Narva, a city in northeastern Estonia with a predominantly Russian-speaking population, has a unique culture and distinct traditions. However, the community has faced marginalisation due to Estonian language policies and an economic situation that has many residents struggling. Despite these challenges, the community remains resilient, contributing to the Estonian’s cultural fabric. Efforts to promote understanding and dialogue between the two communities are ongoing. Overall, promoting inclusivity and harmony is crucial for Narva’s future.
Narva mediaLAB – a community based project organised by femLENS with the support of the German Embassy in Tallinn, Estonia. Running from 2021 to 2024, the project addressed media literacy and media production gaps in Narva and across the Ida-Virumaa region of Estonia. It provided access to different generations to knowledge on visual literacy, media production technologies, media analysis, and community media practices through workshops, seminars, discussions, research projects, exhibitions, and hands-on activities. Its goal was to diversify the media and education landscape in Narva and strengthen civil society engagement with contemporary issues.
The project targeted a broad range of participants, including seniors, youth, women, and other community members interested in developing skills in media production and literacy. By creating spaces for shared learning, the mediaLAB empowered these groups to produce their own media, exhibitions, zines, and film screenings, and to engage in discussions and collaborative work around media and local issues.
Collaboration with local organisations was a central part of the project. Narva mediaLAB worked with the Narva Art School, Likool Language School, Narva Art Residency (NART), SillArt, Kohtla-Järve Adult School, and other community organisations, ensuring that activities were rooted in local networks and reached diverse audiences across the region.
Over the course of three years, the project organised numerous photo exhibitions featuring both local and international photographers. Together with community members, three issues of the FACTURA zine were produced, exploring Narva’s history, its residents, and wider themes relevant to the town. The project also supported the creation of more than seven books based on family archives of residents of Ida-Virumaa, preserving and celebrating local heritage. In its final year, the mediaLAB brought together diverse community contributions in a recipe book showcasing the food traditions of different ethnic groups living in the region.
In addition to these publications, the mediaLAB hosted film screenings and discussions, media analysis seminars, zine-making workshops, meetings with local journalists, and training on documentary photography and basic technology skills. A dedicated photo project, Humans of Narva, further highlighted the voices and faces of local residents.
By its final year, the mediaLAB had successfully expanded its activities into other towns of Ida-Virumaa county, reaching new communities in Sillamäe and Kohtla-Järve.
The outcomes of the project included the publication of FACTURA zine, the development of archival and community-based books, expanded opportunities for local and international exhibitions, and the establishment of a collaborative space where local creatives could engage with meaningful projects. Above all, the Narva mediaLAB empowered members of the Ida-Virumaa community with media literacy and production skills, fostered civil society engagement, and helped safeguard local culture and heritage.
