ForMin supporting Estonian diaspora groups coming to Song, Dance Festival

TALLINN – At the beginning of each year, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs offers Estonian societies and other associations operating abroad the opportunity to apply for financial support for events that help preserve Estonian culture abroad and strengthen the identity of Estonians, especially young people.

Altogether 47 projects received support in the total amount of 100,000 euros from this year's application round for self-initiated projects. Since it is the year of the Song and Dance Festival, almost a third of the projects that received support were in one way or another related to preparing for the festival: additional rehearsals were held to polish the festival repertoire, song and dance camps were organized, and conductors and dance directors from Estonia were invited to supervise the rehearsals.

"Singing 'Koit' together with tens of thousands of other Estonians under the song arch is such a powerful emotion that you want to experience it again and again. It is great that we were able to support the participation of such exotic dance groups as Oslo Vikings from Norway, Hamburg Swallow from Germany and the Canadian Estonian folk dance movement Nou Pois Älaud," Marin Mõttus, ambassador at large for the Estonian diaspora, said.

In addition to the projects related to the Song and Dance Festival, the projects that received support included initiatives by Estonians from almost all continents and in very different fields. Be it the celebration of the Year of the Estonian Book in the Netherlands, the legendary Sõrve summer camp for Estonian families in Australia, or the Estonian Culture Days in New York: they all testify to the fact that Estonian culture is also viable in the wider world.

The application round is being conducted by the Integration Foundation.