The Tallinn City Government is preparing to consolidate the management of the Tallinn Creative Hub, Salme Cultural Center, and Vene Cultural Center under a single administration. As part of this restructuring, St. Catherine’s Church—a renowned venue for cultural events—will also be integrated into the new structure. The planned merger is set to take place during the summer, between cultural seasons.
According to Deputy Mayor Kaarel Oja, discussions about reorganizing Tallinn’s cultural centers and modernizing their services have been ongoing, and the need for change is outlined in the city’s development strategy. “Since autumn, we have been seriously considering different options. We believe that cultural centers should play a much larger role in shaping Tallinn’s cultural events calendar and its diversity. Our direction is to focus less on organizing events ourselves and more on hosting events and supporting external organizers,” Oja explained. “Tallinn Creative Hub is a great example of how to do this effectively while also ensuring financial sustainability.”
The merger of the cultural centers aims to optimize resources and improve the utilization of available venues and facilities. In the long run, this integration will reduce the need for city funding while increasing potential revenue from self-generated income.
“All the great and important activities currently taking place in these centers will continue,” Oja assured. “With centralized management and curation, we can bring a more diverse range of events to all of these venues and become a better partner for professional event organizers. We also recognize that both Salme and the Vene Cultural Center serve important additional functions—Salme plays a key role in the Põhja-Tallinn community, while the Vene Cultural Center hosts a significant number of extracurricular activities. Our goal is not to discontinue any of these activities but rather to streamline and clarify the city’s role in them if needed,” Oja said.
Tallinn Creative Hub offers 16 industrial-style event spaces for conferences, concerts, trade fairs, theater performances, exhibitions, seminars, and festivals. It has a total capacity of 1,600 guests and hosts approximately 300 events annually. Salme Cultural Center has served as Tallinn City Theater’s temporary home for the past four years, but this arrangement will end in May. From autumn, the center’s two black box theater halls will be leased by Vaba Lava. Vene Cultural Center is home to one of the largest theater halls in Tallinn, accommodating over 830 spectators. St. Catherine’s Church is a highly sought-after venue for events with up to 200 attendees. While demand is already high, the city sees even greater potential for its use.
Salme Cultural Center and Vene Cultural Center currently operate as municipal institutions, while Tallinn Creative Hub functions as a foundation established by the city. “From a legal standpoint, merging the two municipal institutions into the foundation is the most appropriate approach, as it provides more flexibility for the future,” explained Oja.
The City Government made the initial decision to proceed with the merger on January 20. Over the coming months, the city will continue with the necessary legal and administrative preparations. The centers will complete their current cultural season separately, and the formal merger is expected to take place at the beginning of summer. As part of the reorganization, the name of the Vene Cultural Center will be changed, in accordance with the city government’s coalition agreement.
The Mustamäe Cultural Center Kaja, Lindakivi Cultural Center, and Nõmme Cultural Center will continue to operate as independent institutions under their respective district governments.
Source: tallinn.ee