Seminars and workshops for art professionals are important activities at Kai Art Center. We offer courses in law, taxation, communications, and marketing, all specially adapted for the cultural field.
ECADC
Education hub at Kai Art Center is run by the Estonian Contemporary Art Development Center (ECADC), which has offered educational programs, international residencies and internships for contemporary art professionals since 2012. Functioning as an umbrella organisation for Estonian partner institutions, ECADC is creating strategic international partnerships in the field of contemporary art. The center values the presence and growth of a well-functioning, professional network that supports the work of artists and curators.
In 2024-2025 ECADC organised the project “Supporting Estonian Art Business”. The project was co-funded by European Union and implemented with support from Estonian Business and Innovation Agency (EIS). The program focused on development programs aimed at strengthening the competitiveness and internationality of art organisations.
ECADC Development programme for art organisations
Participants in the six-month program, targeted at active art enterprises, had the opportunity to update their business plans and create specific plans for launching a new line of activity, under the guidance of professional lectors and mentors. The goal was to support the sustainable operation of art organisations. The training program, running from the end of April to the end of November 2024, was developed in collaboration with the Association of Estonian Art Institutions, consultancy agency Miltton, think tank Creativity Lab, art field expert Maarin Ektermann, and ECADC. It included seminars and workshops by lecturers, and each participant improved their project and ideas under the guidance of a personal mentor. Additionally, interim seminars were planned to help transform the theoretical insight into practical application. Twelve organisations participated in the programme, each striving to strengthen their operations, explore new opportunities and achieve long-term resilience.
ECADC development programme for emerging art initiatives
In the second half of 2024, EACDC, in collaboration with The Association of Estonian Art Institutions and Creativity Lab, organised a four-month development program for emerging art enterprises to support the creation of sustainable art initiatives. Under the guidance of trainers and mentors, participants developed a new business plan or development strategy. The program included interactive sessions, lectures, workshops, seminars and personal mentorships, with a focus on launching and developing an art organisation. Eight participants with development ideas took part of the programme, with the aim to turn their concepts into actionable and sustainable art initiatives.
Shaping Cultural Futures Forum
ECADC in collaboration with the Association of Estonian Art Institutions (KAEL), organised a new international cultural management forum Shaping Cultural Futures. The forum took place on November 4–5 at Kai Art Center, featuring two days of keynotes, discussions, conversations and workshops.
The forum brought together 16 international experts from 6 countries to explore how contemporary art could contribute to building more sustainable, visible, and forward-looking cultural landscapes. Day one was dedicated to keynotes and discussions on culture as strategic soft power, artistic labour as a worthy social investment and art events as platforms for making cities more visible. Day two focused on practical workshops for cultural professionals and organizational leaders, offering tools and insights into: understanding and measuring impact, stakeholder mapping, contemporary revenue models for cultural institutions and understanding audience behaviour.
The full program is available here.
