Fire Conclave

For 2012, 49 different fire groups communicated intention to join the Fire Conclave, 42 groups submitted audition video for review, and 28 were “invited” to dance in the Great Circle. 4 groups were invited to be Sentinels, a positioned designed to delineate space between groups. This year’s Fire Conclave membership, totaling 1,261, was made up of more than just fire performers (715), fire safeties (197), Helmsmen (28 radio communicators), musical accompaniment (116) and documentation (36). There were also the Ambient Drummers (74) and Procession, including Lamplighters (52) and the Sentinels (95). This year 24 of the groups were returning of those four with a new name and 10 with a new Shin. There were four new groups.

SUCCESSES

In 2011 we created the Sentinels position. These are groups that deserved honorable mention for their submissions to the Fire Conclave, but due to space within the circle they did not make it into the Fire Conclave. Their job as Sentinels is to hold space around the circle for the Fire Conclave. They do this by holding large staffs around the circle positioned between the groups, and the roads. This position is an important component of the Fire Conclave; they are part of the safety infrastructure which most people will not observe beyond the beautiful torch they hold.

Clear and persistent information from the Council to the Fire Conclave was greatly improved in 2012 with further development of a syllabus type document that groups could refer to throughout the cycle. The Council is also compiling a comprehensive handbook that will be issued each year.

At the beginning of 2011 The Fire Conclave Council worked to capture the workflow processes our founder, Crimson Rose had been practicing in order to produce the Fire Conclave since its beginning in 1991. With a full understanding of her processes, the Council in 2012 has distributed the workload, established responsibilities, created a division of labor that compliment our individual strengths, and established tight lines of communication so that we function effectively together.

CHALLENGES

Ticket availability was a big concern for the Fire Conclave in 2012. Our solution was to offer a reimbursement to those who would purchase a non-Conclave ticket so that their final ticket price was that of the Fire Conclave Performer ticket. Conclave members requesting reimbursement were required to provide their ticket stub and proof of purchase of that numbered ticket. A total of 70 reimbursements were approved. This system proved to be a tremendous additional burden to the Council.

2012 FIRE CONCLAVE MEMBERSHIP

The following groups work long hours to participate in the Great Circle and show off their fiery magic in dances dedicated to the Man before he is released in pyrotechnic delight:

24 – Returning Group ( of those 4 – with a New Name / 10 with a New Shin )

4 – New Groups

  • Aish Tamid ~ Phila/ PA / U.S.A.~ Returning Group ~ New Shin
  • Beyond Fire Tribe ~ Nevada City CA USA ~ Returning Group
  • Burning Sensation ~ Long Beach, CA, USA ~ Returning Group
  • Church of Flaming Funk ~ Anchorage, AK, USA ~ Returning Group ~ New Shin
  • Cinder Circus ~ Eugene, OR, USA ~ Returning Group
  • Controlled Burn ~ Reno, NV, USA ~ Returning Group
  • Dreamtime Circus ~ Oakland, CA, USA ~ Returning Group ~ New Shin
  • Fire Arts Collective ~ Oakland, CA, USA ~ Returning Group ~ New Shin
  • Fireworks Collective ~ United Kindom ~ Returning Group ~ New Shin
  • Flow Temple ~ Los Angeles, CA, USA ~ New Group
  • Garnish ~ Portland, OR, USA ~ Returning Group
  • Great Lakes (formerly Chicago Fire Tribe) ~ Chicago, Il, USA ~ Returning Group
  • Guardian Alliance ~ SF Bay Area CA, Ashland OR, San Diego CA, Boulder CO, USA ~ New Group
  • Hawaii Fire Artists ~ Honolulu , Hawaii , USA ~ Returning Group ~ New Name
  • L.A. Fire Brigade ~ Los Angeles, CA, USA ~ Returning Group
  • Luminesque ~ Ukiah, CA, USA ~ New Group
  • Minneapolis Fire Collective ~ Minneapolis, MN, USA ~ Returning Group
  • Mythmaker ~ Nelson, BC, Canada ~ New Group
  • Nocturnal Sunshine ~ Santa cruz, CA, USA ~ Returning Group
  • NW Fire Conclave ~ Seattle, WA, USA ~ Returning Group ~ New Shin
  • Oregon Fire Conclave ~ Willamette Valley, OR, USA ~ Returning Group
  • PyroKlectic ~ CA, AZ, OR, NM, TX, USA ~ Returning Group
  • Radiant Heat ~ Vancouver, BC, Canada ~ Returning Group ~ New Shin
  • San Diego Unified Fire Conclave ~ San Diego, CA, USA ~ Returning Group
  • Santa Barbara Fire Conclave ~ Santa Barbara, CA USA ~ Returning Group ~ New Shin
  • Solar Flare ~ San Francisco, CA, USA ~ Returning Group
  • The Burn Academy ~ Los Angeles, CA, U.S.A. ~ Returning Group
  • Vulcan ~ Oakland, CA, USA ~ Returning Group ~ New Shin

SENTINELS

  • Flameology ~ Returning Group ~ Location ~ Las Vegas, NV
  • Hot CoCo ~ Returning Group ~ Location ~ Denver, CO
  • Playa del Fuego – Returning Group ~ Location ~ Washington, DC
  • Sekhmet’s Tribe – Returning Group ~ Location ~ San Francisco, CA

Submitted by,
The Fire Conclave Council: Q, Tabasco and Crimson Rose