A new Pacific-led initiative will bring women musicians, storytellers and creative leaders together in Tonga this year as part of a regional project using music to support women’s leadership and social change.

Music for Change: Pacific Women, led by the Wantok Musik Foundation, will deliver its Tonga programme, known as Fefine To’a, from 3 to 21 August 2026. The project aims to strengthen creative skills, encourage women’s participation in the arts sector and create new platforms for Pacific women to share their stories.

The initiative is supported by the Pacific Women Lead at the Pacific Community (SPC) programme, with funding and technical assistance from the Australian Government. It will also be delivered in Bougainville, where the Meri Singsing Strong programme will run from 22 June to 10 July.

Wantok Musik Foundation Artistic Director Dr David Bridie said the project was built around listening to women’s experiences and supporting them to express their own stories.

“This project starts with listening. It’s about creating the conditions for women to tell their own stories, in their own voices, and to build skills that endure well beyond the time we spend on the ground,” he said.

In Tonga, the project team is working with local partners including the Ofa-Ki-Tonga Music Collab, a Tonga-led creative platform promoting local talent. The team has also engaged with organisations including Tonga National University, LATA Disability Organisation, Tonga Leiti Association and the Women and Children Crisis Centre.

Project activities will include songwriting, mentoring, recording, performance, filmmaking and storytelling. The outcomes are expected to include new music, a regional compilation album and documentary content featuring women’s voices from Tonga and Bougainville.

The organisers say the project will explore how music can promote positive messages, challenge inequality and inspire future generations of Pacific women.