Stories & Songs of the People: They Came for the Gathering

They Came for the Gathering documents the first Stories & Songs of the People event held in Australia (in Melbourne, 1999). In a time when issues such as reconciliation were (and still are) prevalent, this event arose from the desire to celebrate Australian Aboriginal culture as well as the desire to establish a cultural and educational exchange between Indigenous cultures from around the globe. As a concert it gave a stage for many Aboriginal artists to express their vision for a collective future through music; as an event organised by 'grass roots' community it created a platform from which subsequent events have developed, including another event in 2000 and a CD (entitled 'Humble Beginnings'). (F-Reel)