Arctic Odyssey is the second part of the Arctic trilogy that the Finnish National Theatre has ordered from Ruska Ensemble. It is an exploration of the lives of the Northern people who open up their hearts to the world.

It offers a unique journey through the landscapes of Greenland’s ice sheet, Siberia’s taiga and the northern fjelds inhabited by the Saami people.

Who are we, inhabitants of the North? What does the world look like from various sides of the Arctic? How do we approach the future and its challenges? And above all: what do the northern peoples from the Alaskan shores to the Kamchatka peninsula have in common?

On stage Chukchi myths mix with Inuit masked dance, Arctic songs with modern Saami poetry, cross-border artists with one another and the performers with the audience. Young artists from different parts of the far North recount their experiences, memories and reflections. The show is a cross between theatrical playfulness and contemporary ritual, the public is welcome to join in.

Arctic Odyssey brings many art forms together. Authentic visual and audio material makes a setting for the performance. Stories, songs, myths and body language meet with the traditional stage art theatre creating something new and unexpected.

Arctic Odyssey had its premiere at the Finnish National Theatre on March 9, 2017 as a part of The Finnish National Theatre's 150th anniversary celebrations. It is produced in collaboration with the Finnish National Theatre and The National Theatre of Greenland. Thus we have a pioneering and unique form of Arctic art collaboration and the aim is to bring the performance back to the regions where it was born. Arctic Odyssey was performed also in Greenland in October 2017, as a part of Nuuk Nordisk Kulturfestival.

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Arctic Odyssey is part of the official programme on the centenary of Finland’s
independence in 2017.

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Arctic Odyssey's production is supported by: