I was at school making my sign for a demonstration, one of a handful of students in a school of thousands planning to attend. Even though it was during our lunch break and the teachers said we could go, no one at the table was that bothered; yet they were excitedly talking about the lineup of a music festival that had just been announced. I asked myself: how can I harness young people's passion for music towards climate justice, something they care about? Climate Live was born.

It has been quite a journey since then, with teams now set up in over 40 countries. In the UK, we did our first concert on a boat on the Thames in front of Parliament with Declan McKenna, British artist, in 2021. Then, we followed the transport theme with pop up gigs across London on a bus. We loved the bus so much that we got our own one, a bright pink open-top London sightseeing tour bus powered by HVO (Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil, a sustainable fuel made from waste and plant-based materials) with a solar-powered stage. We call it 'Clive', short for Climate Live.

We now take Clive to lots of major music festivals as a stage, including Reading and Leeds, Boomtown, Love Saves The Day, Latitude and Forwards, hosting live music and DJs from up-and-coming artists, alongside creative workshops and panel talks from youth activists on intersectional climate and social justice issues. We provide campaign volunteer opportunities, shadow industry placements, performance and speaking opportunities, and paid coordinator roles to over 300 young people every year. What I am most proud of is the joyful and welcoming community created between all of the brilliant young people we work with.

Supported by Big Change’s Spark Awards and in partnership with Youth Climate Collaborative, this year we launched Climate Courage, a new project aiming to equip grassroots youth-led groups with the tools and training to centre wellbeing, joy and creativity, empowering them to build resilience to stay engaged long term and sustainably. We are providing training, support and resources to 20 youth-led groups to lead climate mental health workshops, including with us at festivals, and run their own open mic style events in their community. So far, it has been such a heartwarming and fulfilling experience to support and elevate fellow youth groups.

The Big Change team is absolutely wonderful. They have been incredibly supportive, and provided very helpful training and coaching opportunities. Being a Spark Awards recipient meant more than funding. It opened doors to a community of fellow changemakers doing brilliant things. Big Change has done a great job facilitating conversation between us, and helped us have candid, nurturing conversations about our challenges in a safe space. That kind of support, especially at an early-stage, makes a profound difference.

I hope to see more young people engaged in climate justice and understanding that the climate crisis is an intersectional issue. I would like to see more inter-movement solidarity and collaboration in the future. My short-term 2026 goal is to host at least 10 Climate Courage open mic events this year!

My advice to young people looking to drive change: be persistent, blast out emails to people you want to work with, aim high, and do not be too disheartened by rejection. I have had a lot more nos and ignored emails than yeses. Building a community and prioritising the joy and wellbeing of your team is also crucial. A lot more can be achieved with a happy, energised team than a stressed, burnt out one.

Read more about Climate Courage.