FestiSkills Hunters, EU-funded cross-border cooperation between Estonia and Finland

What is FestiSkills Hunters?
FestiSkills Hunters is a Central Baltic Programme 2021–2027 funded project that aims to increase the competitiveness of women aged 40 and over in regions with high unemployment rates, specifically North-East Estonia and South Karelia, Finland, by enhancing the skills of active people in festival and event management. The lead partner of the project is the Peipsi Center for Transboundary Cooperation and the Finnish partner is The Black & White Theatre Association. More information about the project https://ctc.ee/activities-and-projects/running/festiskills-hunters 

 Festivals and cultural events can boost local economies, create job opportunities, and attract tourism, which is crucial for regions struggling with high unemployment and economic decline. By training participants in a field with growth potential, the project aligns with the needs of both regions and helps improve their labor markets.

Where did this idea stem from?
FestiSkills Hunters began as a project to improve employment rates in the border areas mentioned. The common challenge for rural border areas, the Lake Peipsi Region in Estonia, the East, and the Imatra region, is a lack of employment opportunities and difficulties attracting people to the regions. There is a high unemployment rate and limited job opportunities in these areas, which is why it was important to find a way to teach people how to create their own job opportunities. There was also a particularly high unemployment rate among women over 40 during the early phases of the project, so this group was chosen as the target.
There is not as much tourism in the region as there could be. The potential is significant. Adding events, especially cultural events, would certainly increase cultural tourism. We had an expert with over 20 years of experience in event and festival planning from Finland and an extremely experienced project manager from Estonia, so it was only natural to focus on festival and event planning to get employed, since many event organizers are self-employed. So, here you can see the backbone of FestiSkills Hunters evolving. We wanted to convey a project-based work environment, in addition to event organization and project planning.
The idea stems from both parties’ Peipsi Center for Transboundary Cooperation and the The Black & White Theatre Association desire to develop their own regions and create an employable workforce. As an expected outcome of the project, 30 people should have practical skills in festival and event management through an international training and mentorship program.

What are the developments and goals that have been reached so far?
The project is still underway, but the participants have completed the lecture and study parts. They have started mentoring and are actively pursuing and creating their projects. One of the Finnish projects took place in November and is now taking on another event.
The events planned for and with the help of the FestiSkills Hunters programme come from vastly different spheres and may attract tourists with very different interests.
The project has received a lot of positive feedback from participants, especially regarding the quantity and quality of information provided through lectures, seminars, and online resources. The goal of creating 30 women who can now create their own events is well on its way with FestiSkills Hunters.
The project has also received positive attention from the South Karelia region, with many noting the small-town organizations behind such impactful projects.

What can we expect from the future?
The FestiSkills Hunters project has plans to complete the mentor training with the participants, with most having 1-2 mentorings left. Upon completion of the mentorship, the students will have finalized their project drafts or already applied to funding opportunities. In June of 2026, the FestiSkills Hunters program will hold its final training in Viljandi, Estonia, where participants will attend the Hanseatic Days in Viljandi and have the opportunity to observe the event from different focus areas.

More information: https://centralbaltic.eu/project/festiskills-hunters/ 

This article was supported as part of FestiSkills Hunters , an Interreg Central Baltic Programme 2021- 2027 project co-funded by the European Union.