Calling all Gatherers!

This new year marks the 10th anniversary of the first Gathering dance festival at Canaan Downs. Were you there? Did you go to any (or all) of the first four Gatherings on Takaka Hill between 96/97 and G2000? Remember when....

The Gathering is a festival of freedom, dance, music and participation.
Your presence creates The Gathering.
Take care, we are all responsible for the environment.
Be nice humans.

I'm putting together an archive of The Gathering at Canaan Downs. I've already got tons of stuff from when I did publicity and organisation for The Gathering 97/98, 98/99 and G2000, and some bits and pieces from The Gathering 96/97, but I need more.

I'm looking for photos, artwork, media coverage (I already have a large collection, but any extra would be gratefully received), videos and film footage - and your stories.


The Gathering has become a piece of New Zealand history, and I'd like to put together as much archival material as possible, so that it isn't lost in the mists of time. There's hardly anything online about The Gathering any more, and I think that's a real shame.

The New Zealand Film Archive already has a copy of the first documentary we made at The Gathering 97/98, but I'm sure there's other film footage out there that doesn't have a safe home yet. I know gazillions of you took photos of the various parties - and I've only seen a fraction of them. I also know that there are a million and one stories out there about The Gathering, and I'd love to hear them and add them to the collection.

Those of you who crewed, DJ'd, VJ'd, played or performed at The Gathering between 96/97 and G2000 could also help me enormously with your photos, videos, stories, and factual information about who did what, when and where.

If you're interested in adding to the archive, please leave a comment on this blog with your email address or email me at alison@webweaver.co.nz and I'll get back to you asap with more info.

The Gathering at Canaan Downs was our Woodstock, and I'd like to ensure that there's somewhere that people can go to re-live those great memories, and to preserve some of the magic we all created together. I hope you can help. Please spread the word!

Technorati tags: The Gathering, dance party, rave, New Zealand, Canaan Downs, Takaka Hill, millennium, documentary, archive.