Ott Karulin will be Director of the University of Tartu Viljandi Culture Academy

Today, on 30 May, the University of Tartu senate elected Ott Karulin as the new Director of the UT Viljandi Culture Academy.

The chair of the expert committee and Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Humanities, Anti Selart, said that Karulin stood out for his knowledge about the functioning of the Viljandi Culture Academy. He also has an excellent sense of the choices facing the academy. “The development path he proposed was the most specific, with a clear action plan and taking into account the current challenges of the academy,” said Selart.

Ott Karulin said that the Viljandi Culture Academy is currently in an excellent state. “However, I see room for greater ambition, so the academy would continue to appreciate and teach high-level craftsmanship, while remaining academically visible in Estonia.” He also considers it essential to create flexible learning paths, and support students and lecturers so they would gain the best experience from the academy.

Ott Karulin has been a visiting lecturer at the culture academy since 2013, and has worked as the Head of Public Governance in the Ministry of Finance since 2024. He is a member of the supervisory boards of several theatres. Previously, he has been an adviser to the Government Office’s Strategy Unit and a member of the dramatic arts endowment panel of the Cultural Endowment of Estonia. In addition, he has worked as editor-in-chief for the cultural newspaper Sirp and participated in the strategic development of cultural policy in the Ministry of Culture. Karulin has published numerous research articles and more than 250 theatre reviews. He holds a doctoral degree in theatre research from the University of Tartu.

The elections were regular, as the term of office of the previous director was due to run until the spring of 2025.

Ott Karulin will start his five-year term of office as the Director on 1 August.