Two people in a contact improvisation embrace on a wooden floor
© Andrey Dronski

amongst

A gathering for people in process.

3 nights 18-30 people Staveley 3-6 December 2026

amongst is now taking shape.

The concept: An intimate residential gathering in nature. It's somewhere between a camp and a retreat, but not quite either. amongst is designed for people who want to feel, move, think, rest, play, and be in shared presence.

The offering: Three nights in early December, around twenty people, on the doorstep of a native regenerating forest. There'll be facilitated sessions, open time, movement & rest. We'll open as a group and close together at the end.

The ethos: Embodied and somatic, participatory and collectively held, with room for emergence. We're cultivating curiosity, playfulness and an attunement to ourselves and one another.

Group of people lying in a circle on grass, aerial view © Harsha P
Thu 3 DecAfternoon arrival The opening
  • Settle in
  • Welcome circle
  • Set intentions together
Fri & Sat2 full days The body
  • Morning pages
  • Movement
  • Facilitated sessions
  • Open time
  • Evening gathering
Sun 6 DecDepart 2pm The closing
  • Slower pace
  • Space for what emerged
  • Integration
  • Closing circle
  • Farewell

things we might get into

Contact improvisation, relating games, community-building, improv theatre, music jams, life drawing, crafting, show & tell, lightning talks, contemplative practices, cuddles, shared meals, tea ceremony, nature time, eco-somatics, meaning-making.

Hand-drawn Venn diagram: three overlapping circles labelled relational, playful, and introspective, meeting at the centre

When: Thursday 3 - Sunday 6 December 2026.

The venue: Staveley Camp, Mid-Canterbury; ~1.5hrs drive from Ōtautahi. We’ll have access to lush remnant & regenerating bush, a Southern Alps-fed river to swim in and plenty of indoor & outdoor space to commune.

Accommodation: Bunk in the dorms (bedding is b.y.o), camp in your tent, or park up with your van.

Food: All meals are included, plant-based & prepared together on-site.

Dawn seated among dancers during a movement session © Veronica Olariu

Dawn Evenden

Producer

I've spent the last couple of years in Europe working in and around spaces designed for people to come back to themselves. My experience spans group facilitation, hospitality, community operations, contact improv, somatic and creative arts practices. Since returning to Aotearoa, I've found myself searching for a particular kind of gathering and not quite finding it.

amongst is an attempt to build the thing that I want. It's my first time producing something like this from scratch. For me, the process is just as, if not more, important than the product. This is an active exploration of holding myself through the discomfort (& joy) of doing something raw and vulnerable and tangible.

Thank you to everyone who expressed interest on the initial form. Your thoughtfulness and curiosity have inspired me to bring this to life. The first round of tickets is now open to those who signed up; keep an eye on your inbox.

If you're new here and this resonates with, or intrigues you, applications are still open. The form takes ~5 minutes and helps me get a sense for you. This is an intimate gathering, so spaces are limited and the group will be curated with care. And, if you know someone who may also be into this, please share it with them too.

Apply