KOHILA INTERNATIONAL CERAMICS SYMPOSIUM 2014

June 29th – July 20th 2014

1. The symposium starts with a festive dinner on Sunday, June the 29th. So we expect you to arrive during this date. Specially before 18.00 (6.pm), to reach to the opening dinner  in time. You are also welcome to arrive earlier and stay couple of days in Tallinn. 
If you arrive before June 29th, and you let us know in a good time, we can arrange a place to stay over night for a reasonable price, which you have to pay yourself.
2. The symposium takes place in Tohisoo manor, which is used as an educational center now, in Kohila village. The official name of the place is:
   Kohila Educational Center in Tohisoo Manor,
   postal address: Viljandi mnt 37
                                      Kohila 79804
                           Raplamaa (Rapla County)
                                      Estonia
  Phone/fax: +372 4833887
  info@tohisoo.edu.ee
  www.tohisoo.edu.ee  - NB! The web page is only in Estonian.
     
  Kohila is a small village, about 30 km from our capital Tallinn.
  You do not need to worry about getting to Kohila - we´ll pick up 
  every  participant from the arrival place (airport, harbour, bus    
  station  etc..) in Tallinn. 

We just need to know the exact time and place of your arrival, the  flight number, port terminal etc...

3. The participation fee in 2014 is 400 EUR and it covers 100 kg of clay, some local glazes, firings, meals and accommodation. The pre-payment, 100 EUR should be transferred to the bank account of the Estonian Ceramists Association latest two month before the symposium starts (May 1st  2013). If you cancel your participation less than two months before the symposium, the pre-payment will not be returned. The rest of the participation fee can be transferred to the bank account or payed in cash after your arrival.
The costs of returning the pre-payment are payed by the applicant. The bank information will be sent separately to every participant after confirming the participation. 
4. We´ll have two firings in our anagama-type woodfire kiln and one firing in the bourry-box kiln during the symposium.Everybody gets 100 kg of heavy grogged clay and we expect you to create some bigger sculptures or sculptural compositions. At least one of your works has to stay in Kohila and will be a part of the collection of the Estonian Ceramists Association. The work for the collection will be chosen out by consensus between the participant and the organisers. 
We’d appreciate very much if you find a possibility to make also some smaller pieces for the sponsors. Besides stoneware clay there are some local clay-based glazes available.
NB! Any other special materials are not included in the participation fee and should be payed separately by the particpants. As most of the dealers of ceramic materials have vaccations in July, the organisers need to know the possible order earlier otherwise we cannot gurantee the shipment of the ordered materials during the symposium.
There's a possibility to use an electric kiln for the bisque firing. 
Please, bring along your favourite personal tools. There are several studios in the basement of the manor house, 2 or maximum 3 persons have to share one studio. There’s a slab roller and two electric wheels for the participants use which will be shared friendly by all participants.
As the heart of the symposium is our woodfire kiln, we expect every participant to share equally the pleasure and the pain of the firings – to share the shifts during  firings and to cut the firewood.    
5. Every participant has to prepare a presentation on CD or memory stick of his/her works and about the culture and country where he/she comes from. The booklets and catalogues are also welcome, if you find a  possibility to take it along. The presentations take place during the symposium in the evenings and are opened to the guests. Participants from the same country can join for a „national“ evening, preparing some national food etc...
6. Accommodation. There are mainly double rooms in the manorhouse in Kohila. The bathrooms and showers are situated separately, in the corridor and in the cellar of the manorhouse - you have to share with others. 
There`s also a sauna in the building. Sauna once a week is included in the participation fee, if you need more, it has to be payed separately.
Changing bedlinen once a week and laundry is included in the participation fee.
There is a computer for the common use in the manor house, but also WiFi, so you are welcome to bring along your own laptop.
7. Meals. Three meals per day, prepared in the manorhouse kitchen, are included in the participation fee. If you are a vegetarian or allergic to some kind of food, please, inform us before your arrival.
8. Weather conditions and leisure activities.
As the climate is pretty cool in Estonia ( in July normally +20˚ to + 25˚ C), and making weather forecasts is an ungrateful job in here, we suggest you take along both warmer clothes and swimming costumes. Also sporty shoes for the hiking tours and something against rain. There’s a possibility for swimming and canooing in the local river just behind the manor house. Couple of bicycles are free to use for the participants.
7. Visitors. We suggest not to invite any personal guests for a longer period. There are limited possibilities in the manor house to stay over night and it might disturb the other participants. Shorter visits are welcome, if the participant takes care, that all the costs bound up with the visitors – staying over night, meals – will be payed before the guest leaves.
8. In the end of the symposium all participants take care of cleaning the studios and preparing firewood for the next firing.
There are couple of free days for the sightseeings until the kiln cools down. On Saturday, July 19th at 15.00 ( 3 pm) there will be the open air exhibition of the works made during the symposium, the closing ceremony of the symposium, a concert and a party.
All participants leave Kohila during Sunday, July 20th. As well as at arrivals, we take care of your departures.
To enjoy the party, please, make sure, that your flight back is not earlier than  at  13.00 (1.00 p.m.) on Sunday.

Take along good mood and positive attitude – we need you and your experience to create a good symposium. In return you get inspiration, lots of new friends, fresh creative ideas and beautiful memories of this event.

   Contact person for the participants:
   Kylli Kõiv
   +372 56636895
   kohilasymposium@gmail.com