Full Six-Part Oulujoki Series Released
Video Series Challenges Traditional Cultural Tourism Imagery
The Oulujoki video series is now complete, and all six episodes are available on the Pohjoinen kulttuurivirta (Northern Cultural Stream) channel. In the series, Air Guitar World Champion and international explorer Justin “Nordic Thunder” Howard goes on an adventure across the European Capital of Culture region, Northern Finland, carving out a travel route on the world map that follows the Oulujoki river from Kuhmo to Oulu. This unconventional cultural tourism series is expected to capture people's attention in a fresh way.
“We took great risks in creating this series to showcase this region and we all thought outside of the box. But we all believe in the magic of this region and the fruits she has to offer. It is our hope that everyone who sees this series will take the invitation of self-discovery and come and surrender yourself to the wonder that is the Oulujoki”, says the star of the series, Justin Howard.
The series offers viewers a unique perspective on the Oulujoki region. Through slow travel, art, and culture, it invites the audience on a journey inward as well. While visiting local businesses and exploring the surrounding nature and culture, the series simultaneously immerses viewers in a mythical quest for the Chalice of Word and Poetry.
“The journey to find the Chalice of Word and Poetry along the Oulujoki proved to be more than what I had anticipated. I believe it is in our nature as human beings that we need to find meaning and understanding for our existence. It’s the “chalice” that we are all looking for. This idea can be quite daunting to try and figure out, but again, I think that is our brain’s desire to make something out of nothing. The answers to everything lie right in front of our eyes The meaning of life is what we make of it.”
Justin Howard found answers along the Oulujoki in music, poetry, the sound of the wind in the trees, and the rush of the river as it flows over rocks.
”The answers are in the hands of the women in Sotkamo who knit sweaters, it’s in the soup the women in Suomussalmi make at the Silent People cafe. It’s in the berries you can pick in the forest. It’s in the löyly. It’s inside of you and it’s inside of me.”
The creation of the series launched the Oulujoki Project, bringing together Northern Ostrobothnia and Kainuu in a unique cross-regional collaboration. As a result of the project, a distinctive and appealing cultural tourism route is being built along the Oulujoki River—one that is easily discoverable for travelers and commercially viable for tourism professionals.
The main project developer, the Oulu Cultural Events Association, brings a strong and extensive network of cultural operators to the table, while co-implementers Kajaani University of Applied Sciences and the Kerttu Saalasti Institute at the University of Oulu contribute their expertise in the tourism industry and micro-entrepreneurship. The project has received EU rural development funding from the Economic Development Centre of Northern Finland.
We want to thank all the companies and communities that were involved in the making of the series.
