The Matriarchs Banquet
Lessons from Our Ancestors

The Matriarch’s Banquet is an experimental, immersive, interdisciplinary performance and exhibition work. Blending stagecraft with the warmth of a communal feast, this work celebrates the women who lead families, foster care and love, guard traditions, and shape generations. It asks a question that lingers long after the curtain falls: What happens when our matriarchs become Ancestors?

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Grounded in Pacific cultural practices but open to all, the work draws on concepts such as Matriarchs, Kai (food), Irutahuna (the centre space in Motu language), Ancestors, and Tok stori (storytelling). These practices inform the dramaturgy, aesthetics, and mode of audience engagement. The project honours the unique and sacred gift a Matriarch holds in her/their community, exploring Pacific understandings of spirituality, the afterlife, and the ways communities remain in relationship with our Ancestors.

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In Pacific communities kai has always been at the centre of storytelling, education and protecting your spirit. Often, matriarchs and the people that look up to their wisdom have found themselves sitting on a mat, at a dinner table and/or in circle, sharing a meal. Between bites of food and laughter, these matriarchs have shared a story and/or a lesson on how and why we exist in this world and how to navigate it. Kai and tok stori has also been a way for us to engage with our Elders who have passed, we eat and drink certain things before and after engaging with generational-old knowledges as a way of protecting our spirit.

How do I get involved?​

There are a few ways that Moale is inviting you to be involved:

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If you are a presenter - we are looking for a presenting partner to showcase this work.

 

1. Tok stori  

Connect with Moale and share a story about a Matriarch in your life. Talk with Moale about your own thoughts on the subject matter being explored. 

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2. Provide in-kind project development support

Moale is on the hunt for a venue to host rehearsals, a script reading and pilot immersive dining experience in. Perhaps you know someone / can offer a space?

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3. Not sure how to support, but I want to connect!

Moale would love to hear from you, you can reach out to her via email on moalejames.work@gmail.com 

My first encounter with death:

As a child my first encounter with death was with the passing of my younger brother. During our families grieving my Mother and Father found themselves in our church prayer circles as a way of healing. But in what would seem like clashing ideologies my Melanesian-Mother also would tell stories of how she felt in the moments of my brothers passing that she had been carried by her Elders that had already died - hearing their voices and feeling their touch. My Mother recalls his death although it being tragic also feeling warm and safe - a concept that as a small child I could never really understand. It was in these moments that I began to realise the significance of having a Matriarch to guide us through these cross-cultural situations - but it also made me question how far away are our Ancestors?

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Losing a mentor:

As a young-woman I recently experienced the passing of a beloved mentor, it was a shock to our Pacific-community and although our interactions were few and far between, the impact of her loss shook me more than I could have imagined. This sudden passing and other events led me to wonder -What happens to our Matriarchs who become Ancestors?

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Marking our skin:

As a Melanesian-woman whose body is heavily covered by the marks of my Gatana’s (great-grandmothers) - whom I have never met. I have often stepped into the space where we as Pacific people understand that we have the opportunity to communicate with our Elders. It is their knowledge that guides what mark is placed where and by whom. Throughout my own journey of reclaiming our reva reva marks and the knowledge we have lost because of colonisation and the passing of our old-women I am once again met with this resounding question - How do we continue to receive knowledge from Ancestors?