Did you know there are more than just theme camps in Black Rock City? There are art support camps that support registered art installations on the playa and mutant vehicle camps that support registered mutant vehicles. There are also Burning Man Project Departments, work support camps, and department approved service camps.
Support camps must meet criteria specific to their category in order to receive placement, which are explained below. All camps desiring placement in Black Rock City must fill out the Camp Placement Questionnaire, and will also be held to the criteria and expectations listed. You can learn all about the placement process here.
Theme Camps
Mutant Vehicle Camps
Art Support Camps
Work Support Camps
Department Camps
Civic Support Camps
Theme Camps
Theme camps are groups of participants who, together, contribute a service, engagement, art, or other creative interactive experience available for citizens of Black Rock City (BRC) without an expectation of anything in return. As a community, we create Black Rock City every year because we all believe there is value in having an entirely different kind of experience — one grounded in what you have to contribute, say, make, do, and share. Theme camps think beyond typical exchanges, and apply their creativity, resourcefulness, and their unique expression of our culture, toward creating experiences that encourage participants to share their expression with the Burning Man community.
Please visit the Camp Placement Criteria webpage to understand the definition and criteria for theme camps in Black Rock City.
Mutant Vehicle Camps
A mutant vehicle camp and its campers primarily focus on using their mutant vehicles (MV) to provide interactivity to Black Rock City citizens on playa. Mutant vehicle camps are placed outside interactive theme camp areas and as close to their requested location as possible.
Criteria for mutant vehicle camp placement:
- You must fill out a Mutant Vehicle Application with the Department of Mutant Vehicles (DMV) and a Camp Placement Questionnaire with Placement by their respective deadlines. See Burner Profiles for exact dates this year.
- To receive placement, your Mutant Vehicle must be invited and receive Setup Access Passes (SAP) from the DMV for early site access to the event. Placement checks directly with the DMV to ensure your MV is invited and receiving SAPs. Placement does not issue Setup Access Passes to mutant vehicle support camps.
- Mutant vehicle camp sizes must fall within the population criteria parameters based on the capacity/occupancy of the Mutant Vehicle(s). The capacity/occupancy of your Mutant Vehicle is submitted on your Mutant Vehicle Application. See table below.
- Mutant vehicle camps must meet the following criteria from the overall Camp Placement Criteria:
- Good Neighbors and Citizens of BRC
- Culture and Values
- Safety, Protocols and Procedures
- MOOP
- Self-reliance and Strain on Resources
- Please still read the entire document, thanks!
Mutant Vehicle (MV) Camp Population Criteria
|
MV capacity |
Maximum number of campmates |
Maximum sq ftg of camp |
|
1 – 4 |
7 – 12 |
5,000 |
|
5 – 10 |
13 – 18 |
7,500 |
|
11 – 20 |
19 – 25 |
10,000 |
|
21 – 40 |
26 – 50 |
20,000 |
|
41 – 50 |
51 – 75 |
30,000 |
|
51 – 60 |
51 – 75 |
30,000 |
|
61 – 70 |
51 – 75 |
30,000 |
|
71 – 80 |
51 – 75 |
30,000 |
|
81 – 90 |
76 – 100 |
40,000 |
|
91 – 100 |
76 – 100 |
40,000 |
|
101+ |
76 – 100 |
40,000 |
If your camp doesn’t need that much room, please ask for the population and square footage you need, not the maximum allowed, to help with density and open camping in Black Rock City.
If you have more than one MV, take the maximum number of campmates corresponding with each MV’s capacity and add them together. This will give you the total maximum camp population and square footage for all your MVs.
For example, if MV #1 has a capacity of 21-30 (= 50 people in camp max) and MV #2 has a capacity of 5-10 (= 18 people in camp max), then your total maximum camp size would be 68 people, which falls within the 51-75 number of campmates bracket of 30,000 sq ft.
If your combined total is higher than what’s on the above table, email placement@burningman.org for help determining your maximum population and square footage.
Art Support Camps
An art support camp and its campers focus primarily on building and maintaining registered art installations on playa. An art support camp is for the art installation build crew and their essential support crew only. On the Camp Placement Questionnaire you will be asked for the name of your art piece, location preference, and will be placed as close to your art as possible as determined in concert with the Art Department. Resources such as Setup Access Passes for the art installation are provided by the Art Department (not from Placement).
Criteria for art support camp placement:
- You must fill out the Art Installation Registration Questionnaire with the Art Department and a Camp Placement Questionnaire with Placement by their respective deadlines. See Burner Profiles for exact dates this year.
- To receive placement, your installation must be coming and receive Setup Access Passes (SAP) from the Art Department for early site access to the event. Placement checks directly with the Art Department to ensure you’re coming and receiving SAPs. Placement does not issue Setup Access Passes to art support camps.
- Art support camps must meet the following criteria from the overall Camp Placement Criteria:
- Good Neighbors and Citizens of BRC
- Culture and Values
- Safety, Protocols and Procedures
- MOOP
- Self-reliance and Strain on Resources
- Please still read the entire document, thanks!
Work Support Camps
If you are working for a Burning Man Department on the playa as a staff member or volunteer, you can request a work support camp for your group’s reserved camping. At least half of the campers must be active staff or volunteers, and names are verified by Placement with Department Managers. Resources such as Setup Access Passes for staff are provided by respective Department Managers (not by Placement). Any eligible staff person may fill out the Placement Questionnaire for a work support camp, and work support camps can be a mixture of staff from more than one department. You must fill out the Camp Placement Questionnaire with Placement by the deadline.
Work support camps must meet the following criteria from the overall Camp Placement Criteria:
- Good Neighbors and Citizens of BRC
- Culture and Values
- Safety, Protocols and Procedures
- MOOP
- Self-reliance and Strain on Resources
- Please still read the entire document, thanks!
Department Camps
A department camp is an official reserved space for Burning Man Project Departments to operate on playa. Department camps must be pre-approved by Event Leadership and the Place Camp Questionnaire can only be submitted by designated Burning Man Project staff.
Civic Support Camps
A civic support camp is one that offers a service that supports the community that further important goals for the community rather than being limited to amusing interactivity brought by theme camps. These services can occur within a camp or be offered around the city by the group, and must be sponsored by and coordinated with a Burning Man Department.