In the Luova Lämpiö initiative, art is used in everyday corporate settings to ease tensions and support change. Ilmatar, in turn, wanted to deepen its understanding of what influences local trust and how constructive interaction can be strengthened during project development. Ilmatar’s value of “kasvollisuus” — showing up as ourselves and meeting people face to face in their local environment — inspired us to take part in this creative collaboration. The experiment focused on Ilmatar’s Löytösuo wind power project, located east of the project area near the village of Vuolijoki in the city of Kajaani. The project is planned to include up to 27 turbines.
A workshop led by artists opened a new space for dialogue
The workshop, organised ahead of the official public meeting, brought around twenty participants to Vuolijoki’s Pankkitalo. Three artists, who had familiarised themselves with the village and its surroundings beforehand, facilitated the session. Their aim was to create a safe space where residents could share their views with neutral facilitators.
Participants marked important places on a map and wrote down Vuolijoki’s strengths and their thoughts and concerns related to wind power. These reflections formed the basis for a joint discussion that remained constructive despite clear differences in opinion.
“We served as a neutral intermediary layer through which participants’ thoughts and experiences could be expressed without the need to address them directly to the project developer. Because we do not represent any position or stakeholder, the conversation can be open and grounded in personal history. Writing, drawing and free discussion create space for stories. In our experience, this encourages people to speak openly and express emotions, doubts and personal perspectives,” says Anniina Toiviainen from Luova Lämpiö. “It is wonderful to hear the stories and histories that reflect local pride and show why Vuolijoki is such a vibrant and increasingly international community.”
Several participants highlighted that Vuolijoki is a close-knit and active village with a strong sense of community — which is exactly why the large number of planned wind power projects in the area evokes emotions and concern. The production of clean energy itself is considered a positive thing, as electricity is needed now and in the future.
The creative workshop helped ease tensions before the public meeting
After the workshop, the city held an official public meeting where residents, city representatives, Ilmatar and the consulting company took part in a discussion following the presentations. The atmosphere remained calm, and even critical remarks were expressed constructively.
“There are existing wind farms in nearby Pyhäntä and Vaala, and several new projects are planned within Kajaani’s city limits, which naturally creates uncertainty. We believe the workshop played a role in ensuring that the discussion at the public meeting remained positive,” say Inka Hirvonen, Timo Laitinen and Lauri Vierto from Ilmatar’s project development team.
The Luova Lämpiö experiment reinforced the understanding that social acceptance is not built on facts alone, but on encounters and the experience of being heard. Art can offer a way to build bridges in situations where traditional dialogue does not always find a smooth path forward.
