“The Birds and the Bees” was envisaged as a live concert celebrating the diversity of flora and fauna in Australia. Our Dreambox artist team participated in the Aboriginal Cultural Tour at the Sydney Royal Botanic Gardens in January 2020, which formed the central point of inspiration for the project. The recent devastating bushfires in late 2019 prompted us to respond to the experienced collective grief through an exploration of resilience and renewal in nature.

Due to be held in March 2020, the concert had to be radically re-imagined as the world adapted to life during the COVID-19 pandemic. Some pieces had to be removed from the program while others substantially changed form. The works which survived this process were recorded and made available for free on YouTube.

This virtual concert supported Firesticks Alliance. Firesticks provides Indigenous leadership to protect, conserve and enhance cultural values of people and Country through Indigenous fire and land management practices – something that was incredibly important during the time of increased bushfire severity.

You can learn more about the process behind curating and researching for our concert in our interview with local Indigenous guide at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Todd Phillips.