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Pacific Voices
In 2022, Karlo was a special curator for the Mana Moana Arts Collective. With Mike Bridgman and Rachael Rakena, she curated Pacific Voices. Pacific Voices is a collection of artistic poetry video works created for COP26, the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Glasgow. Commissioned by SPREP (South Pacific Regional Environment Programme), the aim of these digital artworks was to amplify Pacific perspectives about climate change at a global forum.
Her own creative contribution to Pacific Voices was the poem “Our Ancestors Speak”. This was produced in a short film format by StoryBox. Karlo’ involvement in the Mana Moana Arts Collective began in 2019, when she and Mike co-created the work “Matariki” projected on a large water screen. She also collaborated with Michael Tuffery to create the Mana Moana meditation in 2020.
Speaking out about political issues has been a defining feature of Karlo’s poetry. Across multiple mediums she writes about racism and advocates for the rights of indigenous people. This poem was composed to support the protest at Ihumātao. This campaign aimed to stop the sale of a site significant to Māori and keep it out of corporate hands. The poem called “Moemoea” is published in Goddess Muscle.
Political Poetry
Many of Karlo’s poems focus on climate crisis. She has performed poetry about climate change globally, including in Jamaica for 'Women Who Walk With Water', a poetry and dance performance highlighting issues around Gender and Climate Change in Small Island Developing States.
This is a video performance of Karlo’s poem 'Global Line Up' by young people across the Commonwealth. Her poetry can be found in a number of anthologies about climate crisis, including: Indigenous Pacific Islander Eco-Literatures and No Other Place to Stand: An Anthology of Climate Change Poetry from Aotearoa
Poetry about Climate Change
Talanoa with Tupe
Karlo was interviewed by Tupe Solomon-Tanoa’i. In this episode of ‘Talanoa with Tupe’ the conversation covers poetry, and Karlo’s professional, cultural and personal life. The interview ends with Karlo reading the poem “Mana”.
Oceania on stage
A career highlight for Karlo was representing Tonga at the 2012 Cultural Olympiad event Poetry Parnassus Festival in London. This is a clip from the archives. Karlo is reading “Oceania” at the SouthBank Centre. This poem was published in The World Record: International Voices from Southbank Centre’s Poetry Parnassus. (2012) Edited by Neil Astley and Anna Selby. The poem can also be found in Goddess Muscle. Love of the ocean is a constant theme in her work.