Baltic Circle Festival Restores Wetlands in Ähtäri
In 2020, the Baltic Circle theatre festival launched the Wild Trippers project, which addresses the climate crisis through both performing arts and ecological restoration.
As part of the Wild Trippers project, Baltic Circle collaborates with the cooperative Lumimuutos. The joint effort focuses on restoring wetlands at Oravasuo in Ähtäri and in the Siltaneva and Rasinneva areas of Southern Ostrobothnia. The goal is to establish new cultural practices based on sustainability and community.
In November 2021, the festival organized a public event on the wetlands to introduce visitors to the peatland environment and Finnish land use policy. In September 2022, Baltic Circle and Lumimuutos began restoration work at Siltaneva and Rasinneva through community-led volunteer efforts, which continued in 2023 and 2024. The project takes an experiential and holistic approach, emphasizing a shift in environmental relationships and practices.
The Wild Trippers initiative contributes to combating the climate crisis and promoting sustainable development through both artistic and hands-on actions. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has stated that culture and the arts are key in disseminating climate knowledge, as they reach broad audiences and can communicate research in an accessible way. Baltic Circle does not believe in quick fixes like carbon offsetting or the digitization of theatre; instead, it aims to create a new culture rooted in sustainability.
The project has been funded by Lumimuutos since 2021 and the Nordic Culture Fund since 2022. It continues as part of Baltic Circle’s broader mission to connect art and societal impact.