ARIA’S STATEMENT
The Midwest Rave Culture Archive every participant and collection deserves a long-term preservation plan.
I’m a single person, incorporated within a trusted network of people, taking action. I’ve had dozens of conversations with ravers who make mention of a video, a mix, a flyer or a photo that references some spectacular memory they have of being at a party; seeing their favorite DJ, in some crazy venue, with their friends and all the familiar characters. The light in their eye is pure magic. Much like the boxes of my parents flyers I’ve drawn inspiration from; mini-personal-collections are often condensed into a nice box on the shelf - not properly preserved. Born digital material like video and recorded mixes are strewn across hard drives, personal computers, the web and social media - who’s protecting our memories? How accessible is it to us, or anyone doing research? Where will all of this “go” in 10-100-1000 years?