Wansolmoana Lunar Assembly : Latai Taumoepeau
Ocean, moon, water, womb. Let the tide wash over you.
A night to reflect, to honour, to splash in salt water and renew the spirit. As we gather under the illumination of Moon Goddess Hina, we offer our love and service to our revered Wansol Moana - One Salt Water Ocean.
A collective ceremony in service of the divine Pacific Ocean, led by Tongan-Australian artist Latai Taumoepeau with Awabakal elder Aunty Cheryl, Harpist Natalia Langi’itaua Mann and local broadcaster Kuntamari Crofts with the help of community members in this special one-off performance at Newcastle Ocean Baths. Pack your swimmers and prepare to be cleansed.
As the sun sets over Newcastle Ocean Baths, you will be guided through a gentle but deeply meaningful ceremony. Participants move through a strong feminine ritual of water, wind and fire - a place to slow down, float and reconnect with yourself and others. You’ll be invited to cleanse with traditional tuitui (candlenut), ignite powerful personal intentions, and return them to the ocean.
Drawing on Pasifika Oceanian performance, Latai brings forward a space for healing, memory and release. Live sound drifts across the baths, creating an immersive, meditative atmosphere. This isn’t something to sit back and watch – it’s something you are immersed in. Come as you are, step into the water, and leave feeling lighter, grounded and connected.
DURATION
90 mins
SENSORY & CONTENT WARNING
Recommended for ages 12+. Participants are required to enter the water at Newcastle Ocean Baths in order to take part in the full Wansolmoana Lunar Assembly experience.
ACCESSIBILITY
Newcastle Ocean Baths is fully accessible, with access for patrons with low mobility and accessible amenities. Wansolmoana is a collective experience that involves entering the Newcastle Ocean Baths together as a group. Attendees should be confident in water without assistance.
ABOUT THE ARTIST
Latai Taumoepeau is a Tongan Australian performance artist who creates powerful live artworks grounded in faiva – a body‑centred practice shaped by her homelands, the Island Kingdom of Tonga, and her birthplace on Gadigal Country in Sydney. Drawing on Tongan philosophies of relational space and time, her work weaves together ancient knowledge and everyday rituals to make visible the impacts of climate crisis in the Pacific. Latai’s practice engages deeply with race, class and the female body politic, foregrounding voices often unseen. She leads urgent environmental actions across Oceania and continues cultural knowledge through movement, ceremony and oceanic navigation.
COLLABORATORS
Aunty Cheryl, Awakabal Elder - Welcome to Country
Renae Lamb, Midnight Dreaming - Welcome to Country
Barapang Nani Kuntamari Crofts from the Autonomous Region of Bougainville - Aquatic Percussion
Natalia Langi’itaua Mann - Harp Player
A collective ceremony in service of the divine Pacific Ocean, led by Tongan-Australian artist Latai Taumoepeau with Awabakal elder Aunty Cheryl, Harpist Natalia Langi’itaua Mann and local broadcaster Kuntamari Crofts with the help of community members in this special one-off performance at Newcastle Ocean Baths. Pack your swimmers and prepare to be cleansed.
As the sun sets over Newcastle Ocean Baths, you will be guided through a gentle but deeply meaningful ceremony. Participants move through a strong feminine ritual of water, wind and fire - a place to slow down, float and reconnect with yourself and others. You’ll be invited to cleanse with traditional tuitui (candlenut), ignite powerful personal intentions, and return them to the ocean.
Drawing on Pasifika Oceanian performance, Latai brings forward a space for healing, memory and release. Live sound drifts across the baths, creating an immersive, meditative atmosphere. This isn’t something to sit back and watch – it’s something you are immersed in. Come as you are, step into the water, and leave feeling lighter, grounded and connected.
DURATION
90 mins
SENSORY & CONTENT WARNING
Recommended for ages 12+. Participants are required to enter the water at Newcastle Ocean Baths in order to take part in the full Wansolmoana Lunar Assembly experience.
ACCESSIBILITY
Newcastle Ocean Baths is fully accessible, with access for patrons with low mobility and accessible amenities. Wansolmoana is a collective experience that involves entering the Newcastle Ocean Baths together as a group. Attendees should be confident in water without assistance.
ABOUT THE ARTIST
Latai Taumoepeau is a Tongan Australian performance artist who creates powerful live artworks grounded in faiva – a body‑centred practice shaped by her homelands, the Island Kingdom of Tonga, and her birthplace on Gadigal Country in Sydney. Drawing on Tongan philosophies of relational space and time, her work weaves together ancient knowledge and everyday rituals to make visible the impacts of climate crisis in the Pacific. Latai’s practice engages deeply with race, class and the female body politic, foregrounding voices often unseen. She leads urgent environmental actions across Oceania and continues cultural knowledge through movement, ceremony and oceanic navigation.
COLLABORATORS
Aunty Cheryl, Awakabal Elder - Welcome to Country
Renae Lamb, Midnight Dreaming - Welcome to Country
Barapang Nani Kuntamari Crofts from the Autonomous Region of Bougainville - Aquatic Percussion
Natalia Langi’itaua Mann - Harp Player