Slow travel from Finland to Iceland

A photo of a dance and circus artist with blond curly hair hanging from a safety rope, attached to a concrete building, performing against a clear blue sky. The photo is taken from the ground.

Vertical dance workshop, photo by Eliska Adensamova

The dance and circus artist Heidi Miikki received Mobility funding in 2024 for her travel from Finland to Iceland by land and sea – using ferries, trains, buses and carpooling.

Miikki describes: “For me sustainability is very important in everything I do and I plan my work a lot so that I can travel on land and by sea. My work combines environmentalism with arts and I travel slowly avoiding flying because of climate reasons and I hope to inspire people around me. I know one person might not change much, but more is more with climate action and caring about each other. I want to try to live according to regenerative values, stand behind my choices and I’m trying to find the way and balance how to work in the most sustainable way possible. Sustainability is not only about emissions but also global challenges such as climate justice and equality, and about working together towards a better world. I’m privileged to have been able to work and travel like this and I’m not assuming it’s possible for everyone, and many structures are still mostly supporting ‘fast and cheap’ travel.”

Ett foto av en dans- och cirkusartist med blont lockigt hår som hänger i ett säkerhetsrep, fäst vid en betongbyggnad.
Photo: Eliska Adensamova

Although the trip to Iceland took longer than it would have taken if traveling by plane, Miikki describes how the slow traveling way also has a lot of highlights and perks, e.g. meeting new people and having the time to process the journey.

“The trip from Finland to Iceland took several days; only the ferry from Hirtshals in Denmark to Seyđisfjörđur in Iceland takes three days. The journey was beautiful and I had time to process my work and the travel itself. I am used to traveling slowly and I think there are many valuable sides to it. I met a lot of people, had interesting conversations and made some beautiful friendship connections and possible future contacts for work as well. I saw beautiful landscapes and worked a lot on a train, which I call my office. In Iceland I used buses and walked and biked. Of course the trip was long and also tiring, but for me it is worth it.”

Did you get inspired by Heidi Miikki’s example?

Find out more about Mobility funding and our other grant programmes and application deadlines here!

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