Creative Leap

An opportunity for young people aged 14–26 in Tartu to develop their strengths and discover their creative potential through summer projects.

Subject areas: music, dance, art, performing arts, language, literature, natural sciences, exact sciences, technology, robotics, other general culture (sports are excluded)

Ages 14–26

For young people registered as residents of Tartu who wish to further their personal development.

Creative Grant

Up to 15 projects will be funded in an amount equal to the current minimum monthly wage in Estonia.

Creativity and Development

An opportunity for young people to develop their strengths, discover their creative potential, and put it into practice.

What is a creative leap?

Loomehüpe was created to support young people aged 14–26 living in Tartu who wish to develop their skills and present projects in the fields of natural and exact sciences, music, art, dance, performing arts, language, literature, technology, or other areas of general culture (excluding sports).

The goal of the project is to give young people the opportunity to develop their strengths, discover their creative potential, and put it into practice.

Application

The application period is open from April 27– May 26, 2026.

The 6-week internship will take place from June 15 to July 26, 2026.

Apply via the Tartu City Portal here: https://linnaportaal.tartu.ee/loomehype/ylevaade

Creative Grant

The amount of the creative grant is the minimum monthly wage set by the Government of the Republic (€946 net).

Payment will be made after the internship is completed and the work is finished (within two weeks).

Up to 15 scholarships will be awarded. The following conditions must be met to receive the scholarship:

the requirement to participate in at least 75% of the activities offered to the scholarship recipient as part of the summer internship
completion of the project by the end of the summer internship

Internship Content

Weekly group meetings are held, along with individual counseling
A mentor (a youth worker from the Tartu Youth Work Center) will be available throughout the entire process
An additional mentor, if needed (the young person may choose one themselves, or one may be found through collaboration)
The focus is on the schedule, goals, work process, feedback, and completion of the project
Public presentation of your work, if desired

Which projects have received support?

Creative Leap 2025 lasted a total of six weeks and took place between July 21 and September 1. Each week included one group meeting and individual consultations, which helped achieve the project's goals (staying on schedule, reviewing weekly action plans, clarifying objectives, creating a learning environment, providing support and information, collaborative planning, feedback, etc.).

The Creative Leap mentor for the summer of 2025 was Sam Schmidt (SÄM).

Project – Illustrated prose work “City Full of Emptiness”

The aim of the project is to print and publish a unique illustrated prose work titled “City Full of Emptiness,” which addresses profound philosophical themes and represents the experiences of young people and LGBT+ members.

Project author Heliise Doris Teekivi

Project – Short film

A short film that tells a couple of stories, conveys a youthful feeling, and creates hope through unique characters and sweet dialogue. Film synopsis: A group of young people spend four days in a cottage in a small village during the last month of their summer vacation. Away from the city noise, they listen more to themselves and others, and talk about the worries that are truly on their minds.

With the completed film, it is also planned to apply to film festivals.

Project author Aleksander Erik

Project – Children's book

The aim of the project is to create a short children's book, 5-7 chapters long, to develop text creation skills and creativity. It also aims to encourage stepping out of one's comfort zone.

Project author Brittany Otti

Project – Song creation

The aim of the project is to create a complete original story and develop oneself as a songwriter and creator. It also aims to collaborate and build connections with people working in the music industry.

Project author Stella Seim

Project – Building a CNC milling machine

The aim of the project is to build a CNC milling machine for milling wood. It should be at least a three-axis milling machine with a cutting surface area of at least 25x25cm.

Project author Mart Väljamäe

In the summer of 2024, a creative summer internship format was piloted for the first time, targeting young people aged 16-26 who wished to develop themselves and create projects in various fields of hobby education over six weeks. The scholarship recipients began their meetings in the last week of June, and with the help of mentor Sam Schmidt, they focused on project development over the following six weeks.

Stella Seim, Sandra-Merys Tasa, Paul Piirimäe, Aleksander Erik, Liisa Nurme, Alice, Mart Väljamäe, Aurora Mikk, Hedi Lii Riives, Anneli Metsoja participated in the summer internship.