Baltic Heritage Network Seminar “Preserving the Cultural Heritage of the Baltic Diaspora” at Tartu College (310 Bloor St. West, Toronto) October 26, 2008

October 16, 2008

The seminar is organized by the Baltic Heritage Network (www.balther.net) in co-operation with Tartu Institute (Toronto) and Chair of Estonian Studies (Toronto University).

Since 2007, the Baltic Heritage Network has held seminars for Estonian communities in Stockholm, St. Petersburg and Hamburg. For the first time, in Toronto, the Latvian and Lithuanian Canadian Communities will be involved in the event.The main aim of the meeting is to give an overview of the current situation, achievements and problems of preserving and studying the cultural heritage of the BalticDiaspora, particularly the heritage of the Baltic communities in Canada.

Presenters: Jüri Kivimäe (Toronto University), Tiina-Ann Kirss (Tartu University), Andris Ķesteris (Latvian National Federation in Canada, LNAK), Arunas Pabedinskas (Lithuanian Museum-Archives), Tiiu Kravtsev (Estonian State Archives), Piret Noorhani (Estonian National Museum), Merike Kiipus and Triinu Ojamaa (Estonian Literary Museum), Karin Kiisk (Tartu University).

Among the participants, we hope to welcome those responsible for and interested in preserving the Baltic cultural heritage, specialists and volunteers, officials and active members of the Baltic communities and representatives of memory institutions in Canada.

Programme

11.00-13.30 Session 1

Piret Noorhani (Estonian National Museum), Cultural Heritage of the Baltic Diaspora in 2009: Baltic Heritage Network

Tiiu Kravtsev (Estonian State Archives), Estonian Archives in the World: A Look from Estonia

Anne Valmas (Tallinn University Academic Library), Merike Kiipus (Estonian Literary Museum), Estonian Exile Literature: Collections and Databases at Estonian Libraries

Karin Kiisk (Tartu University), Developing the Information Portal BaltHerNet

Triinu Ojamaa, (Estonian Literary Museum), A Study on Estonian Identity and Music

13.30-14.00 Coffee

14.00-16.30 Session 2

Andris Ķesteris (Latvian National Federation in Canada), Unique Diaspora Initiatives

Arunas Pabedinskas (Lithuanian Museum –Archives), The Lithuanian Canadian Experience

Tiina Kirss (Tartu University), Life-Writing Workshops and the Memory Institution

Jüri Kivimäe (Toronto University), Estonian Cultural Heritage Abroad and the Idea of the Museum

Discussions

Information and contac: Piret Noorhani piret.noorhani@erm.ee