Sonic Earth

Natalia Lagi’itaua Mann is a harpist and composer whose art is synaesthetic, testing the boundaries of reality.  Her practice of Resonance nurturesthe ability to translate the seemingly mute into audible music. Her projects are deeply collaborative explorations of the present moment and environment.  Her experimental approach linking people with collective consciousness, providing food for thought on social and environmental harmony.

Natalia Mann’s diverse work is united under the concept Weaving of Perceptions, stemming from the indigenous philosophy that truth is more dimensional, more resonant, for being seen from not one but many perspectives.  She researched ‘Music as Language’ by engaging in a wide scope of musical genres and cultures. She toured the world, working with leading musicians and presenting work at major international festivals, collaborating with dancers, artists and communities. Mann developed her music beyond sound into sculptural compositions, graphic scores, installation, film and poetry.  As artistic director and producer, her projects include The Sonic Earth (collaboration with landscape), The Blue Pen (galactic conversations), The Art of Listening (life as score), Utterance (unspoken co-creativity), Pasif.ist (for Istanbul), and Sunga – Songs of Polynesia (cultural connection in diaspora).  Natalia has Samoan Chinese and English Scottish ancestry, and lives in Djabugay Country QLD.

Merindi Schrieber is a Kuku Yalanji songwoman, storyteller, playwright, and multidisciplinary artist, deeply grounded in her mother’s Country and culture. Through language, rhythm, and lived experience, she crafts powerful expressions that honour her ancestral knowledge. At the heart of her practice is a commitment to education through a First Nations lens — using song, story, and art to celebrate identity, build understanding, and inspire healing. Her work is dedicated to passing knowledge and cultural strength to the next generation, ensuring stories live on through future voices. Merindi has collaborated with a range of artists and organisations, including The Sonic Earth, The Australian Ballet, and other cross-disciplinary creative projects. 

Ilona McGuire is a proud young Noongar/Kungarakan woman whose ancestry extends from Whadjuk Country to the Fitzmaurice region of the Northern Territory. As a wide reader and humanitarian, Ilona’s artistic process is informed, consultative and accessible. Recurring themes such as cultural identity, spirituality and traditional versus contemporary Indigenous values reflects her own learning journey as a grounded young Indigenous woman in an increasingly ephemeral world. Ilona was the inaugural artist for First Lights and presented Moombaki as part of the 2021 Fremantle Biennale.

Nikki Doll is a dynamic vocalist, percussionist, and multidisciplinary artist whose performances pulse with soul, jazz roots, and global rhythm. With heritage spanning Roman Italian, Sino-Asian Quangdong Chinese, and Tolai Papua New Guinean Tribal lineages, she channels her cosmopolitan identity into conscious music and powerful storytelling.

Lead singer for the Australian Jazz Quartet in China, Nikki Doll has shared stages with greats like Tommy Emmanuel and James Morrison, and her collaborations span ARIA award-winning projects, and large-scale choral works. As a founding member of The Sounds of AustraNesia, Nikki weaves language, culture, and harmony with fellow artists from the Pacific diaspora.

Deeply grounded in the tropical energy of Yidinji Country (Far North QLD) and her Mother Land of Rabaul (PNG), Nikki Doll is a magnetic presence — amplifying ancient voices through contemporary performance.

Yalanji, Gungganji, Zenadth Kez. Wawumun, ‘from her heart’, she creates deeply emotive songs that draw from the lived Blak experience here in this country.  A young woman with an old soul, her songs express love for country, people and culture. As the daughter of a Woman of Song, Wawumun has already featured at events such as NAIDOC & CIAF as well as other community & major events. Since a very young age Wawumun has been developing her sound and skill. Now, a multi-instrumentalist with an angelic voice, as she steps into her power as a musician and songwriter, her stage presence emits humility, grace and Blak strength.