Dreambox Collective presented “A Climate of Change: standing with our Pacific Island neighbours”, our first concert of 2022. We were thrilled to partner with the Pacific Climate Warriors to explore the effects of climate change on our planet, with a focus on the Pacific Island region.

In recent decades, climate change has been recognised by the scientific community as one of the great challenges of our generation, as we experience long-term shifts in temperatures and weather patterns across the globe. In Australia, this has been particularly visible, with the flooding in Queensland and New South Wales, and 2019 bushfires serving as a stark reminder that we are seeing the effects of climate change here and now. Our strong connection to land and country means that climate change doesn’t only affect our physical environment, but also our cultural activities, our ability to interact with others, our wellbeing and our day-to-day life.

The recent volcanic activity in Tonga sent a plume of ash soaring into the upper atmosphere and triggered a tsunami that destroyed homes on Tonga’s nearby islands. These events show how vulnerable our Pacific Island neighbours are to the effects of rising sea levels, which are also a consequence of climate change.

As part of the global climate change movement 350.org, the Pacific Climate Warriors are active in fifteen of the Pacific Island Nations and empower young people to take action to protect their islands, cultures and oceans from the effects of climate change. The concert featured musical and visual artworks by Dreambox artists, as well as guest presentations from the Pacific Climate Warriors, to which a portion of ticket proceeds were donated.