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From 16–22 August, Music Estonia, with the support of UNESCO City of Music Tallinn, brought together a delegation of Estonian music professionals for a week of meetings, conversations, performances, conferences and cultural exchange in London, Ontario, and Toronto. The mission was built around a simple idea: international music cooperation works best when we create real relationships between people, organisations and cities. The delegation included Eric Kammiste from kurvad uudised records, Avely Tamm from MYM, Mihkel Mäekalle running his booking agency Breakdealer and Tanya Korenika from U.C.E. Agency. The delegation was coordinated by Greete Paršin. “International musical cooperation works best when we build genuine relationships between people, organizations, and cities,” says Greete Paršin, Project Manager at Music Estonia and head of the delegation.

“Music Estonia’s Canada contact trip provided a valuable opportunity to gain first-hand insight into the diverse and highly regional Canadian music market and to build meaningful professional connections. Canadian music professionals are very open to international cooperation and different forms of collaboration. The similarities between the alternative music sector and the Baltic market create strong opportunities for cooperation, and the trip also generated new ideas and concrete opportunities for the artists I work with,” says Tanya Korenika from U.C.E. Agency.

The trip connected two very different but closely linked music ecosystems. London, Ontario, is part of the UNESCO Creative Cities Network as a City of Music, making it a natural partner for Tallinn and an opportunity to explore how another UNESCO Music City builds its ecosystem, supports artists and connects music with the wider life of the city. Toronto, meanwhile, offered a much larger and exceptionally diverse music market, as well as an important connection to the Estonian diaspora through the newly opened KESKUS – International Estonian Centre.

For Music Estonia, the mission was also about opening doors for Estonian artists and music companies in North America: finding potential partners, understanding the Canadian market, exchanging knowledge and creating the relationships that can eventually lead to concerts, collaborations, exports and new audiences. Canada had already been identified as an important strategic market for Music Estonia’s international activity. Earlier in the year, we participated in the European Music Exporters Exchange mission to Toronto and Montréal, meeting labels, managers, booking agents, publishers, festivals, venues and other music professionals. The August visit allowed us to build on those first connections and deepen our understanding of the Canadian music landscape.

In London, the delegation had the opportunity to look closely at the city’s music ecosystem and meet the people who help shape it. The programme included meetings with Tourism London, visits and tours connected with the London Music Hall and Century Building, and conversations with Home County and London Live, alongside encounters with venues and organisations working across the live music sector. Visits to places such as Aeolian Hall, Rum Runners and the Hard Rock Hotel gave us a closer look at London’s music infrastructure and the different spaces in which its music community comes together. At the same time, these meetings were an opportunity to introduce our own way of working and the people behind Estonia’s music sector, creating a two-way exchange rather than simply observing another city’s model.

If London gave us the chance to explore the ecosystem of a UNESCO City of Music at close range, Toronto brought us into a much larger and more internationally connected market. Toronto is one of North America’s most multicultural and internationally connected music centres, but for an Estonian delegation, the city has another particularly important dimension: it is home to a longstanding and active Estonian community.

That made the opening of KESKUS – International Estonian Centre especially significant. The new centre is much more than a building; its opening represents a new chapter for the Estonian community in Canada, creating a place where culture, language, history, creativity and community can meet. The KESKfEST programme in August brought together music, theatre, film, design, conferences and other cultural activities to celebrate the opening and the richness of Estonian culture in Canada. 

Another important part of the Toronto programme was the Nordic Connect Conference (NCC), organised by VEMU. We were met with additional members of the Estonian delegation: Paap Uspenski, the organiser of I Land Sound festival, programmers Gordelia Miländer for Paavli Culture Factory and Eeva Trei for venue Philly Joe’s and Margit Kuhi from Estonian Traditional Music Center. The conference brought together artists, music professionals, cultural organisations and creative leaders from Estonia, Canada and beyond, creating a space for both practical exchange and new connections. The programme included B2B speed meetings, discussions on Canadian export funding, a session on Canadian music media and a conversation about the live music landscape in Canada. We also presented Live Music in Estonia, giving us an opportunity to turn the perspective around and introduce our own ecosystem, artists and working practices to Canadian colleagues.

Across London and Toronto, the week offered different perspectives on what it means to build a sustainable and internationally connected music ecosystem. From the local networks of a UNESCO City of Music to the scale and diversity of Toronto’s music market, the programme created opportunities to listen, learn and share. Most importantly, it brought people together. The connections made during the week are the foundation on which future collaborations can grow — whether through artists performing in new markets, music companies finding international partners, organisations exchanging knowledge, or cities continuing to build relationships through culture.

The trip was supported by Tallinn UNESCO City of Music.