Acting in Estonia

A while ago we had a post about our music programme. Here is a description of our theathre programme, written by our exchange student Runa from  Switzerland. 

Tere!

I'm Runa from Switzerland, 16 years old and currently living in Tartu for a year. I'm here with the theatre programme YFU offers and here are some thoughts about it.

National Opera "Estonia" in Tallinn

When I first decided to go on an exchange year, I wanted to go to France or French speaking Canada. Due to various reasons that didn't work out and I had to choose a new country. This time language became unimportant as a criteria - as long as it wasn't English. And while reading through the possibilities I stumbled over YFU and their option of different "programmes" during the exchange year. Since my dad is a director I've basically grown up with theatre. I've seen lots of plays and acted myself. I love the stage, watching and being on it.

I wouldn't say the theatre programme was the reason I went to Estonia, I wanted to go somewhere I wouldn't go normally and with these programmes small countries as Estonia just get overlooked because a lot of people don't know anything about it and just skip it for looking at bigger, more known countries. Having this programme made me notice it as a possibility in the first place and I'm not regretting it at all.

I don't have much to compare with but the theatre programme is a bit different from, for example the music

Lydia Koidula (1843-1886), founder of Estonian theatre

programme. I don't study an acting school as such and I don't get to do it every day, but then again, acting isn't the same as music.

In my school we just have drama as a subject for two terms (Estonian school year is divided into five terms), which was great for me coming from a not that big of a town somewhere in the Swiss mountains. I'm also in a small theatre group besides school (where I actually first met my current host family); there I'm currently part of a play - in Estonian which is hard and a completely different experience than acting in my own language but exactly that makes it a great experience. It is  good especially for me because I have been quite lazy in studying Estonian. So I get my share of acting here.

YFU also pays for theatre visits every month so I also end up going to the theatre quite often. Not that I wouldn't do that anyway but my financial means don't go too far. Living in Tartu, going to watch some play isn't a too far trip either (as it usually was at home), so yes, grateful for that. If you ever end up here - go to the theatre, some great stuff on Estonian stages.

In total, I think the theatre (and other) programme is a great opportunity not only for making Estonia even getting noticed (as sad as this sounds, but this small country needs more attention than the rest of the world!) but also makes for a cultural exchange in more than "just" school and family. But (yes there is a but) don't go to Estonia just for the theatre programme. It's not a that a big part of your year. Go to Estonia for an awesome year in a great country with brilliant people and learn this language less than two million people speak. But if you go to Estonia, chose the theatre programme, meet those people through a common interest and learn this lanugage by acting in it.

Runa Wehrli, exchange student in Estonia 14/15