Jaanika Juhanson
Jaanika Juhanson (born in 15.06.1977 in Tallinn) is Estonian director, theatre teacher and actor. She works as Performing Arts Lecturer in Department of Performing Arts in Tartu University Viljandi Culture Academy.
Education
Jaanika Juhanson has graduated Secondary School of Keila in 1995. She studied 1983–1995 in Keila Music School, specialty: piano and classical quitar. She has BA in theatre research and Estonian literature from Tartu University (1995–2002, now evaluated as MA). After that she studied one year in Tartu University Viljandi Culture Academy (UTVCA) in specialty of Props Making. She continued in the same school from 2003 in specialty of Directing and graduated 2007. Since 2011 she´s in Doctoral Studies in Tallinn University (specialty of Cultural Studies).
Organizations
She is a member of Estonian Theatre Union (board member from 2015) and in Estonian Directors Union (board member 2012-2015, chairman from 2015). She´s also member of student sorority „Indla“ and Estonian Theatre Research Students´ Union.
Employment and creative life
She worked as press manager and editor in Vanemuine Theatre in Tartu 1998-2001. After that she worked in Viljandi Culture Collage (now UTVCA) as PR-manager and teacher of Media Relations. Afterwards she has been media consultant of different cultural projects.
After graduation of specialty of Directing in UTVCA she worked in Rakvere Theatre as director (2008-2009) and in Von Krahl Theatre as theatre educational manager. 2009–2012 she was Head of Performing Arts Department of Tartu University Viljandi Culture Academy and Programme Manager of Theatre, Dance and Theatre Technical Arts. 2012–2013 she was Programme Manager of Theatre Arts. 2012–2014 and since 2016 she is Performing Arts Lecturer in UTVCA. She has directed many performances as free-lance director in Rakvere Theatre, Ugala Theatre, Estonian Puppet Theatre, Endla Theatre, Kanuti Gildi SAAL etc.
She was founder and Artistic Director of Teatrilabor (Theatre Lab) 2004-2007. She started drama studio in North Estonian Association of Blind and Visually Impaired People in 2013. She is a founder and Artistic Director of first Estonian amateur theatre of blind and visually impaired people – Terateater. She had instructed different amateur theatre groups and held workshops for them.
She has also performed as an actor in some theatre projects, TV and film (Jaan Toomik „Landscape of Many Moons“).
Pedagogical life
She has been teaching in different Estonian universities since 2012 (mainly in UTVCA). Her subjects are: Theatre History, Estonian Theatre History, Media Relations, Directing, Improvisation, Basics of Theatre for Young Audiences, Devised Method. She has held some international workshops in Devised Theatre and Improvisation. She has been instructor for many Seminar and Diploma papers.
Research Themes
Her main interest in BA-studies in Tartu University was semiotic approaches for theatre space.
In her PhD-studies in Tallinn University she concentrates in audio and radio theatre.
Full list of performances:
http://lavastajateliit.ee/ell-nimekiri/liige/jaanika-juhanson/
Portfolio:
http://behance.net/juhanson