The Farewell Falsterbo soundwalk introduces us to teenager Robin in 2100, who’ll be doing a school project about the Year of the Storm back in 2072. She knows nothing about the storm, because her family just don’t talk about it: her grandfather and his sister are still arguing about who’s to blame for what. But as we listen to interviews with relatives and visit Skanör, we follow Robin as she finds out what really happened that night, and what it’s like to be isolated on a peninsula in the middle of a storm. Along the way, we learn about different ways to adapt society and help reduce the damage caused by climate change.

• Why have you created Farewell Falsterbo?

Climate change requires us to make a lot of difficult choices as a society, and we can put things in perspective by telling this story. What’s worth protecting, and at what cost? How do we alleviate death and suffering during the climate crisis? What impact will our decisions have on people and the environment? Both emissions reduction and adaptation to climate change are moving too slowly, and we’re confident that stories like Farewell Falsterbo can engage people, educate them and encourage discussion. 

• What kind of future does the listener encounter?

There are an infinite number of possible futures, and every decision we make today affects the future to come. The listener chooses between two possible futures in Farewell Falsterbo. One involves cooperation, compromise and a high regard for nature and human life. In the other, today’s lines of conflict have become even deeper, resulting in inadequate climate policies. Both stories have the same main characters, but the endings are dramatically different. Farewell Falsterbo isn’t a forecast, it’s an engaging tale where listeners can experience the effects of climate change—and they have to decide whether the methods, solutions and speed are desirable.

• How does the soundwalk work?

Farewell Falsterbo comes in several versions. It’s available in Swedish and English, and you can listen to it either in Skanör or on any beach of your choice. It’s best to listen to the story by the sea, but of course you can listen from home as well. You use your own mobile phone and headphones to listen to it. It can be found in the Climaginaries app. This app is free to download, and it’s available for both Android and iPhone. Make sure your phone is fully charged, put on some comfortable shoes, and then head just north of Skanör Harbor (or any other starting point on a beach) where the story begins.  

• When can we visit?

Farewell Falsterbo will be launched in Skanör on 17 June, but you can enjoy it on site in Skanör (or elsewhere) at any time after that. The launch will be taking place between 12 pm and 7 pm, and researchers from Lund University will be on hand at the start and end of the walk to answer any questions you may have. We highly recommend that you take along a friend and each walk a different scenario so that you have someone to compare notes with afterwards.