The Camp Support Team advises, supports and develops the theme camp community in Black Rock City. The team is comprised of experienced camp leaders who connect other camp leaders to resources and experiences so that they can be the best camps they can be. The team’s mission is to serve as a clearinghouse for practical knowledge related to creating, operating, and maintaining healthy and vibrant camps and serving as a catalyst for fostering connection, conversation, and knowledge and resource sharing between camps and their members.
Camp Support is separate from the BRC Placement Team and is not involved in the decisions or mapping of BRC’s camps — please contact placement@burningman.org for specific questions about the BRC Placement process or decisions.
What We Do
Online Help Desk — campsupport@burningman.org
Anyone can email us about their questions, challenges, ideas, etc. Our experienced team of camp leaders will help however they can. We may:- directly answer your question
- link you to a resource
- connect you with someone from another camp who went through a similar challenge
- direct you to a distributed social network so you can get multiple answers to your question
Think of this as a help desk for the inner workings of your camp — build, food, acculturation, logistics, interactivity, frontage, leave no trace, camp finances, camper participation, leadership, and the list goes on! Email us at campsupport@burningman.org
On-Playa Help Desk (located inside the Placement Office)
Beginning during Build Week, we bring our help desk to the playa with in-person assistance for camp leaders. Whether it’s finding another camp that might help you solve a challenge, problems with OSS or other departments, or you just need a sympathetic ear, we’re here to help.
Online Resources
- Camp Resource Guide: This online guide covers many topics
- Burning Man Hive: A space for individuals inspired by Burning Man culture to learn, share, and connect.
- Theme Camp Archive: Searchable index of listed camps over the years
Camp Advisory & Mentorship Program (CAMP)
The Camp Advisory & Mentorship Program matches camps and their leads with experienced peer camp leaders who mentor and advise them. It’s great for new camps, new camp leaders, and experienced camps alike. CAMP is here to help with things like:- organizing and leading a great theme camp
- figuring out participation forms
- increasing or improving your camp’s interactivity
- improving your camp’s infrastructure
- improving camper participation levels
- acculturating new campmates to the 10 Principles
- working on camp growing pains
Camps of all kinds are eligible to be matched with an advisor through CAMP — whether you’re a long-time camp experiencing new challenges, trying out new things, or just need an extra thought partner from a peer. Camps can request to join CAMP at any time during the year, but we strongly suggest that you join as early as possible in your annual planning cycle (September-March).
Camps deemed Limited or Not Good Standing by Placement, or who have not received placement, are also welcome to join the program.
If you are a camp wanting to be matched with an advisor, please fill out our CAMP Intake Questionnaire. The CAMP team will review all submissions and contact you within a couple weeks.
If you are an experienced theme camp organizer and would like to mentor another camp, please fill out our CAMP Advisor Application. The CAMP team will review potential mentors and contact you if we’d like to move forward with your participation.
Camp Symposium
The Camp Symposium is an annual event where camp leaders convene for programming, panels, breakout sessions, knowledge sharing, and connection with our amazing community. Previous Symposium content can be found on Burning Man Project’s YouTube channel.
Campfire Talks
Campfire Talks offer the opportunity to listen, share, learn and connect with the camp community on timely, relevant, and thought-provoking topics. Every month, Campfire Talks invites experienced organizers and camp leads to join a virtual panel and share ideas to help camps and campers thrive, survive, and revive. Participants are encouraged to add to the discussion with questions, stories, and responses. Cozy up to the virtual campfire and connect with your community at the Campfire Talks. Find past Campfire Talks here.
Burner Network
Burner Network is a testbed for new Camp Support projects that minimizes the need for scarce Burning Man Project tech and admin resources. It is housed in a separate 501(c)(3) non-profit organization with its own volunteer-run website. Burner Network currently has four key initiatives:- Camp Honoraria Program — provides grants for theme camps and mutant vehicles
- Fiscal Sponsorship Program — allows camps to collect tax-deductible donations without administrative burden of running their own 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization
- Burner Mapping Project — publishes a worldwide map of Burning Man theme camps, projects, and resources
- Burner Network Discord — offers a place for TCOs, Mayors, and camps to connect, gather, and share knowledge outside of Facebook
Stories from the City
Stories from the City is a project that uses the power of storytelling to support theme camps. We share stories of camps to inspire participation, capture practical methodologies and lessons learned, and document the fascinating community experiments that happen at Black Rock City. Stories are published in the Burning Man Journal.