Duration: March 17, 2025 – March 8, 2026

Tadeusz, originally from Kraków, joined Aparaaditehas and spent a year in Tartu, actively contributing to both the community and the organization’s day-to-day operations.

During his time here, Tadeusz worked in the Aparaaditehas office, where he contributed to website development, graphic design, event planning, and other daily tasks.

He was one of the main driving forces behind the Kastanikese community garden, organizing workdays and events and helping to turn the garden into a pleasant and inviting gathering place. In addition, Tadeusz actively engaged with international communities living in Tartu and worked to ensure that more foreigners found their way to the events and activities at Aparaaditehas.

Tadeusz also worked closely with the TYPA Center, helping to organize various events and contributing significantly as a volunteer. He also supported residency artists by introducing them to Tartu and Aparaaditehas and helping them better adapt to the local environment.

Duration: November 1, 2024 – October 31, 2025

Asia contributed to TYPA’s activities already as a local volunteer during her time as an ERASMUS exchange student in Tartu from 2018 to 2019.

She has a background in literature and extensive experience in the arts and culture sector. In her previous work, she was active in the field of museum education, conducting creative workshops for various age groups in both Polish and English. At TYPA, Asia handled daily museum operations, led guided tours, and was actively involved in production, creating notebooks and other products. She contributed to the creation and development of ideas, bringing a lot of freshness and creativity to the organization.

One of her most significant initiatives was the creation of the Scrap Nights series in collaboration with TYPA’s education manager Karoliina. This was a volunteer-driven initiative aimed at reducing waste generated by the museum and engaging the community in creative activities within a friendly and open environment. Scrap Nights quickly became one of the most popular event series at TYPA.

In addition, Asia played a key role in revitalizing the local volunteer community and brought positivity, energy, and a breath of fresh air to the team. Her contribution helped strengthen both the organization’s internal culture and its connection with the community.

Duration: October 3, 2024 – October 3, 2025

When he joined TYPA, Paweł from Gdańsk, already had more than six years of experience as a graphic and typeface designer, having worked both as a freelancer and on various projects, developing brands and visual solutions.

At TYPA, Paweł stood out from day one with his keen interest in the museum’s collections. He actively engaged in researching, sorting, and printing them, thereby delving into their historical context as well.

His contribution became particularly significant when the systematization and mapping of typefaces began—during his time at the museum, Paweł learned programming and built a database from scratch for the typefaces in TYPA’s collections. This work was a significant step toward gaining a better overview of our collection and the Estonian printing landscape. In addition, he led guided tours and contributed his professional knowledge to the organization’s marketing discussions, offering valuable ideas and perspectives.

Duration: April 4, 2024 – February 20, 2025

Julia is from Poland and spent ten months at Aparaaditehas in a variety of roles. Doing guided factory tours, contributing to design work, and helping to organize various events. She also helped develop the organization’s website in English.

Early in her tenure, Julia actively contributed to the preparations for the international Trans Europe Halles conference, supporting the team with organizational and communication-related tasks. Julia was also very active in creating and running workshops and community events. She organized several creative workshops, for example, the “Drink and Abstract” workshop, where participants could experiment with various art forms such as collage, textile art, printing, and abstract painting; Christmas-themed art and craft workshops for both adults and children; and Gutenberg’s birthday crafts, where participants could create cards and objects while contributing to charity in collaboration with Tartu Cat Protection. In addition, Julia participated in community initiatives, such as decorating a Christmas tree with children from the Tartu Children’s Home, helping to create meaningful and inclusive experiences for diverse audiences.

In her activities, she placed great emphasis on community involvement and upcycling, encouraging participants to use leftover materials from Aparaaditehas artists in the workshops and giving them new life through creativity.

Duration: October 21, 2023 – October 20, 2024

TYPA’s volunteer Shabnam is originally from India, where she studied filmmaking and holds a bachelor’s degree in philosophy.

At TYPA, Shabnam focused on social media, capturing the organization’s activities through photos and videos. She documented key projects and processes, including the restoration of a Monotype casting machine. She also wrote an article on this topic, “Fixing the Monotype: Preserving Printing Heritage One Letter at a Time,” which was published in the magazine Pressing Matters, bringing international attention to TYPA’s activities.

In addition, she filmed and edited materials for the Hooandja campaign, conducted interviews, and documented numerous events. She also contributed to the organization and documentation of the AEPM conference and helped secure sponsors. Shabnam also led guided tours and helped convey TYPA’s story to visitors.

Duration: October 3, 2023 – September 30, 2024

Pia from Germany focused on international communication and providing organizational support for events as part of the Tartu 2024 European Capital of Culture program.

During her service, Pia was responsible for hosting international guests, helping to create a smooth and positive experience for partners and participants visiting Tartu. She supported the organization of events of various sizes, contributing to both the preparation and execution. In addition, she actively communicated with international partners and guests, contributing to the smooth flow of cooperation. Her work also included gathering and analyzing information, thereby supporting the planning and development of the program’s activities.

Duration: August 8, 2023 – August 2, 2024

Emma, originally from Ireland, assisted TYPA by assisting guided tours and workshops, supported the preparation and installation of exhibitions, and actively participated in production, including printing tickets, binding notebooks, and making handmade paper. In addition, she led paper painting workshops, introducing participants to the possibilities of combining paper pulp and painting, and encouraging them to experiment with creative uses of the material.

Emma also worked on a long-term personal project that grew out of the skills she acquired during her volunteer service and culminated in the exhibition “Milky Way”, where her works created from paper pulp were exhibited.

Duration: September 12, 2022 – August 12, 2023

Saule from Lithuania, assisted with workshops and guided tours and helped set up exhibitions. She also helped maintain the print studio, organize tools, and supported residency artists in their printing-related activities.

Saule was also actively involved in papermaking and other craft processes and learned various printing techniques. In addition, she contributed to production by creating lovely handmade notebooks and pencil cases.

During her volunteer service, Saule stood out particularly for her positivity and open communication style as her name suggests, she brought a lot of “sunshine,” energy, and warmth to the collective.

Saule writes about her service:
I’m very glad that places such as TYPA exist. There is so much to learn from both the space and the people working there. In my year spent there I was able to put my hands in a field that I am really fond of.

I had a great chance to meet a lot of interesting people starting from people who came to various TYPA’s workshops, museum tours and the artists in residence who come every few months and bring new different energy and share their experiences and unique practices. It was a great experience being part of the team putting up some very beautiful and interesting exhibitions and getting creative about how to do it and do it in time.

I also developed a love for the paper kitchen and I’m glad that I got a chance to learn such a unique thing as handmade paper-making and to have had the space to experiment was a highlight! The time at TYPA was creatively adventurous and with many possibilities to learn and meet creative people in such a funky town as Tartu!

Duration: September 12, 2022 – September 12, 2023

Paola is from Italy and works in the fields of art, education, and public engagement. At Kogo Gallery, Paola focused on organizing public programs and educational activities, conducting English-language gallery tours and art classes. Her work centered on audience engagement and making the exhibition experience accessible to diverse audiences. Later, Paola joined the Tartu 2024 European Capital of Culture team, where she contributed to the organization of the international cultural program and public events.

Paola brought a strong background in art education and experience working with audiences of all ages, helping to create inclusive and internationally open art experiences.

Duration: November 14, 2022 – November 13, 2023

Salome is from Georgia and studied architecture at art academy. During her volunteer service, she divided her time between Aparaaditehas and TYPA, contributing to the work of both organizations and actively engaging with the local community.

Salome’s responsibilities were varied and included a range of activities related to supporting residents. She familiarized herself with different areas of work and helped wherever assistance was needed, contributing to both daily operations and new initiatives.

Duration: February 4, 2022 – December 14, 2022

Julia is a designer and graphic artist from Poland who spent 10 months in Tartu as a volunteer, contributing to the day-to-day work of the TYPA Centre.

Her creative work focuses on letterpress printing and visual experiments with metal and wood printing plates. While in Tartu, she actively worked with TYPA’s archives and collection of matrices, focusing particularly on the diacritical marks of the Estonian alphabet. Her attention was drawn to the dots, lines, and waves in the woodcut letters “Ö” and “Õ”—often hand-carved details that arose from technical printing requirements. This research also gave rise to her exhibition “Dot, Line, Wave”, which treated diacritical marks and punctuation as independent visual characters.

In addition to her artistic research, Julia TYPA contributed to daily production, assisting with printing tasks, including the preparation of the publication Simple Machines, as well as in the production of notebooks and other products.

Duration: September 1, 2021 – August 1, 2022

Anton, who is from France, joined TYPA through the European Solidarity Corps program and came to Estonia because he was already familiar with the country as he has been visiting Estonia since he was 13 years old.

He joined TYPA because he wanted to learn more about traditional printing, bookbinding, and papermaking, and to experience the museum’s day-to-day operations. He was interested in culture more broadly—the traditions of different countries, art history, and the study of cultural phenomena. Anton quickly grew fond of the Fahrenheit 451° book room, which became a true favorite spot for him. He also actively participated in organizing events and exhibitions and occasionally helped lead workshops. An important part of the experience for him was the cultural and creative exchange with the community.

Today, Anton remains an active volunteer at the Fahrenheit 451° book room, occasionally organizes workshops at TYPA, and contributes to the museum’s daily operations.

Duration: January 1, 2021 – December 31, 2021

When Myrsini joined TYPA as a ESC volunteer she was already familiar with Estonia, having lived in Tallinn two years ago as part of the Erasmus program. Recalling her previous experience in Estonia, she mentioned the cold winters, the unique environment, and the beautiful nature. Myrsini studied archival science, library science, and information science in Athens and combined her volunteer work with writing her bachelor’s thesis, which focused on the transformation of museology and museum digital services during and after COVID-19.

At TYPA, she particularly enjoyed meeting people, forming new connections, and exchanging creative ideas. She also helped document what was happening at the center by taking photos of events and exhibition openings. She organized workshops on bubble art, paper mosaics, and paper figures, among other things.

Myrsini concludes her service in the following words:
Coming from sunny Athens, Greece to Estonia was a hard but wonderful journey, because from the first moment I became part of the team. A team that helped me to express my ideas, make them happen and create workshops on my own. Also I had the joy to learn how to use some machines and next to artists assist them and create exhibitions.

I cherish moments of eating together, having sauna moments and parties all together that helped me to understand the culture of Estonia. It was truly an amazing experience and even know I remember all the times with such a joy, especially my favorite thing that was providing tours and meeting new people from around the world.

Duration: January 7, 2022 – November 7, 2022

Before coming to Estonia, Izabella, who is from Hungary, completed an internship in Veszprém, which was the European Capital of Culture (VEB2023) and a sister city of Tartu. She spent 10 months at Tartu 2024, contributing to the foundation’s work and helping to build ties between Tartu and Veszprém. When she started the job, she didn’t know exactly what to expect, but later considered it one of the best decisions of her life.

During her stay, she also wrote her master’s thesis on European Capitals of Culture, examining their economic and tourism-related impacts as well as their broader significance for local communities. At Tartu 2024, she worked as a social media volunteer, where she learned about communication and digital content creation, developing her skills through hands-on work.

Duration: March 1, 2020 – December 31, 2020

Aydan came to TYPA from Turkey, and her favorite activity at TYPA was making handmade notebooks especially those with Renaissance-era paintings on the covers. In addition, she learned various bookbinding techniques and contributed to managing and creating content for TYPA’s Instagram account.

Aydan enjoyed Tartu’s relaxed pace of life, which was a pleasant contrast to the fast-paced rhythm of her hometown, Istanbul. She spent her free time in nature, exploring Tartu by bicycle. At the exhibition held at the end of her activity, Aydan presented her photo project “Memories of Tartu Houses”, which was created in collaboration with foreigners living in Tartu. In the project, she collected various memories and stories from people connected to Tartu’s houses and brought them together through photographs and narratives.

Duration: October 19, 2019 – October 18, 2020

Jelissaveta worked on a project in Tartu that brought together several organizations, with a focus on cooperation and building connections between different institutions. Her main place of work was Tartu Nature House, but during her service she also contributed to the activities of the Tartu 2024 European Capital of Culture team, the Pallas University of Applied Arts and TYPA Centre.

Jelissaveta is originally from Serbia and brought with her an energetic and open-minded attitude, enriching the local community with her international experience and fresh perspectives. Her contributions helped bridge different fields and foster a more diverse and collaborative environment in Tartu.

Duration: July 8, 2020 – July 7, 2021

William arrived in Tartu from southern France and served as a volunteer at the Tartu 2024 European Capital of Culture Foundation.

William chose the Tartu 2024 project because it aligned well with his previous studies and internship experience and offered the opportunity to discover a new country and cultural landscape. Before coming to Estonia, he knew little about the country, but what he experienced on the ground surprised him—especially Tartu’s vibrant cultural life and the large number of museums, which make the city a strong center of knowledge and culture.

He was drawn to the similarities between Tartu and his hometown of Pau, which both are regional centers with a strong identity that aren’t very well known internationally but offer a rich cultural experience.

During his volunteer service, William wanted to gain a deep understanding of Estonian culture and language and develop both his professional and personal skills. For him, this experience was an opportunity to grow, broaden his worldview, and learn new ways of working. William highly valued the Tartu community and the relationships he built here, and considered his time in Estonia a meaningful and inspiring experience.

Duration: December 5, 2020 – June 30, 2021

Juhi is from Mumbai and before coming to Tartu, was pursuing a master’s degree in World Heritage and Cultural Heritage Studies at universities in Germany and Australia. She was particularly interested in intangible cultural heritage and environmental sustainability, which is why she found TYPA to be a good fit for her.

Juhi appreciated TYPA’s community-oriented approach and open attitude toward new ideas, where the museum functions more as a creative and experimental community space than as a traditional institution. Alongside her volunteer work, she was also working on her master’s thesis, and in her free time she enjoyed activities such as crocheting, knitting, and embroidery. At TYPA, Juhi also crafted lightweight and playful origami earrings out of paper, which were later sold in the museum shop.

Duration: February 1, 2020 – August 31, 2020

Leonor, originally from Portugal, had a diverse artistic background as she had experience in drawing, analog photography, printmaking, bookbinding, sculpture, ceramics, and graphic design. At TYPA, she was involved in welcoming visitors, conducting workshops and tours, and creating notebooks.

Leonor’s personal creative practice also became significant. She devoted an entire month to her own project and created “The Press and the P,” an artist’s book inspired by printmaking that playfully explored the possibilities of typesetting and the printing process. She also actively experimented with the typefaces and illustrations found in the TYPA collection, resulting in unique postcard designs. At the heart of her work was the discovery of the art of typesetting – initial complexity gave way to a deep interest and creative freedom, where small elements formed complex patterns and shapes, such as a series of robots.

Duration: January 30, 2019 – September 19, 2019

Roser, originally from Spain, arrived at TYPA from Denmark, where she had been working as an illustrator and contributing to various art projects. At TYPA, Roser handled the museum’s day-to-day operations, helping to lead tours and workshops and enhancing the visitor experience.

Her significant contribution was the development of a more accessible tour format for the visually impaired. Roser brought with her previous experience from Spain, where she had implemented a similar program, and used this to help develop a special museum tour focused on tactile exploration of objects and hands-on experiences. Under her leadership, a one-and-a-half-hour tour was created, which included six different activities and guided participants through the world of paper and printmaking.

Duration: October 31, 2019 – June 29, 2020

Anna arrived from Moscow and worked as a volunteer in Tartu, contributing to the fields of education and youth work. Her main place of work was the Tartu Art School, where she worked with international students, supported teachers, and contributed to the activities of the student council. In addition, she also contributed to the activities of partner organizations, including the TYPA Centre and the Tartu Environmental Education Center.

Her responsibilities included supporting educational and youth work projects, collaborating with various target groups, and actively participating in community activities.

Duration: September 2, 2018 – July 13, 2019

During her time here, Lea, who is from Austria, handled a wide variety of tasks—ranging from making handmade paper and printing to leading tours, preparing exhibitions, and supporting visitors and residents. She also contributed to the museum’s larger projects, such as the production of the book “The Little Prince”, assisting with marbling and bookbinding.

Lea was also active in community and educational activities as she led German-language tours, helped organise events, and shared her experience as a volunteer with young people, introducing them to international opportunities and projects. Her contributions also extended to creative initiatives and together with other volunteers, she helped create a life-size board game for the museum’s anniversary and participated in organizing various events and workshops.

Lea’s dedication and hard work left a strong impression on the entire team—over the course of the year, she contributed over 1,200 hours and learned to use nearly all of the museum’s equipment. To mark the end of her service, she printed posters with wooden letters, which serve as a reminder of her time at TYPA and are still available for purchase in our museum shop.

Duration: February 1, 2018 – November 30, 2018

Lena arrived in Tartu from Serbia in the middle of the museum’s relocation period and spent nearly a year at TYPA.

Her role combined creative work and communication, in addition to the museum’s daily operations, she was actively involved in photography, videography, and social media content creation, helping to document TYPA’s daily life, events, and processes. Lena also contributed to printing, where she experimented with various typefaces, plates, and materials. Her creative experiments resulted in unique tickets, including versions printed on denim.

She also participated in larger projects, including the production process for the book “The Little Prince”, assisting with marbling and binding work alongside other volunteers and team members. Lena’s energetic and open personality brought a lot of energy to the museum—her presence made events more vibrant and left a lasting impression on the entire team.

Duration: September 1, 2017 – August 31, 2018

Mira arrived from Germany and spent a year at the TYPA Centre, joining the team immediately after graduating from high school.

During her tenure, she contributed to the museum’s work in a wide variety of ways—conducting tours and workshops, producing publications and notebooks, and helping to organize public events. In addition, she actively participated in the museum’s development activities and collaborated with the Tartu Art School, engaging young people in creative activities and introducing them to various printmaking techniques.

Although she had no prior experience in the field of printmaking, Mira learned quickly, and by the end of the year she was able to operate various printing presses, lead workshops, and share her knowledge with visitors. For Mira, the most important thing was the opportunity to share her passion for printmaking, papermaking, and bookbinding, while also developing her own ideas and projects in the supportive environment of the museum.

Duration: September 15, 2017 – June 25, 2018

Mona arrived in Tartu from Germany and together with Mira, helped establish closer ties between the museum and the art school, with the aim of providing students with a creative environment where they could experiment, learn, and find new outlets. At the same time, they also supported the museum’s day-to-day operations.

As part of the project, Mona helped bring artists and creative professionals to the Art School’s students, enriching the curriculum with meetings, lectures, and workshops. Mona was also actively involved in the Art School Foundation, documenting and capturing its activities through photography.

Duration: September 5, 2015 – September 4, 2016

Nele worked to develop Tartu’s cultural life and youth engagement, focusing primarily on linking urban space, cultural heritage, and educational activities. Her main task was to promote Tartu’s cultural heritage to various target groups, including young people and international visitors. She worked with mentors on the “A Literary Tour of Tartu” project, helping to identify cultural sites and locations, establish partner networks, prepare workshops, and develop educational materials.

In addition, Nele conducted independent research on Tartu’s cultural history and urban space, participating in guided tours and visiting various museums. As a result of her work, a small guidebook and collection of ideas for visitors to Tartu was also produced.

An important part of her role was also organizing events as she helped carry out both informal community events (dinners, game nights) and more formal art events, such as artist talks, workshops, and exhibitions. She regularly participated in the preparation of various events and supported activities involving young and international artists.

Duration: July 23, 2014 – July 23, 2015

Suzanne arrived from France and worked on international artist residency and cultural programs. Her work encompassed a very wide range of activities: communicating with artists before and after their arrival, planning residencies, organizing exhibitions and public events, conducting workshops, and documenting the entire residency process. She worked closely with both local and international artists, helping them bring their projects to life and present them to the public.

In addition, she contributed to the day-to-day operations of the museum and creative centre supporting event organization, participating in workshops, and helping to maintain an active international creative community.

Duration: September 10, 2013 – August 29, 2014

Vincent’s main responsibilities included engaging with visitors and introducing and promoting the center’s activities and events. He helped create and organize public events, thereby enhancing both the center’s visibility and the visitor experience. In addition, Vincent was responsible for the artist residency program, which welcomed international artists each month to spend a month in a creative environment and create new works. His role involved welcoming the artists, supporting their daily work, and organizing their public presentations (exhibitions, presentations, and events).

Duration: February 1, 2013 – January 31, 2014

James worked on the MYCAT project, which aimed to map and compile a comprehensive database of various cultural actors and initiatives in Estonia at NELK.

His work focused on researching and documenting the activities of Estonian cultural organizations and creative individuals. To this end, he visited various cultural institutions and initiatives, interacted with practitioners, and also hosted them at the Noor-Eesti Loomekeskus. Through the project, James contributed to mapping and raising the visibility of the broader cultural network, establishing connections between different creative fields and organizations in Estonia.

Duration: September 1, 2012 – August 30, 2013

Elise, originally from France, worked on developing the community, art programs, and the museum’s day-to-day operations at NELK.

Her main tasks included strengthening the local volunteer community by bringing together staff, artists, and volunteers through various joint activities—theme nights, international cook-offs, game nights, and other informal gatherings. In addition, she supported the work of local volunteers and helped maintain team spirit, including by baking chocolate cakes as a “motivational” treat.

Secondly, Elise led the Tartu Art Residency (TAiR) program, which brought international artists to the NELK. She was responsible for organizing the residency program, communicating with the artists, preparing for their arrival, and ensuring the smooth daily operation of their accommodation and work arrangements. In addition, she actively participated in the daily activities of the Printing and Paper Museum—conducting workshops, assisting with tours, supporting maintenance and cleaning efforts, and contributing to the development of exhibitions and the visitor experience. An exhibition of her hand-made paper cutouts, titled “Nébuleuses,” was on display in the atrium of the Printing Museum.

Duration: May 1, 2011 – September 1, 2012

Goran from Croatia, spent his first days in Tartu adjusting to both his new environment and Estonia’s “nasty mosquitoes,” but he soon began actively working on printmaking and graphic design projects. Goran participated in the EVS project PAX, which focused on using traditional printing techniques and graphic design to address and visually interpret themes of xenophobia and intolerance in Europe.

As part of the project, he created posters and prints, using artistic expression as a tool against extremism and prejudice. In addition, he developed his printing skills and learned to use traditional techniques. The work took place at the Estonian Printing Museum, where Goran was able to experience both the use of historical printing equipment and its application in a contemporary artistic context.

The final result of the project was a series of posters that were exhibited in both Estonia and Croatia, highlighting the importance of artistic dialogue and intercultural understanding.