We believe that building the camp, layer by layer and having a structure where all members belong to a smaller team that belongs to a bigger area that makes up the camp, will enable us to better include everyone and make all members feel at home. This enables us to build trust and find energy, inspiration, and creativity to make the whole camp flourish – to create as much fun as possible for as many as possible.

It is indeed a challenge to build a well-functioning camp where everything from transport, food, infrastructure to social context, safety and trust are built and created by people from all over the world and where most never have met in person before arriving to Black Rock City (BRC). But that is what we need to in order to enable an amazing and vibrant experience for the camp members and in order to build and fill a public space with magic, happenings and gifts to all our visitors and guests.

We have developed a platform for the camp with policies for membership, camp fees and organisational structure, including how to make decisions and set a budget. These policies, together with the 10 principles of Burning Man is the base on which the camp resides. The camp also has a clear vision; “to create as much fun as possible to as many as possible“, that guide all our decisions in the camp. We have also developed a theme and a concept for the camp that set the direction for our public space and all that we plan to do and offer within it.

We have identified different areas that needs special attention during the planning, building and execution of the camp’s activities and created Teams that will take responsibility for these areas. Each team will have a lead that coordinates the work and several team members that help create and get all things done.

The teams start with only one person each; the leads, allocated during January. The 21 leads have several meetings to align the view of the camp, set the first budget, acculturate leads that haven’t been to BRC and set the organisation for the continuing work ahead. Each team is then populated with one more member; the co-lead. Adding just one more member and not filling the whole team at once makes it easier for the leads to spread knowledge, acculturate and include the new members. The aim is to have 42 members (leads and co-leads) well up to speed and fully engaged in the camp at the end of March.

The camp opens for an additional 35 members during March, and we aim to radically include all in the teams and camp. Having clearly defined teams and allocating each and every member to one team creates a clear “base” for all members. A smaller unit in which they are comfortable, know how to contribute and can ask for advice. The next “level” in the camp are “Areas” where 3-5 teams join forces to solve and execute challenges and responsibilities.

The camp will add 15-20 members (with tickets to Burning Man) after the main sale has ended, with the aim to have 90 members total during the week in the desert.   

We aim to build trust and find energy, inspiration and creativity to make the whole camp flourish – to create as much fun as possible for as many as possible.