Hi Kiez Burners,
This is it! I'm typing this email right next to a backpack that won't close. From tomorrow on, communicorns will leave their laptops behind and go to site to build our beloved Burn, together with many of you.
But before that, we have a few last words for you - including some last announcements, some gentle reminders to save yourself stress on site, and some friendly advice. Share this message with your friends, especially if it's their first time here!
THE PROGRAM IS OUT
There are a few ways you can access it this year:
- The printed version. One booklet will be distributed to each Kiez, and a very limited number will be available for consultation at the Info Point and Greeter Station. Note that the printed copy might have some inaccuracies, or just not be fully up-to-date with recent changes.
- The app. This version is the most up to date, as camp leads can edit it on up until the start of the event. You can also star your favorites or filter events by camp or by type of event.
- The up-to-date version for you to print at home. We strongly recommend that you print this if you don't want to have to rely on your phone during the burn.
SOUND PROTOCOL
If your camp is planning to play any kind of music, please read this document very carefully and make sure you understand which rules apply to you. Note that some things have been changed or clarified since previously shared sound protocols! In addition to the rules listed here, we encourage you to chat with your neighbours after the soundcheck and make sure they feel good about your sound levels.
WATER
How to get water
There’s 16 water outlets spread across site, fairly close to all camps.
- The easiest option is simply working with a few big 20l canisters and filling them up as needed.
- The bougie version is connecting your camp to the water system. This is your own responsibility and we won’t be lending out pipes from kiezburn since they were kept in a rat infested storage unit and are not deemed safe for drinking water anymore. For this you'll need:
- Hose or pipe approved for drinking water
- Splitters to always keep one tap public (3/4 or 1 inch in size - we haven’t been told exactly where which ones are, but 3/4 is usually a more standard size and most water stations should have two outlets)
- Canisters (both as a fallback plan and for grey water)
Also talk to thy neighbour. If many connect to the same outlet water pressure can be affected.
Grey water
There is one manhole on site, where you can dispose of your grey water. You will need extra canisters to store it in your camp and there will be a trolley available next to the hole. Please always return it instantly and also consider brining your own to avoid waiting times. ‘Light’ grey water like fx water from a shower using only (and little) bio degradable products can be disposed in a sinkhole within the camp but anything non biodegradable, oily etc needs to be transported to the manhole.
Showers
There will be showers near the gate, in the freecamping area. If your camp decides to set up their own you are free to do so. Regardless of which shower you use, remember to only use biodegradable products!
AND NOW, A LITTLE CHECKLIST
Read this through to make sure you're ready to go!
💛 You need a ticket to join the burn. This is a co-created event and literally anyone on site will have a ticket. But I'm a DJ! You still need a ticket. But I'm a volunteer! You still need a ticket. But I'm a realizer! You still need a ticket. You won't be let in without one and there's no transfers happening anymore. So if you don't have a ticket by now, we are sorry but you won't be able to participate. See you next year? 😁
🤍 Gate will check the name on the ticket, so bring a document. Arriving at Gate with a ticket that doesn't match your document is going to be a complete waste of time and a stressful experience for you and for the Gate volunteers, so don't do that. And remember to bring a valid health insurance!
♥️ If you don't want to rely on your phone during the burn, remember to print out the program! You can find a homeprinting friendly version here.
🧡 We'll say it again and again: read the survival guide and make sure you understand our principles. This is important: the expectations that you might have from regular festivals will often not apply at a burn.
💗 Don't take photos of unconsenting people. No dancefloor pictures, no broad angles of a crowd, not even from behind. This is a container for people to express themselves in ways they might not be able to in the default world, and unconsensual pictures are strictly forbidden.
💚 Don't wear glitter or clothes that will lose parts throughout the burn. Bring eco-friendly soap only. Take a trash bag, or MOOP bag, and attach it to your outfit so it's always with you - you'll need to take with you all the trash you produce, and shouldn't expect camps where you're partying at to take care of it. If you see trash that doesn't belong to you, pick it up with your MOOP bag. If you see something abandoned that doesn't look like trash, bring it to the lost and found at the Rangers HQ.
❣️ Bring a cup that you can attach to your outfit! There will be beautiful bars gifting delicious drinks, but only if you have a cup with you. You'll regret missing out on it!
Also, bring a practical headlamp and some pretty lights to decorate to your outfit. It will be dark sometimes, especially during build.
💕 Other DOs: bring gifts! Talk to people! Make friends! Think of simple ways of improving you experience and the experience of people around you, and make them happen. ✨
💜 Most importantly, don't treat the burn as a service for paying guests. It's not. You are responsible for making this awesome as much as everyone else. Something is missing? Bring it next year! This is a gift from ourselves to ourselves, there is no entitlement. On this note, please take a shift or two if you haven't yet!
💙 This year in particular is the first year in a fully new location. Please keep this in mind and adjust your expectations. We are trying this out for the first time, and if things don't work as we wanted we can learn from our mistakes next year and do it better. Let's be patient with each other and open to compromises. The chaos is part of the fun, right?
See you on the other side!
With love,
You communicorns
🥰 Kiez Burn is a wonderful, creative and diverse community with hundreds of people from different backgrounds and experiences. We want everyone to feel welcome, free and safe to experiment and express themselves. 👉 Every member of the Kiez Burn community is invited to participate so please familiarise yourself with the Kiez Burn Code of Conduct! If you witness or experience anything harmful at any Kiez Burn event or in our community’s offline or online space you can report it to the Kiez Burn Radical Accountability Division (RAD) using our online Reporting Form and they will get back to you after the event. 💕 The RAD works around the year specifically to hold participants accountable for harm done, and to help foster knowledge around consent, inclusion and accountability in our community. 👉Please note: for immediate support during Kiez Burn please turn to the Rangers or Welfare!👈 More info on the RAD Website: https://mmm.kiezburn.org/rad
