The role of Environmental Action in Addressing Societal Challenges

The experiments of the University of Lapland were conducted in remote Finnish-Swedish Arctic places such as Rovaniemi, Utsjoki, Äkäslompolo across the Finnish-Swedish border, and Kolpeneenpuisto at Salmijärvi. The socially engaged arts actions undertaken by the Lapland team pivots around the role artivist action, underpinned by cultural and place-based identities that nurtures respect for the environment. Our artivist action involved multiple demographics. A common concern was how respect for non-human existence can foster local identities and address societal challenges, such as geographical and social isolation, the impact of industrialisation on fragile ecosystems threatening Indigenous and local communities.