Youth-created murals spark conversations on peace in Tallinn

Three new murals are opened today in Kadriorg, Tallinn, raising the importance of peace and dialogue in public space. Each mural comes with accompanying teaching methods, inviting youth workers and teachers to take their youth out to the city.

The concepts for the murals in Kadriorg were developed by young people from Tallinn this summer at peace education camps, working together with street artists Maku, Minty Shrimp and Grosheva Art.

“Murals created together with young people are unique in the sense that, as far as we know, street art has never been used so thoroughly as an outdoor learning method in Estonia. Each work has a QR code linking to three peace education methods, so that it’s as easy as possible for teachers and youth workers to work with students in the urban space in an effective and purposeful way,” says Velli Racioppi, Mondo’s Global Education project manager. The methods are well suited for combining with other subjects, to address topics like bullying prevention or to discuss peace.

“PeaceAct shows what can happen when young people are given the opportunity to take the initiative and shape the world around them. By bringing young artists and young people together, the project created a space where creativity became a tool for participation, dialogue and action. The murals are not simply artworks created for young people, but the result of young people working together, sharing ideas and turning their perspectives into something visible in our community,” says Olalla González, Project and Communication Manager of Shokkin Group, the organisation that led the creation of the street art works.

The murals are located at A. Weizenbergi 7, J. Poska 36c and Maneeži 5, and will be opened today at 5 p.m. At the opening, the artists and young people will share the story behind the works, interactive methods that can be used in youth work will be tried out, and a short walk through Kadriorg will take place to see all three murals.

The street art works were created under the leadership of Shokkin Group as part of Mondo’s PeaceAct project, which aims to promote peace education in Estonia. The project is co-funded by the European Union and implemented together with the Estonian National Agency.

See Mondo’s educational materials on peace education at Maailmakool.ee.