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Brave Hinterland – programme explores the local culture in Northern Finland

Camera Crew filming people talking by a lake

Episode 1: Kuhmo

The first episode of Oulu2026’s Brave Hinterland – programme takes you to the eastern city of Kuhmo, one of 34 Oulu2026 regional partners. Known for its international Kuhmo Chamber Music Festival, the boreal wilderness, timber, and culture, the host Aapo Kukko wanted to sit down with local cultural influencers and policy makers to discuss what is happening in Kuhmo culture scene today.

The episode will be available online on Monday 31st at pohjoinenkulttuurivirta.fi and oulu2026.eu at 12:00 (local time). The city of Kuhmo and Kuhmo Chamber Music will organize a premiere event on Monday 30th at 11:45 (EEST) at the Kuhmo Public Library.  You can also participate to the premiere by watching the episode at home and sharing your thoughts on social media using hashtags #Oulu2026 #Kuhmo #Kuhmofestival #Cultureclimatechange

Last summer Aapo Kukko visited city of Kuhmo to get a sense of the current cultural climate at the eastern border of Europe. The Mayor of Kuhmo Tytti Määttä, the Executive Director of Kuhmo Chamber Music Sari Rusanen, and the founder of the Juminkeko Center  Markku Nieminen sat down in the courtyard of the Chamber Music Center to discuss the role of Kuhmo and its cultural offering to Finland, Europe and the whole world. The discussions are joined by Kuhmo Chamber Music Artistic Directors Minna Pensola and Antti Tikkanen. For a European perspective, Kukko interviews the Dutch trio called Storioni who have visited Kuhmo Chamber Music Festival 14 times over the past years.

The episode offers a taste of the eastern Finnish food culture as Kaesa’s Home Bakery entrepreneur Henriikka Huusko shows the host how the traditional delicacy from Kainuu called “Rönttönen” (pronounced røntːønen) is prepared.

In the next episode, released in November, we dive into the global phenomenon called Air Guitar World Championships and explore the environment of the Oulu river.

For more information please contact:

Hanne Heikkinen
City of Kuhmo
Tel: +358 401563640
hanne.heikkinen@kuhmo.fi

Samu Forsblom
Programme Director
Oulu2026
Tel +358 44 703 7558
samu.forsblom@oulu2026.eu

Brave Hinterland is one of the three Oulu2026 -programme themes. The theme brings to the fore narratives about life and the conditions of life on the periphery, climate change and the Oulu2026 region that Europe has yet to truly discover. Kuhmo’s episode has been written and produced by the Oulu Culture Events Association. The episode was filmed and edited by Saha Prod.