Tartu illustration festival brings European creators together

ERR reports that the Tartu Illustration Festival will take place for the third time at the Aparaaditehas venue in Tartu on September 25 and 26, bringing together professionals and enthusiasts in illustration, design and visual art from Estonia and elsewhere in Europe.

This year’s festival focuses on playful patterns, textures, repetition and rhythm. The programme includes talks, practical workshops and a panel discussion, as well as an international exhibition and an illustrators’ market.

Guests include Finnish pattern designer Lotta Maija, British illustrator and designer Ryan Chapman, Slovenian book illustrator Damijan Stepančič, and Estonian creative director and designer Helene Vetik.

Visitors will be able to try creating a board game using screen printing, take part in speed meetings for writers and illustrators, draw dogs and experiment with collage art inspired by Annelinn.

“Playfulness gives us the opportunity to move beyond familiar solutions and look at illustration from a new angle. TIF 2026 invites people to experiment with materials, techniques and ideas, and to find unexpected connections,” organisers Helena Pass and Liina Lember said.

They said the festival aims to provide a meeting place for everyone interested in visual storytelling, creative experimentation and illustration culture, offering professionals new ideas, students inspiration and hobbyists the chance to try things for themselves.

The programme also includes the international exhibition “Bright Memory”, which brings together classic Estonian illustration and work by contemporary artists from various countries. The exhibition explores the connections between images, memory and visual storytelling, placing illustration in a broader cultural and international context.