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When Music Meets Purpose: Our First Artist Impact Safari
- Beatrice Jeavons
- 7 hours ago
- 8 min read
Earlier this year, we hosted our first Artist Impact Safari in partnership with one of our all-time favourites, St Jerome’s Laneway Festival. It was a glorious, heart-warming, cup-filling day.
We designed this as a purpose-driven leadership event for Australian musicians and festival leaders to learn more about how to take practical steps to reduce the environmental impact of touring, and drive a positive impact legacy alongside their music careers.
The whole event was generously funded through Laneway’s Solar Slice program and free for attending artists.
Taronga Zoo
What made this event truly special was the location - Taronga Zoo. Taronga does things differently — their conservation work is incredible and woven into every part of the experience.
From the moment you step through the gates, it’s clear that the zoo isn’t just about seeing animals; it’s about caring for and protecting them. Every exhibit connects back to Taronga’s mission to safeguard wildlife, restore habitats, and inspire people to act for the planet.
Taronga run over 60 conservation programs across Australia and around the world, from breeding and releasing critically endangered species like the Regent Honeyeater, Corroboree Frog, and Plains-wanderer, to supporting the rehabilitation of marine turtles and bushfire-affected wildlife.
Taronga’s commitments to protecting the environment extend beyond animals and conservation; they are also a certified carbon-neutral organisation, powered by renewable energy and guided by the UN Sustainable Development Goals. They partner with Indigenous communities, scientists, and conservation organisations to protect ecosystems in Australia and abroad — including efforts to combat wildlife trafficking and restore crucial habitats. In short, a visit to Taronga isn’t just a day at the zoo; it’s a window into how conservation can be lived, taught, and incorporated into every part of our lives.
We kicked off the day with a visit to the giraffes. Sharing space with these alien animals was an especially humbling and grounding way to start the day. (Did you know their tongues are black because they eat so much and would otherwise get sunburnt!?)
We piled into the lecture theatre, where the day's sessions were hosted — still buzzing from the giraffe encounter. Monkeys swinging in and out of view through the big windows, playfully dancing through the branches, and reminding us not to take ourselves too seriously.
Kicking things off was leading change-maker, Jack Manning Bancroft, with the session Hoodie Economics: Reimagining the Purpose of Your Music Career. Jack set the tone from the first minute: go deep, think big, and don’t shy away from complexity.
Jack — who started AIME Mentoring in 2005 to tackle inequity by centring imagination, mentoring and custodianship — brought a rare mix of urgency and warmth to the room. He reminded us that progress can be messy and endings often make room for new beginnings, but that we have tools to shape what comes next. He spoke about complex systems, mortality, and the role of art as a force for repair.
Rather than offering neat answers, Jack invited everyone in the room to cultivate a practice: to use imagination and creativity as daily disciplines, hold contradiction without panic, and to build music careers that measure impact beyond streams and charts. His talk didn’t just inform — it charged everyone to approach their work more boldly and compassionately, setting a courageous, inquisitive tone for the rest of the day.
We then heard from Artist and powerhouse Holly Rankin / Jack River and Founder of Sentiment on ‘Unleashing your political voice — How to use your platform to drive the change you want to see in the world and the music industry’.
Holly is an incredible activist, artist, and cultural and political strategist who has led an extraordinary range of advocacy efforts across climate, nature, and music-industry policy.
Holly shared her inspiring origin story — a reminder that music can be both a salve and a spark for change. She spoke about embracing the many sides of ourselves — artist, mother, activist, citizen — without feeling pressured to make them all neatly align. It’s in that complexity, and different shades of our personality, she reminded us, that our true power lies. We’re all human, and we’re all complex.
Holly reminded us that politics isn’t something that happens out there — it shapes every part of our lives. From the air we breathe to the music we make, politics is personal. And politicians are people too — people who desperately need to hear from our artists, audiences, and communities if we want to see real change.
Engaging in politics doesn’t have to mean rallying around a campaign or joining a party. It can mean sparking a conversation, writing a song, or supporting others who speak up. However, it makes sense for you; there’s a role for everyone in informing big decisions that shape our country's policies.
I was madly scribbling down notes for the entirety of Holly’s session. What a legend.
Holly was then joined in conversation by St Jerome’s Laneway Festival Director, Jessie Parker. With over 15 years of experience in the live entertainment industry, Jessie brought a wealth of passion, expertise, and sharp wit to the discussion. The two bounced off each other — diving into big topics like AI, big tech, Spotify, the importance of live music, and what the future might hold for our industry.
There were big questions with no simple answers, but together they sparked the kind of open, curious dialogue that encourages fresh thinking, collaboration, and a shared sense of purpose for where we might go next.
Holly left us with a powerful provocation — one I want to return to here, as it raises crucial questions worth reflecting on.
Over to you:
What are you good at?
What does the world need?
How can you use your cultural currency and creativity to build something?
How might that affect our future?
How can you engage in a way that’s true to you?
Green Music Australia’s CEO and national climate campaign leader, Berish Bilander, opened the next session, ‘Green Music Intelligence: How to Create an Environmental Legacy with Every Tour’. Sharing inspiring examples of collective industry action — from GMA’s sustainability initiatives and successful campaigns to practical resources helping artists reduce their impact on the road. Berish highlighted the growing movement of musicians, venues, and festivals working together to drive meaningful environmental action and outlined tangible ways for everyone in the room to engage and take part in this growing movement.
Heidi and I then spoke about our work at FEAT. proudly sharing that the Solar Slice has now been applied across over 1 million tickets. We highlighted inspiring case studies of artists driving world-first initiatives — such as Lime Cordiale touring in electric vehicles and transitioning their European tour bus to HVO fuel. Angie McMahon funding both the First Nations Futures and local habitat restoration at Widgewah Conservation Sanctuary. And the impressive track record from Laneway, three fruitful years of weaving environmental action into the fabric of this mighty festival, driving impact that extends far beyond the music.
We also introduced our new Arts x Biodiversity Collective — an open invitation for the arts sector to join fellow artists and cultural organisations in supporting First Nations–led conservation projects.
We wanted to create a warm and playful space where artists could examine the purpose of their careers, reimagine the possibilities of art to create lasting impact and leave inspired to drive the change they want to see in the world.
Throughout the day, a common thread emerged — one of transformation and possibility. Of endings and new beginnings. We spoke of how old systems are crumbling, but we aren’t quite ‘there’ yet, with new systems or ways of being. How might we navigate this liminal space together, and how critical it is to continue to bring creativity and courage to the spaces? A reminder that music's true power lies in its ability to move hearts, change minds, and build bridges. To create islands of sanity in this place of unknowns.
There were hefty questions: How do we uncouple from the large corporate monopolies that govern music? (Oh Spotify…) How can artists best use their platforms to spark change? And how might we reimagine the future of music in the age of AI and global uncertainty? These weren't surface-level discussions—we went right into the weeds, exploring the intersection of artistry and activism.
These conversations were full of curiosity, courage, and a shared belief in the power of music and art to shape new beginnings. A reminder of the importance of creating art in challenging times.
Nighttime Tour
The nighttime tour of the zoo was a very special highlight. Led by two energetic and passionate keepers, Ryan and Dave, we saw a whole lot of beautiful nighttime critters, from the critically endangered Sumatran Tigers and Koalas to the resident snakes and stumpy lizards. We all fell in love with these beautiful animals, all the while learning about some of the threats they are facing.
One of which is the illegal trafficking of shingleback (stumpie) lizards. People have been caught smuggling them across borders, hidden inside photocopiers! With hundreds smuggled each month. A major issue that Taronga Zoo is tackling alongside airports and law enforcement, by using cutting-edge 3D x-ray scanning and forensic scale analysis to detect and prevent this illegal trade.
There was even a rare sighting of a Fennec Fox. A fluffy fox, native to the Sahara Desert and parts of North Africa. Their enormous ears help dissipate heat and also provide them with exceptional hearing for detecting prey underground.
They’re incredibly rare to see — even in zoos. So rare, in fact, one staff member who’s been at Taronga for seven years had never seen one before. So spotting one was definitely a highlight!
‘It was such a well-curated day, bringing together people from different areas of the industry to consider the environmental impact of the music industry, and share ideas on how we can all improve and make our operations greener moving forward. It was lovely being in the setting of Taronga and learning about the amazing work they are doing in protecting endangered wildlife and habitat restoration.’ - Tom, The Moving Stills
After a day of learning, sharing, and encounters with fluffy creatures, Dr Paul Callaghan — Professor of Indigenous Knowledges and Worimi man — led a special closing reflection and yarning circle, ‘The Dreaming Path – Lessons in Caring for Country’. He invited artists to connect with place, with each other, and with their roles as cultural custodians and agents of change. Through stories of traditional Lore, he explored Country, responsibility, and relationships — and the power of the creative arts to help care for all three.
Paul then guided us through a beautiful exercise to finish off the evening, ‘A Letter to your future self’, asking artists to reflect on their creative practice and ignite a deeper understanding of the opportunity musicians hold in shaping culture, protecting Country, and carrying forward stories through their work that inspire meaningful change. There were a few tears.
Heidi and I woke early the next day to sunlight filtering through the trees, having spent the night in the incredible Roar and Snore accommodation. We wandered the zoo in the soft warmth of a winter morning, tiny creatures stirring and birdsong echoing around us. Everything felt quietly alive. Over breakfast, still buzzing from the experience, we began dreaming up ideas for our next safari.
Overall, this event was a reminder that yes, absolutely yes, our art and actions matter. However, ‘micro’. A quote from Margaret Mead, cultural anthropologist, comes to mind here:
“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has.”
So over to you:
What are you good at?
What does the world need?
How can you use your cultural currency and creativity to build something?
How might that affect our future?
How can you engage in a way that’s true to you?
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Want to host your own program? We're passionate about bringing these transformative experiences to more artists, festivals and arts organisations. The conversations are necessary, the connections are invaluable, and the impact ripples far beyond a single day.
Get in touch with our Impact Manager, Bea Jeavons, at bea@feat.ltd to learn how we can collaborate to create meaningful change.
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