have provided homestays for our visiting performers.

San Francisco Eesti Selts Newsletter, September 2016