September at Aparaaditehas: an Art Installation, a Drag Show, a Club Night And an Illustration Festival

This Friday, 4 September, Trevor Kinna and Silver Tsäko’s site-specific installation “äftekas” opens in the White Greenhouse at Aparaaditehas. The installation explores and reflects on different aspects of nightlife culture. The opening takes place at 19:00, and the installation will remain on view until 24 September.

The same evening also marks the grand finale of “Kuradisilla Kolledž”, a summer project by drag collective House of Kuko. Throughout the summer, participants have learned how to find and develop their drag characters, explored the fundamentals of drag makeup and costume, and picked up tips and tricks for performing on stage. Now it’s time to put everything they’ve learned to the test in front of an audience: the Kuradisilla Kolledž graduation party takes place at Armastuse Hall on 4 September, with a new generation of rising drag stars taking to the stage.

For the first time this year, the Culture Platform also featured a dedicated open call for party organisers. The result can be experienced on 11 September with Signaal X Aparaaditehas – a club night where sound and space evolve as one.

For one night, the concrete surroundings of Aparaaditehas will be transformed by organic structures designed to blur the line between the natural and the mechanical. Throughout the night, shades of dub and electro will intertwine, courtesy of a carefully curated lineup of DJs from Estonia and abroad. With a focus on movement rather than genre, Signaal will shift and pulse throughout the night, keeping the dance floor in constant motion.

Also worth a special mention in September’s programme is a Culture Platform alum – Tartu Illustration Festival TIF. Returning to Aparaaditehas for the third time on 25–26 September, the festival will be bigger than ever, with two full days of activities to explore around the factory. Alongside workshops and talks, the programme will once again feature the illustration market, which has already become a festival tradition.

Aparaaditehas Culture Platform is an open call that gives young and emerging artists and cultural organisers the opportunity to bring their ideas to life at Aparaaditehas. The platform aims to create space for new initiatives, experimentation and collaboration, while bringing fresh cultural events and formats to the factory.