“Aigu Om” means - there is time, take your time! This idea, which has become the motto of Võru region, is the festival's core message, encouraging its audience to embrace a slower and more nature-connected way of life. The festival in Võrumaa brings together music, the forest, and words. Aigu Om workshops, contemplations, concerts, and hikes offer an opportunity to immerse in the rich local cultural heritage, the knowledge and stories of the local people, and the enchanting nature of Võrumaa.
2024 is going to be special because the Aigu Om Japanese edition is taking place. The program focuses on two distant yet somehow connected cultural spheres - Estonia and Japan. Hardworking and nature-loving Japanese guests will explore the mysterious connections between Estonia and Japan and ways to ground themselves and experience a more nature-connected life. In 2024, Aigu Om will host forest practitioners, botanists, musicians, and producers from Japan. You can enjoy the true cultural highlights of both countries, from forest contemplation practices to smoke saunas, and witness collaborative works by representatives of both cultural spheres. An original musical composition born from Japanese-Estonian collaboration will have its premiere, and the forest thinkers of both countries will meet in the nature of Võrumaa.
The festival's venues in 2024 will locate in different municipalities in Võrumaa, including Rõuge, Võru, and Antsla. At the Hundiallika Center, you can try your hand at creating traditional food or collecting medicinal herbs. The food culture will explore exciting intersections between Japanese and Estonian cuisine. Traditional Aigu Om activities, such as traditional fishing with the kuurits fishing tool on Lake Viitina, outdoor cinema, local cafes, and workshops by local artisans, will also be featured. Of course, saunas are a must, and throughout the festival, you can reserve a visit to an authentic Võrumaa smoke sauna, a tradition recognized by UNESCO as part of the world heritage. And, naturally, the festival wouldn't be complete without "molutamine," the famous art of doing nothing, which is actually included in the program.
Aigu Om is part of the main program of European Capital of Culture Tartu 2024.
The festival will feature forest experts Yutaka Miura (JP), Daizaburo Sakamoto (JP), Kou Koiwa (JP), Valdur Mikita (EST), Ants Tammik (EST), musicians Ryota Nozaki (aka Jazztronik), Kotaro Saito (JP), Arata Inoue (JP), Mari Kalkun (EST), and many others.
