In mid-March, members of the multimedia ensemble Small Island Big Song took the stage at the Modlin Center for the Arts. As the musicians from New Zealand, Malaysia, Taiwan, Australia, Madagascar, Easter Island, Solomon Islands, Mauritius, and Papua New Guinea came together, a blend of sounds and languages filled the room.

The performance was interspersed with personal stories of their island homelands and cultures — and of the rising sea levels that are slowly endangering them.

“People from island countries are often viewed as victims because climate change is such a big issue,” says BaoBao Chen, one of the group’s co-founders. “But at the same time, we like to celebrate the culture and music, which is still very strong.”

Their tour is more than a sequence of performances. Many stops include a multiday residency where the group engages with students in a series of events about sustainability and climate change.

At Richmond, members of Small Island Big Sound hosted a musical instrument-making workshop using upcycled materials. Then they participated in a panel discussion on artists and youth as climate activists moderated by Mary Finley-Brook, associate professor of Geography and the Environment, and students in her Introduction to Sustainability course. The course,  new this semester,  is rooted in community engagement and personal growth. 

“You can’t learn about sustainability from a book,” Finley-Brook says. “It’s not something that can be done superficially, or lightly, or out of context. There has to be an understanding that sustainability is in everything you do.”

The panel discussion arose after Finley-Brook saw the concert in a Modlin Center brochure and reached out about securing tickets for her class. She works with a number of youth activists and climate organizations across Virginia, and the Modlin Center quickly responded about the possibility of collaborating.

Her students wrote questions for the panelists, focusing on ensemble’s origins and the challenges they’ve faced. Finley-Brook says two moments in particular stood out.

Emlyn, a musician from Mauritius, shared how sea walls were erected to protect the islands’ tourism industry, but the walls caused inland flooding and the drowning deaths of several island residents. And Selina Leem, a spoken-word artist from the Marshall Islands, explained how she’s watched her island narrow. While it was previously expected to be underwater by 2050, new estimates now predict 2030.

“The piece that made me cry was her saying that she had buried both of her parents,” Finley-Brook says. “Not only would she no longer have that homeland, but she would also no longer be able to visit their grave sites. She was dealing with that loss of commemoration, that loss of a memorial to your parents, your culture, your home.” 

She added that hearing their stories also helped her students see their potential impact — even at a young age.

“My students couldn’t believe how young they were,” Finley-Brook says. “It really showed them that they don’t have to wait to speak up.”