Artist uses 600km Arctic journey to inspire theatre on climate change

Bristol-based artist Tom Bailey has completed a 600-kilometer journey across the Arctic borderlands of Norway, Finland, and Sweden, using skis, sleds, foot, and boat. The expedition, titled 'Threshold - A Wild New Border Journey', lasted approximately six weeks and concluded on May 27 at the Stamsund International Theatre Festival. Bailey, who works under the theatre company MECHANIMAL, undertook the journey to immerse himself in a region rapidly changing due to climate change and to explore its implications for local communities and the environment.

Bailey's artistic and political inquiry focused on the accelerating changes in the Arctic, including resource availability, sovereignty questions, and the rights of nature. He questioned whether nature itself should be granted legal standing in decision-making processes for the region. He noted a positive reception to his slower, more engaged approach compared to traditional touring methods.

The journey faced challenges due to an unusually warm spring, which made travel difficult. Bailey often traveled at night when temperatures dropped, and spent significant time melting snow for water. As a UK citizen, he also had to navigate the 90-day Schengen Area limit, which influenced his travel plans.

The experience serves as research for a new performance piece, co-created with designer Natasha Soonchild, which is expected to premiere in 2027, pending funding. Bailey views this approach as a way to fundamentally rethink the relationship between art-making and the natural world, moving beyond simply making work about nature to making work with it.