The Talks series of the urban culture festival Tallinn Music Week (TMW), taking place next week, will present city makers, question the future of music genres, and check if we can make the world a better place via sensible eating habits. The free public talks will take place every afternoon from March 27th to April 1st at the TMW pop-up restaurant housed in the Architecture and Design Gallery and at Café Must Puudel.

How big is the ecological footprint of digital music? Are we teaching the people of tomorrow the world of yesterday? What should be done in urban design to encourage more human touch in business? Who killed music genres? Most events will be held in English.

TMW Talks kick off on Monday at 17 at the TMW pop-up with a discussion “The antiquities of Baltic rock”. Held in Russian and led by music critic Artemy Troitsky a pan-Baltic panel will look into why the Baltic music scene managed to retain a different character even under Soviet suppression of popular culture. At 18.30 Must Puudel Café hosts the discussion led by ESTCube on space exploration and technology via artistic utopias.

The menu of the surprising talk cocktails for the week also includes “Sex & Plants & Rock’n’Roll”. Being a rock star used to be associated with substance abuse, now artists are considered cool for being vegan – Iron Man rock star Tanel Padar will share his insights along with sports enthusiasts and anthropologists.

TMW’s Ingrid Kohtla will moderate a discussion on the future of music genres between renowned pop culture scholars: Simon Reynolds, the author of eight books about pop culture, music journalist Kieron Tyler, and Kevin Cole, Senior Director of Programming at KEXP.

Laibach’s Ivan Novak, the master of Art, Propaganda and Ideology still manages to thrive using shock and provocation. Novak and film producer Uldis Cekulis will speak about their experience regarding a mysterious chain of events that led them to become the first Western band to officially perform in totalitarian North-Korea.

London’s Night Czar Amy Lamé will roast Estonian politicians’ vision of city development. Finnish songwriter Astrid Swan opens up about how in spite of a cancer diagnosis she managed to continue her creative career.

The sustainability block includes talks on how to change the understanding that progress means more production and how to change the world by changing eating habits.

The TMW Talks are held from 27th March to 1st April in two venues: 17-18 at the TMW pop-up restaurant in Architecture and Design Gallery (Pärnu mnt 6) and 18:30-19:30 at Café Must Puudel (Müürivahe 29).

TMW Talks schedule:

Monday, 27th March:
17:00-18:00 The antiquities of Baltic rock – TMW pop-up (Pärnu maantee 6) (RU)
18:30-19:30 ESTCube presents: Expanding human presence in the Solar System: culture, beauty and sustainability (Müürivahe 20) (ENG)

Tuesday, 28th March
17:00-18:00 Cultural value and waste – TMW pop-up (Pärnu maantee 6) (EST)
18:30-19:30 Telia Talk: Sex & Plants & Rock’n’Roll – Must Puudel (Müürivahe 20) (EST)

Wednesday, 29th March
17:00-18:00 Media of the future/the future of media – TMW pop-up (Pärnu maantee 6) (EST)
18:30-19:30 Planet on the plate – Must Puudel (Müürivahe 20) (ENG)

Thursday, 30th March
17:00-18:00 Who killed genre? – TMW pop-up (Pärnu maantee 6) (ENG)
18:30-19:30 Urban innovators, unite! – Must Puudel (Müürivahe 20) (EST)

Friday, 31th March
17:00-18:00 New dogs, old tricks – TMW pop-up (Pärnu maantee 6) (ENG)
18:30-19:30 Tanz mit Laibach – Must Puudel (Müürivahe 20) (ENG)

Saturday, 1st April
15:30-16.30 Astrid Swan – From the Bed to the Stage – the story of courage and re-invention, rebirth of an artist – Must Puudel (Müürivahe 20) (ENG)
17:00-18:00 24 Hour Party People. Amy Lamé and Estonian politicians’ visions of city development. – TMW pop-up (Pärnu maantee 6) (ENG)
18:30-19:30 Festival –  to be or not to be? – Must Puudel (Müürivahe 20) (ENG)

Schedule and more information about TMW Talks

TMW 2017 festival passes for €60 are on sale at TMW web store.

TMW 2017 delegate passes are available for €295 at TMW web store. Sign up as a delegate and buy your pass. TMW delegate pass grants access to the conference seminars and priority access to the music festival as well as the database of registered contacts.

TMW 2017 Priority Passes are on sale at TMW web store.