Camp Commitment & Contributions – The Real Nitty-Gritty
Joining A Theme Camp – What to Expect?
Theme Camp Amenities and Contributions
Burning Man is not an event you go to, it is an experience we create together!
MythMaker has been granted the opportunity to offer a Theme Camp at Burning Man. This means that we, as a team, are not only camping at and attending Burning Man, we ARE Burning Man! As a Theme Camp, we have made a commitment to be one of the ‘attractions’ at Burning Man. We are expected to offer interactive activities for attendees to engage with and enjoy.
As such, we offer Fire shows, a Stage for music and other shows, a fun and interactive Quest Game, a fully stocked Mead Hall with 14 kegs of mead, a magical Temple dedicated to the Goddess, many workshops and training opportunities, and whatever else YOU bring to it! We also, by sharing our spaces and resources, are able to offer a much more involved and enriched camp experience for ourselves than we would be able to experience on our own.
Every member of our Camp participates in our Interactivity and in our Camp life. You will be asked to sign up for at least 10 hours of Interactive Activities and various camp maintenance shifts to help keep our home beautiful and safe. If you’re just looking for a spot to pitch a tent and ‘go to a desert party’, we are NOT that spot.
Your Camp Fund Contributions are budgeted to cover the following offerings and amenities:
- In Camp and Conclave Fire Shows
- Shade structures for personal tents (see below for limitations) and Member Lounge
- Basic Self Serve Kitchen Area
- Full Stocked Bar in our Epic Viking Mead Hall
- Flaming Dragon Stage and Sound System
- Our Temple of the Goddess & Workshop Space
- The Epic Viking Mead Hall
- Private, Simple Shower Area (limited # of showers/person)
- Mutant Dragon Art Car
- Power [limited], Camp Lighting, and LNT Management
- Transportation, Maintenance, and Storage expenses for 2024
- and more if we can afford it!!
We also are planning to have a full Kitchen and Meal Plan as we did last year. It was fantastic for community building, and we noticed a huge difference in everyone’s well-being and all-around good nature for having 2 meals a day that were delicious and nutritious.
Our Meal Plan is $200USD per person and we will be sending the final details by the end of May, via email. Please prepare yourself for this cost, which is paid separately and directly to Ymir, our Camp Kitchen Lead. It should be noted that Ymir owns and operates a licensed restaurant about 3 hours from Black Rock Desert and spends hours prepping and precooking the most delicious foods in a safe and healthy way!
Ways To Contribute to Camp MythMaker Interactivity
Please consider what ways YOU are interested in contributing to this community and camp that you are asking to join. Here’s a bit about the various areas you could jump onboard:
- ADMIN pre-playa (pre-planning, making lists, excel sheets, surveys, sending out emails, and scheduling shifts and meeting)
- DÉCOR CREATION pre-playa (making crafts, art, games, and other decor for camp, skills include laser cutting, welding, carpentry, sewing, dying, resin, painting, beadwork, and other forms of crafting and art)
- DRAGON STAGE MUSIC pre & on playa (sourcing sound equipment, organizing music/DJs/acts, entertainment, or providing the entertainment or equipment yourself)
- WATER WORKS pre & on playa (schedule bulk water delivery in advance, coordinate water delivery on playa, set up shower, monitor evap pond efficiency, monitor camp water consumption, empty water handwashing station bucket)
- BUILD CREW on playa (building camp the Wednesday before Burn Week brings. Includes erecting structures, setting up decor, mooping grounds, setting up electrical equipment fluffing builders)
- STRIKE CREW on playa (staying until Tuesday or Wednesday after Burn Week ends to take down structures, pack bus,
- MEAD HALL/BAR pre & on playa (making our mead, arranging for alcohol purchases, checking IDs, serving mead during open hours, entertaining and conversing with visitors to our camp, answering questions about our camp and what we do, initiating and playing bar games with visitors)
- LEAVE NO TRACE pre & on playa (planning for LNT on playa, sourcing materials for LNT setup, burning burnables, checking evaporation pond, sorting waste, MOOP sweeps)
- FLUFFING on playa (refilling hand wash station water, drinking water, and electrolytes, checking generators for fuel and refilling as needed, camp walkthrough to ensure safety hazards are addressed, and decor is secured and operational, checking on Build and Strike crews to ensure they are shaded, fed, and hydrated.)
- TEMPLE pre & on playa (ensuring decor in temple is secured, workshops are happening on time, or offering workshops yourself, brainstorming temple offerings pre-playa)
- FIRE TECHS pre & on playa (ensuring fire safety, supporting fire performances, securing fuel and materials)
- MEDIA pre & on playa (capturing photo and video footage of fire performances, camp meetings and activities, as well as documenting instructional videos for set up, and visual inventory, could also include asking questions for interview-style videos, photos and videos of the larger Burning Man community, and other material that could be edited into a compilation video)
- PYRO pre & on playa (build new fire cannons, complete pyro paperwork for BMOrg, provide pyro entertainment during open bar hours, offer workshops/tutorials for pyro toys, etc.)
- FIRST AID/SAFETY pre & on playa (create list for safety kits, prepared to provide first aid during fire performances, assist with developing First Aid inventory, available to answer general questions from campmates and dispense from First Aid inventory as needed)
In the Application Form to follow, you will have a chance to tell us your preferences. If you are a new member, you will likely have a supporting role this year. This gives you a chance to experience a Theme Camp Build and Offering AND your first Burning Man! If you are returning, we ask you to step up to Lead/Co-Lead an area to lighten the load on your family and teach the newbs the ropes!
MythMaker Camp Upkeep Shifts
Not only are we an interactive part of Burning Man, we’re building a home for ourselves and our friends in the inhospitable, unpredictable, challenging desert. Why? Because facing the Wall of Hard shows us where we are strong, where we need work, and gives us a sense of accomplishment often lacking in the default world. But keeping house for 100 members is not for the backs of a few hard workers. Everyone is expected to also contribute 3 shifts of Camp Upkeep. If you are in the meal plan, you will also have shifts related to the Kitchen.
Information about signing up for camp volunteer service will be provided in late April/Early May. Please keep an eye on your email inbox for camp sign up opportunities, as shifts will be available on a first-come-first-served basis. To help your Shift Master and your campmates be well prepared for the burn, please choose your shifts by August 10th. Camp Upkeep Shifts are such a great way to meet other members of camp, deepen our bonds of friendship, and feel that sense of accomplishment that comes from doing your part and sharing the work. If you need to miss your Shift, there will be a board in our camp for you to find someone to switch with. Camp members who keep their commitments and play fair also qualify next year as a Returning Member in Good Standing, and all the benefits that come with that recognition. You will also earn the appreciation and respect of the Council, Camp Leads, your fellow MythMakers, and yourself.
Core Leadership and Artist Contributions
Some of our members want to be REALLY involved. They are the Core Leadership of our Camp and do the majority of the big pulling to get us all to the Burn in the style and safety that MythMaker is renown for! IF you wish to be part of that hard-working bunch, make sure to let us know. If it’s your first year with us, you will shadow the Lead in place to prepare for the year to come.
Special Note Regarding Art: We love having our Camp Artists making our Mythmaker Art. So, if you would like to volunteer and contribute to our Quest cards, website, and banner art, let us know by March 15th or immediately upon applying.
Art made by our camp members is jointly owned and held in a Creative Commons Agreement. This is a creative crew and many ideas are floated, fleshed out, developed, and created in collaboration. We build together and we share in the gains together.
We use computer models, pencil sketches, or meetings to share our vision with you to ensure that what you make matches our intentions. Avoid disappointment! Make sure that any ideas for Décor or Art are passed by our Décor Lead, Crow, or our Camp Director, Hjeron – BEFORE you make it.
Please be aware that all Art needs to be well underway by May 1st and finished by June 21st, at the latest, unless otherwise approved. If we don’t have Artists available to compete our art, we will use whatever is available to us to create the art we need for our event. (Procreate, stock footage, past art and AI)
If you intend to spend money on Mythmaker that is NOT a gift to our camp, get confirmation from Hjeron and Xerxes BEFORE you spend. You must submit your receipts to Xerxes or Wren in person or by email to mythmakerburn@gmail.com, before or at the Burn. After September 15th, we cannot guarantee reimbursements for expenses, even those that were approved.
Camping Layout Information
Space is a limited resource within MythMaker, and within most, if not all, placed camps in Black Rock City. Every year, the number of placed camp applications submitted to the Bunring Man Organization grows, but the city size stays the same. This means we must be strategic about how we arrange our camp space to ensure we bring the interactivity we’ve committed to.
That being said, please review our shelter specifications and guidelines. Most of our camp members sleep in tents, but we may have some space for RVs.
Camp Contribution Fund Policies
We cap camp registration at 120 members, and we expect our membership to fill up quickly. Any members wishing to be Leads and Co-Leads: Register ASAP so we can confirm your roles/teams!
Our Camp costs over $30K annually to run. Every Member contributes to our Camp Fund to ensure that no one person carries an unfair burden. These costs do not fluctuate based on how many members are in our camp, they are mostly hard costs that are split among us. If you bail, you leave the rest of the crew carrying that portion of the expenses.
So please understand that, except in rare and extraordinary circumstances, we cannot provide Deposit refunds for changing your mind. This is not a purchase, it is a communal pot from which everything for Camp is paid. If Burning Man is canceled, Camp Funds are still needed to cover annual costs, such as storage and maintenance. In the case of BM cancellation, any money not spent will be held for the following year’s expenses and contributors will see a discount on their Contribution amounts that reflects fair splitting of what’s left after annual expenses are paid.
Our budget gets spent every year – We use and need every penny. Please respect the process.
If you must cancel, and your spot is filled with a suitable replacement, you can request that your Contribution (less your Deposit) be paid back to you from the new person’s contributions.
However, this is at the MythMaker Council’s discretion and NEVER guaranteed. Do NOT attempt to sell your spot without advance approval from Hjeron! Recouping Contribution is only possible after 100 camp spots are full.
Camp Fund Contribution Breakdown (in US dollars)
- $550 – Before August 10th
- $650 – After August 10th
If you intend to be a part of Build Crew or Conclave, please mention this to Hjeron in your interview, so that we can provide you with the expected camp fund contribution.
To ensure MythMaker is accessible to all incomes, a payment plan and some alternative camp fund contributions may be available. Please advise during your interview if you would like this option explained. Must be paid in full by July 30th.
Tickets, Communications, and Application Link!
Congratulations for navigating your way through all the info! You are almost done learning all about Camp MythMaker! Time to move forward with your Application and get into the chats and servers that are already humming with ideas to build, create, and navigate our way to Burning Man 2024! If you have never been to Burning Man before, we have lots of info on our Discord server!
Application Process
Each camp member needs to complete the Application separately. Once your Application is approved, you will be sent an email with further instructions on how to submit your Deposit and pay Camp Contribution. Join our chats and get involved. Stay tuned to our Discord Server, FB GROUP and your email box for key updates. Refer your friends via mythmakerburn@gmail.com!
Tickets
Every year, Camp MythMaker receives a small number of Stewards Sale Tickets to ensure key members, the Burning Man Stewards, are guaranteed to be on Playa to offer the Camp. If you want a Steward Ticket, you commit to being an active member who is excited to make all our cool stuff happen! The Steward Sale for 2024 has passed. For more info on how that process works, checkout this link
If you have or know of extra tickets or vehicle passes for the event that are available for purchase, please let us know and we will put you in contact with other Mythmakers seeking tickets. Also, let us know if you need a ticket or vehicle pass.
So… Are you Ready? Time to Get in the Boat, Oar in Hand!
