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Photo by Mark Fromson, 2022
2022 Placement Newsletter #9: Feedback Edition
Congratulations Black Rock Citizens! We did it! After a three-year hiatus, we have a lot to be proud of. We built Black Rock City again and survived another week (or more) in the desert. It was hot, it was dusty, things broke down. Some things could be fixed with duct tape and spit, while others had to be let go of. We all deserve a collective toast for accomplishing this huge feat and remembering how this all (mostly) worked again.
There was a lot to remember after three years off, including how to be sure there was enough of your crew at the end to have a solid strike and leave no trace. More camps than ever were down to the wire with getting out in time, a reminder to account for scheduling, and more hands to ensure timely departures. The city is now in the hands of the Playa Restoration team who will be sweeping to ensure that we truly leave no trace and can do this all again in a year. If you have any bandwidth to get out to playa again, they could really use some help.
As the dust settles on the magic from a few weeks ago, what’s also becoming ever more clear are the threats to our culture and what we need to do to protect it — particularly around Decommodification and convenience camping. You can expect new policies and processes from Placement coming out for the 2023 cycle to help us move closer to our Cultural Vision. In the meantime, help us get a better picture of how this Burn went, and share your feedback on all the things…
In this issue...
- Tell Us How Everyone Did: Neighborhood & Interactivity Feedback Form
- Tell Us How You Did: Post-playa Report
- Be Counted: Fill out the Census
- Tell Us About COVID, Exodus, and Everything Else
- Tell Us About Your Interactions with Law Enforcement
- Placement Timeline
Photo by Jamen Percy, 2019
1. Tell Us How Everyone Did: Neighborhood & Interactivity Feedback Form
How was your neighborhood? Was there an amazing camp that you want to be sure gets kudos? Was there a camp that wasn’t doing much? What did you think of the city layout and What Where When guide?
We’re seeing chatter around the internet, but here’s your chance to tell us directly - the good, the bad, and everything in between. Feel free to share this with all your campmates and friends since we need as much feedback as possible to have a clear picture of what happened in the neighborhoods. The more information we have, the better we can ensure that camps are held to their best, and the better design our neighborhoods for future Burns.
Photo by Kim Palaferri, 2016
2. Tell Us How You Did: Post-playa Report
Camp/village leads, please keep your eyes peeled for instructions on the Post-playa Report in your inbox later this week. Each camp/village lead is required to complete the report as the final step in the 2022 Placement cycle as was mentioned in, “Introducing a More Dynamic and Transparent Placement Process for 2022.”
We want to hear directly from you: where did you shine, what we may have missed seeing, where you could improve, how were your neighbors, and how can Placement improve our process and system to support you better. This report is required to be considered in Good Standing, to be eligible for the 2023 Stewards Sale, and will be due October 20, 2022.
Photo by Charles Mosneron Dupin, 2017
3. Be Counted: Participate in the Census
Don't worry, your camp's chance to participate, collaborate, and engage in Civic Responsibility isn't over yet. It's time to take the 2022 Black Rock City Census! The Census is a collaborative research project with the goal of learning more about the participants who make up Black Rock City. Where do we come from? Who are we the other 51 weeks of the year? What do we think of Burning Man? How do our opinions change over time?
We can't crunch the numbers if you don't fill it out. Fill out the Census by October 10!
The Census is anonymous and voluntary. Please forward the link to all of your campmates and friends that were at the Burn this year.
Sonic Runway by Rob Jensen & Warren Trezevant (Photo by Jini Sachse, 2018)
4. Tell Us About COVID-19, Exodus, and Everything Else
Burning Man 2022 is in the bag! And now we want to get specific feedback about whether COVID-19 affected you on playa, and how your experience of leaving BRC went down.
We also want your event feedback. Your thoughts, concerns, questions, and reflections will factor into our planning for 2023 and beyond!
The staff reads every word and your input becomes a part of our annual staff debrief process. We’re always open to your feedback, but we’ll be closing the Feedback Loop on October 15 to incorporate submissions in our review process.
Photo by Robert Bruce Anderson, 2015
5. Tell Us About Your Interactions with Law Enforcement
Did you have any interaction with law enforcement while traveling to or within Black Rock City? If so, we’d like to know how it went to improve Burning Man’s relations with law enforcement. Submit an electronic feedback form while the memories are still fresh in your mind. If you have any photos, videos, or audio recordings, please label the file(s) with your name and the date (e.g. “Kelly_Smith_08-23-22.mp4”) and upload them within the form.
Black Rock City is patrolled by the following public agencies:
- Federal Bureau of Land Management Rangers
- Pershing County Sheriff’s Office
- Washoe County Sheriff’s Office
- Nevada State Department of Investigations (NDI)
- Nevada State Health Division
- Nevada State Police Highway Patrol
You may also have had interactions with the Bureau of Indian Affairs or the tribal police from the Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe. If so, please include feedback about these interactions as well.
Got questions? Email LEfeedback@burningman.org.
6. Placement Timeline
- September: Dust everything off. Lick your wounds. Celebrate your victories.
- October 20: Post-playa Report due.
- November: Camp Standing announced to placed theme camps/villages.
- December: 2023 Statement of Intent opens for returning theme camps/villages.
Write down your fresh ideas for 2023 before you forget!
The 2022 Placement Team: Batman, Baulknaub, Bratty Cat, Bravo, Happy, HepKitten, Hot Water, Huntress, KGB, Kozmik Kat, Level, Monday, Muppet, Papa Bear, Ratchet, Reaper, Robox, Shadow, Strat, Tacoman, The Governess, WhatsIt, the Flaggers, and Placement Operations Team
If you have a question about your Statement of Intent, camp questionnaire, camp placement decisions, Stewards Sale, Work Access Passes, etc. – email the Placement Team at placement@burningman.org. Anyone can subscribe to this Placement Newsletter here.
If you have a question about the internal workings of camps or want support in addressing a camp challenge (i.e. build, food, acculturation, logistics, interactivity, frontage, leave no trace, camp finances, camper participation, leadership, etc) – email the Camp Support Team at campsupport@burningman.org
You are receiving this because of your interest in and support of Burning Man Project.
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