Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre
The 5th International Ingo Normet Conference
COLLECTIVE ART. TEACHING. TODAY
28–29 November 2026 Tallinn, Great Hall of EAMT
CONFERENCE SPEAKERS
KRISTIAN SMEDS is a Finnish theatre director, playwright and teacher, known for his distinctive, ensemble-based approach to theatre. He was a founding member and Artistic Director of Teatteri Takomo, Director of Kajaani City Theatre and founder of the internationally operating Smeds Ensemble. His productions have been created and presented extensively across Europe, and in 2011 he became the first Nordic theatre director to receive the European Theatre Prize for New Theatrical Realities. From 2018 to 2023, Smeds served as Professor of Acting at the Theatre Academy of the University of the Arts Helsinki. He currently works as a director at the Finnish National Theatre and as a guest professor at the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre. His latest production is “Viidakon villit naiset” for the Main Stage of the Finnish National Theatre.
ANU ALMAGRO (MA, theatre and drama, MA, Acting) and ANU VARIS (DA, theatre and drama) are lecturers in the Degree Programme in Acting of Theatre Academy in University of Arts Helsinki, Finland. In recent years they have conducted initiatives that have connections with sustainable and ethical practices of acting field and education.
KĀRLIS KRŪMIŅŠ is Latvian theatre director, actor, playwright and Associate Professor at the Latvian Academy of Culture, where he heads the BA programme in Dramatic Theatre Acting and the MA specialization in Theatre Directing.
MERLE KARUSOO is an Estonian theatre director, educator, and one of the most important pioneers and practitioners of documentary theatre in Estonia. As significant is also Karusoo’s influence as a theatre pedagogue. She has taught at the department of drama of the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre for decades, with responsibility at the core of her teaching — responsibility towards both the human being and the artist. As early as from 1976, Karusoo has taught numerous generations of actors and directors in Estonia.
GIACOMO VERONESI is an Italian theatre artist and educator whose work explores the relationship between performance, the body, and contemporary society. Through his artistic and pedagogical practice, he has collaborated with diverse theatre communities and contributed to the development of new approaches to performance and actor training. He is a lead teacher on the CPPM course at the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre.
ENE-LIIS SEMPER is an Estonian artist, director, and theatre educator whose work moves freely across the boundaries of visual art, theatre, video, performance, and installation. Together with Tiit Ojasoo, Semper founded and led Theatre NO99, which became one of the most influential and internationally visible theatre companies in Estonia’s recent history. Today, Ene-Liis Semper is a professor and head of the Department of Scenography at the Estonian Academy of Arts.
TIIT OJASOO is an Estonian theatre director, actor, and theatre educator, and one of the most influential figures in contemporary Estonian theatre. Together with artist and scenographer Ene-Liis Semper, he founded and led Theatre NO99, which became internationally known for its bold, experimental productions combining theatre, visual art, performance, and social commentary. He is currently an acting professor of Dramatic Art and instructor of 33rd Class at the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre.
GRETE ARRO is an Estonian educational psychologist and Senior Researcher in Educational Psychology at Tallinn University. Her main research interests include learning and the development of thinking, motivation, self-regulation, the formation of misconceptions, and environmental awareness. Arro is also widely known for her work in science communication and for her active contribution to public discussions on education, helping to make research in the psychology of learning accessible and relevant to teachers and the wider public. In 2022, she received the Estonian Science Communication Award, and in 2023, she was recognised as Lecturer of the Year.
RAIMO ÜLAVERE is an experienced leadership coach and trainer whose work centres on a fundamental question: what enables people to perform at their best under pressure? He works primarily with leaders and teams, combining insights from performance psychology, mental toughness, leadership, and behavioural change.
AAVE HANNUS is a Lecturer in Sport and Performance Psychology at the University of Tartu and a sport psychologist with more than 20 years of practical experience. His particular area of interest is the role of attention and concentration in performance. He has worked with athletes across a wide range of sports and at different levels — in situations where trained skills need to translate into results.
KAIA KASTEPÕLD-TÕRS is a clinical psychologist and psychotherapist, lecturer, and supervisor with an in-depth understanding of the human mind grounded in both theory and extensive practical experience. In her teaching at the Institute of Psychology at the University of Tartu, she combines academic knowledge with first-hand experience of how people think, feel, and act in challenging real-life situations.
ALLAR JÕKS is an Estonian lawyer, attorney-at-law, and former Chancellor of Justice. He has served as a judge in both courts of first and second instance and has chaired the Estonian Association of Judges. From 2001 to 2008, Jõks served as Chancellor of Justice of the Republic of Estonia, focusing on constitutional matters, fundamental rights, and good governance. Since 2009, he has been with the law firm Sorainen, where he currently works as a partner and attorney-at-law.