Gather Your Kin: A Midlands Event Venue for Celebrations, Conferences and Creative Gatherings

Gather Your Kin

Is modern life too 'convenient' for in-person gatherings?

Work meetings happen via screens. Invitations arrive as a Calendar request. Family news is shared in group chats and congratulations come in emojis.

People need people!

It's about time we sit around a table together. Let’s celebrate milestones. Share ideas. Mourn losses. Let’s mark the passing of time with the glow of birthday candles.

Let’s dance, sing, debate, laugh, eat, plan, create, and dream alongside one another.

At The Old Mushroom Farm, we believe gathering in person matters.

That's why we built & Kin, a Midlands event venue for the family you choose.

What's in a Name?

The name was inspired by the old family businesses that once populated small towns and city streets.

Smith & Sons.

Brown & Brothers.

Johnson & Co.

These names acknowledged a simple truth: no worthwhile endeavour is achieved alone.

The "&" is the support networks between people.

Connection, partnership and collaboration.

And "Kin" extends beyond blood relatives. It includes the people who shape our lives: friends, neighbours, colleagues, collaborators, mentors, communities.

Whether we're willing to admit it or not, none of us are islands. 

We are all shaped by those around us.

& Kin was designed as a place for people to come together.

A Midlands event venue Designed for Gathering

The venue itself reflects this idea.

What was once a farm shed has been transformed into a collection of interconnected spaces that encourage movement, conversation, and interaction in a unique function venue on the Midlands Meander.

Guests arrive through the Lobby before flowing into the Auditorium, with its soaring double-volume ceilings, or gathering in the bright Conservatory beneath glass and steel.

Some gatherings are intimate. Others are expansive. Some require a stage and microphone. Others need little more than a long table and good company.

& Kin adapts to all of them.

The Gatherings We'll never forget

Over the years, we've watched the & Kin event space take on a life of its own.

We've welcomed dancers, artists, musicians, entrepreneurs, neighbours, families, and curious strangers from far and wide, across the Midlands and beyond.

During Spring Leap Fest, The Old Mushroom Farm's annual wellness festival, motion and stillness flowed through the building. Dancers experimented with movement across the expansive floors. Audio waves washed over relaxed listeners during the sound journeys. Yoga practitioners' chants of "Om" reverberated through the space's high ceilings.

We've hosted memorial gatherings and birthdays where stories, poems, laughter, and tears were shared in celebration of lives well lived.

We've watched numerous artists transform the venue into a gallery, each with a distinct tone. Exhibitions such as Works on Paper artist residency, iLima by Hloniphani "Mamba" Buthelezi, and seasonal shows from HARTS have invited visitors to engage with ideas around identity, memory, resilience, and place.

After every event guests say ‘see you again’, with connections to new found Kin.

What Could You Gather People Around?

Perhaps you're planning a milestone birthday.

A family reunion.

A conference that deserves more personality than a windowless hotel meeting room.

An exhibition of the artwork you’ve been too shy to share.

A workshop to share your knowledge.

A grand launch for the product you’ve been developing.

A retreat.

A performance.

A community gathering.

A celebration of life.

A celebration of achievement.

To build something bigger than ourselves, gather your kin.

& Kin is the space for it to happen, a creative event venue in the KZN Midlands to make your event memorable.

Venue Overview: your private event venue in the Midlands

& Kin accommodates up to 112 guests across three interconnected spaces: the Lobby, Auditorium, and Conservatory. Located at The Old Mushroom Farm, just 10 minutes from Howick, the venue can be configured for conferences, exhibitions, workshops, performances, private functions, celebrations, and community gatherings.

The venue includes a catering kitchen, private restrooms, flexible seating arrangements, and access to accommodation on the farm for up to 91 guests. A Midlands venue to turn your conference into an inspiring corporate retreat.

To discuss your event requirements and find out more about equipment and catering services, contact The Old Mushroom Farm team on 060 470 1218 or email info@theoldmushroomfarm.co.za.