Category: Announcements

We interrupt our regularly scheduled programming to bring you a Special Announce Message! Important things happen when they happen, regardless of scheduling attempts. For instance, we have two big items that need to be distributed. They came up after November’s Announce message went out, and they really need to be seen before the December Announce message. So, without any further ado:

NO! Don’t you see? Burning Flipside needs an EFFIGY!

If you have a strong opinion or a grand vision about what Pyropolis should build and burn in ‘016, and you’ve got the time, crew, and plan for how to do it, now’s the time to tell us!

This year, though, we’re doing things a little bit differently. There will be two rounds for the effigy proposals. Read closely for all the info:

First we are calling for letters of interest. If you want to put together an effigy proposal, create a basic outline of that proposal and submit it to us. Once we have received the letters of interest, we will then begin the second round, where the interested parties will be given more information and asked to produce fully fleshed-out effigy
proposals.

Your letter of interest is due in twelve days – by 11:59 pm on Nov 22nd!
(Those who make the second round will be informed of the date their final proposals are due.)

Being a DaFT lead means you’re responsible for designing the effigy and leading the build team to create the Flipside Effigy, both during pre-event and on-site. You don’t necessarily need to be a professional engineer, architect, or carpenter. However, these skills certainly help. We suggest you seek advice from experienced builders and project
leaders, should you need assistance or advice. It’s a challenge, but don’t be scared! Be a rockstar! Lead DaFT!

Don’t wait till it’s too late! The DaFT (Design and Fabrication Team) Selection Committee is here to help! Prior to the deadline, feel free to show (one or all of) us what you’ve got! Pick our brains! We’re all ex-DaFT leads, so we’ll be able to give you real insight into how to (or not to) build, delegate, lift, bolt, screw, nail, cut, ShopBot, beat-to-fit, transport, budget, burn, and otherwise DO the effigy things.

Contact us at: daft-proposal@flames.burningflipside.com

From all of us at the DSC, happy designing!

Jic, Beth, Dave, Chainsaw, Dotti, Krahnik, Lance, Kaleb

Call for Sticket Designs

Hey Flipizens! Would you like two free tickets to Flipside 2016?
And did you know that designing the art for the ticket or the sticker is actually the only way to get TWO free tickets to Flipside?!? Leads, volunteers, even LLC members, pay for their tickets.

Design the Flipside ticket or sticker and submit your design today! The person who submits the winning STICKER design will get TWO free tickets to Flipside 2016. The person who submits the winning TICKET design will also receive TWO free tickets to Flipside 2016.

Keep in mind all designs must be original. No clip art, and positively NO copywritten material may be used. The designs can be created digitally or by hand. You must follow the specifications listed below, or your design could be disqualified.

So break out your pen, marker, crayon or stylus and get the ideas flowing. Hand-drawn submissions are perfectly fine, but must be delivered before the deadline: 10 pm Friday January 29, 2016.
Submit your designs or any questions to Rufus & SuzyQ at stickets16@BurningFlipside.com

We will positively confirm every submission we receive, so if you do not receive a confirmation within a few days, please email us back, and we will confirm receipt.

Burning Flipside will do its best to include all submitted designs, in some form of hype, the survival guide, or the website, so your art should get seen. When you submit you are implicitly giving permission for us to use your design – on the ticket or sticker, on the Burning Flipside website, or in the Survival Guide. If for some reason you do not want to give this permission, please specify that when you submit. Also please indicate how you would like your art to be credited.

TICKET Design Details:

Please include the following information within your Ticket design:

Burning Flipside
No
May 26-30, 2016
www.burningflipside.com

Please do not post or display your ticket design anywhere else until after the contest ends. (The artist for the winning ticket design will be asked to refrain from posting it anywhere until after the event.)

• Artwork should be 2.375 x 4.375 inches.
• 1/8 inch all around WILL BE CUT OFF creating a final size of 2.125 x 4.125 – this extra space is called bleed.
• Artwork should be CMYK.
• Artwork should be supplied at 100% as either vector based art (Illustrator or Inkscape) or at 300dpi if it is a Photoshop file.
• If Photoshop – .tif, .eps, .psd and .jpeg files are preferred. Please save jpeg files with “maximum quality”.

Tips for successful reproduction of your design:

• Do not place text too close to the edge of your design. It should be 1/8″ in on either side once the artwork is trimmed. Pick fonts that will be easy to read and try to not use a font that is really thin on a dark background. It will “plug-up” and be hard to read.
• Do not get too complex, it is often easier to create artwork at a larger size and reduce it down. Keep in mind what it will look like at the smaller size.
• If you create your art in layers, be sure and save that layered file just in case the printer needs anything altered – this will make it easier on them and you.

STICKER Design Details:

Please include at least the following information within your Sticker design:

Flipside 2016

• Sticker Art should cover a 2.5″ circle at 300dpi.
• Make your design simple! Intricate and super-fine lines (less than 1-pt) tend to dry up in the screen and will not show up on the sticker. (For your reference, 1pt lines are roughly the same size as what a medium ball point pen will draw. It is a good idea to keep important elements of your artwork at least 1/8″ from the edge of the sticker to allow for cutting. Serifed fonts can be a nightmare – especially at small point sizes. Set all type to at LEAST 10 points.)
• In the past we’ve only printed black and white stickers, or another color and white. Grayscale or gradients are a real pain and don’t print very well, so try to stick to solid colors. All halftones are screened at 55 lpi.

We look forward to seeing the designs as they come in. It is an incredible outpouring from this intensively creative community! It’s a pleasure to serve as your sticket team.

If you have any questions, just let us know.

Love,
Your Flipside 2016 Sticker/Ticket Selection Team,
Rufus + SuzyQ

We now return you to your regularly scheduled mayhem. Carry on!

NOvember is in the air. The weather is turning slightly cooler, the Fall decorations are out, and the inevitable creep toward Winter continues. Burning Flipside 2016: No. It’s happening in May, but the preparations are already underway. Teams are assembling to organize volunteers, Design and Fabricate the effigy, and get the ticketing process squared away. There’s always something going on, which means there’s always a way for you to PARTICIPATE!

Stay tuned to the Flipside Flame, the Announce email list, and the official Burning Flipside Facebook Page. Remember, if you have something you’d like to contribute to the Flame or Announce, use Flipside Flame/Announce Submission page to send it in. Announce tends to be at the beginning of the month, and Flames usually get published around the middle of the month. Get me the info at least a week before then, and I’ll do my best to get your contribution included.

~Editor

Leads Nominations

NOminate yourself or others for Lead positions. Nominations are now open, and close on NOvember 4th. Community feedback starts after nominations close, so look for more information about that to come.

If you have any questions about any of the lead positions, you can consult http://wiki.burningflipside.com/wiki/Main_Page

Here are the areas with volunteer positions:

Note: AAR, LLC and Combustion Chamber positions are special roles filled in a different process.

The sign-up form has a lot of great detail. Go! Nominate away!

If you’re not interested in being a Lead, but want to learn more about volunteering in general, check out the All Things Volunteering page and play the “Choose your own adventure” game.

DaFT Proposals

The Design and Fabrication Team (DaFT) is the group that brings the effigy to the playa year after year. Got an idea of what you’d like the effigy to be? Check out the Effigy Page for more details, and we’ll post more info as it becomes available.  Seriously, what do you think “No” means when it’s on fire? Give it some thought and show us what you’ve got! Send submissions to daft-proposal@flames.burningflipside.com any time before the end of NOvember 22nd.

Combustion Chamber Meetings

The Combustion Chamber is an advisory committee to the Austin Artistic Reconstruction LLC to facilitate community input & transparency for the policy-making process and organization of burn community events. CC meetings each start at 7:42 pm at the Warehouse. Special topics are as follows:

Nov 2:

• LLC/Regionals/AF Updates – “Let’s Catch Up” on what’s happening with the LLC, Regionals, and Area Facilitators.
• CC Handbook Draft Review – The Combustion Chamber’s handbook is getting reviewed for completeness, accuracy, and relevance. If you’ve ever wondered how they do what they do, this is a place to start learning.
• CC Retreat — Retreats are a fun way to help the CC members get to know each other and bond as a team.

Nov 16:

• LLC/Regionals/AF Updates – “Let’s Catch Up” on what’s happening with the LLC, Regionals, and Area Facilitators.
• Art @ Church Night – Who doesn’t love more art?
• More Large Burnable Art? – Who doesn’t love more large art ON FIRE?

Nov 30:

• LLC/Regionals/AF Updates – “Let’s Catch Up” on what’s happening with the LLC, Regionals, and Area Facilitators.
• Adult Camp Placement Follow Up – Some things to consider when locating camps during the event. Logistics, y’all.

Have a topic you believe the community needs to discuss? Please send suggestions to cc@burningflipside.com.  Please keep in mind that we discuss community and policy issues, not operational ones.

Burning Flipside 2016: No

That’s right, folks. No theme. At the Fall Town Hall this past Saturday, the community gathered at the NEW Warehouse to hear updates on community activities, and to select the theme for next year. After a series of fun presentations, votes were cast and the theme emerged. Remember that themes are a loose suggestion that don’t have to be adhered to unless you want to. “No” can have a multitude of interpretations, so take some time to roll the idea around in your head. You may be surprised at what No can do for you!

The after party was a chance for us to say our last goodbyes to the old Warehouse. Music, lights, BOOSH, and an atmosphere full of  bittersweet sorrow made the night special. It was a worthy send-off for a venue that has been our home away from Home for so many years.

Fare thee well, Old Warehouse. Now let’s get the New Warehouse up to speed!

Stay tuned to the Flipside Flame, the Announce email list, and the official Burning Flipside Facebook Page. Remember, if you have something you’d like to contribute to the Flame or Announce, use Flipside Flame/Announce Submission page to send it in. Announce tends to be at the beginning of the month, and Flames usually get published around the middle of the month. Get me the info at least a week before then, and I’ll do my best to get your contribution included.

~Editor

Final Old Warehouse Push

Welcome to the new warehouse! We need to do a final push at the old warehouse. Thursday afternoon, the bus should be moving! Thursday early evening, I could use 2-3 people to help remove everything remaining inside the building to the exterior of the building. I’ll be there at 5:30. A few things are too big for one person to do alone. Saturday, I need to lease one more dumpster. Everything that is left MUST GO. Please watch this space for time we will start on Saturday.
~Mer

Leads Nominations

Nominate yourself or others for Lead positions. Nominations are now open, and close on October 26th. From Dahling Sweetiepoo:

So, we’re having one of those Flipside thingies again in 2016. And as you all know, Flipside is an all-volunteer organization. This means that we need a ton of volunteers to make the whole thing go — our estimate is more than 600 volunteers working well more than 7000 hours.

In order to coordinate all of this, we’ve needed to add quite a bit of structure. For this reason, rather than just throwing out a few hundred volunteers and saying “go do stuff”, Flipside’s been divided up into a bunch of tasks that need to be done, and those tasks are then given to leads. And you wouldn’t be here if you didn’t want to be a lead, or want someone else to be a lead, now, would you?

Leads, generically, have accountability for some set of tasks, the authority to delegate parts of those tasks, and the responsibility to build a team capable of executing those tasks. Typically, they will interface with other leads, and with the relevant Area Facilitator (AF) in order to accomplish those tasks.

Area Facilitators (AFs)

AFs exist to operationally support and coordinate the various leads. In particular, the AFs are responsible for making sure that the leads have the tools necessary to get their jobs done. With this in mind, each Area Facilitator has a specific scope for which they are accountable for, and consequently, a specific subset of leads which they support. They will be excellent resources from which to inquire about the scope and responsibilities of the various Flipside leads. If you have any questions about any of the lead positions, you can consult http://wiki.burningflipside.com/wiki/Main_Page

Here are the areas with volunteer positions:

Note: AAR, LLC and Combustion Chamber positions are special roles filled in a different process.

The sign-up form has a lot of great detail. Go! Nominate away!

DaFT Proposals

The Design and Fabrication Team (DaFT) is the group that brings the effigy to the playa year after year. Got an idea of what you’d like the effigy to be? Check out the Effigy Page for more details, and we’ll post more info as it becomes available.  Seriously, what do you think “No” means when it’s on fire? Give it some thought and show us what you’ve got! Send submissions to daft-proposal@flames.burningflipside.com any time before the end of November 22nd.

Combustion Chamber Meetings

Now that TTITD is over, and the Fall Town Hall has occurred, and the Warehouse has moved, Combustion Chamber meetings are getting back to their regular schedule.

The Combustion Chamber is an advisory committee to the Austin Artistic Reconstruction LLC to facilitate community input & transparency for the policy-making process and organization of burn community events. CC meetings each start at 7:42 pm at the Warehouse. Special topics are as follows:
October 19th topics:

• LLC/Regionals/AF Updates – “Let’s Catch Up” on what’s happening with the LLC, Regionals, and Area Facilitators.
• Meeting Room Booking Policies – Review the current warehouse use policies, suggest adaptations for the use of the specific climate-controlled space as it will have a potentially different group of interested users, with the goal of keeping a pleasant space for us to welcome the community to and for the community to use.
• Warehouse Storage Policy – Review the current warehouse storage policies, suggest amendments as necessary, and carry the final message to the larger community, with the aim to reduce clutter and crap that accumulates at the warehouse. The recent warehouse search and move give new perspective to clutter’s impact on our volunteers and even the bottom line.

November 2nd topics:

• LLC/Regionals/AF Updates – “Let’s Catch Up” on what’s happening with the LLC, Regionals, and Area Facilitators.
• CC Handbook Draft Review – How to be a member of the CC, a review.
• CC Retreat – Is it happening, and what are the details?

Have a topic you believe the community needs to discuss? Please send suggestions to cc@burningflipside.com.  Please keep in mind that we discuss community and policy issues, not operational ones.

It’s Beginning to Feel a Lot Like Flipside*

The Lead Nominations Form is online and ready your clicking, perusing, self-nominations, voluntelling-ations, and feedback. You’ve got until October 26th to get it got it good it.

Please consider signing up for something that might seem interesting to you. While not everyone who throws their hat in is chosen to be a Flipside Lead this year, as an all-volunteer celebration of Central Texas Burniness, volunteering for a Lead role helps us figure out a whole lot more about this year’s planning, and about who is interested in what.

If you’re not interested in being a Lead, but want to learn more about volunteering in general, check out the All Things Volunteering page and play the “Choose your own adventure” game.

No gnomes were harmed in the making of this event.

*and it’s not even Myschievia yet–is Flipside starting sooner every year?

Fall Town Hall will be at the new warehouse, 3106 Industrial Terrance. The event itself starts at 2:34 PM, tailgating starts at noon. Park on the street–we won’t have off-street parking available. Carpool if you can.

We’ll be hearing updates from AAR, LLC, the Combustion Chamber, the DaFT team, and more. We’ll also be hearing theme nomination presentations, then voting on the Burning Flipside 2016 theme.

AFTERPARTY: Join us at 7PM, at the old warehouse, 1023 Springdale Rd, for music, beverages, and reminiscing. We’re saying goodbye to our old home, so let’s send it off with a bang.

Both events are BYOWhatever You Need To Be Comfortable. Bring a chair, a beverage to share, and a way to carry it all home with you when you go. Both events are, as always, Leave No Trace.

Announcements are gaining momentum as we drive toward the big Warehouse Move, Fall Town Hall, and other regional events.  Stay tuned in by subscribing to the Announce email list.

Remember, if you have something you’d like to contribute to the Flame or Announce, use the Flipside Flame / Announce Submission Form to send it in. Announce tends to be at the beginning of the month, and Flames usually get published around the middle of the month. Get me the info at least a week before then, and I’ll do my best to get your contribution included.

~Editor

Warehouse Move Updates

Do you like scrap metal? Gear triage? Sorting through a decade’s worth of art sediment? Organizing things? Do you stay up late during weeknights? Have a truck? Then, the warehouse move team is for you!

Starting now, we’re sorting through the stuff in the existing warehouse–every Church Night and weekend until the end of September. Over Labor Day, we’ll have a big push to stage for the move, and then over Sept 12-13th, we’ll rent big trucks and do the final push. In between then and now, if you’d like to be on the list of people who get first crack at the loot pile, or are a part of the spur of the moment midnight runs from one warehouse to the next, contact warehouse-move@burningflipside.com to get on the warehouse move email list.

The Warehouse is moving to a new location (that will be revealed early to volunteers), and we need your help! Fill out the Warehouse Move Signup to stay in the know about when/where/how you can help us get things done.

It’s a big job, but if a lot of us help, and we take it slow and steady, we can get this done with minimal effort. NEW WAREHOUSE! Let’s do this.

~Mer

WART Wants You!

The Warehouse is moving. There’s a lot of art. We’re going to move the art.

There is a team – the Warehouse Art Relocation Team.

There is a form.
If you have art at the Warehouse and want to have a say in what happens to it, or want it back, please fill out the form.
If you want to help us catalog, clean, pack, and move all this precious art, please fill out the form.
If you just want to tell us why a particular piece is super important to move to the new warehouse, please fill out the form.
Again, the form.
You can also send email to warehouseart15@burningflipside.com.

The WART thanks you for your participation!

Combustion Chamber Meetings

We are jumping our normal every other week CC scheduling because of Burning Man. See some of you out in the dust , the others when we get back . Travel safely, have adventures.

The Combustion Chamber is an advisory committee to the Austin Artistic Reconstruction LLC to facilitate community input & transparency for the policy-making process and organization of burn community events. CC meetings each start at 7:42 pm at the Warehouse. Special topics are as follows:
September 14th topics:

• LLC/Regionals/AF Updates – “Let’s Catch Up” on what’s happening with the LLC, Regionals, and Area Facilitators.
• Town Hall Planning/run through – Go over the agenda for Fall Town Hall, and get ready for the big show.
• Calendaring – What topics will be covered at future CC meetings? When? Find out!
• Exodus – Leaving Burning Flipside and You! An exercise in patience.

Have a topic you believe the community needs to discuss? Please send suggestions to cc@burningflipside.com.  Please keep in mind that we discuss community and policy issues, not operational ones.

Fall Town Hall

September 26, 2015…AT THE NEW WAREHOUSE!

Get your theme presentations submitted and ready. We’re getting out the vote for Burning Flipside 2016!

• Learn about volunteer opportunities
• Find theme camps
• Recruit members to your theme camp
• Meet fellow Flipizens
• See the new Warehouse
• Say goodbye to the old Warehouse

Generally get in a festive mood as we look forward to finding out what the theme for Burning Flipside 2016 is.

We Want Art!

We want your photos for the Burning Flipside website. Considering that we’re a community of artists putting on a participatory art festival, our website is kind of lacking in, well, art.

If you’ve got any great photos from Flipside that you’d like to appear on our website, we’d love to have them. Please submit them via the form at our Media Contribution Page.

And please take a moment to read over the Media-Use Agreement at the top of the form.

Announce has been a little active lately, but there’s a lot going on. Hang in there with us, because big changes are right around the corner.

Remember, if you have something you’d like to contribute to the Flame or Announce, use http://www.burningflipside.com/contact/ff-submission to send it in. Announce tends to be at the beginning of the month, and Flames usually get published around the middle of the month. Get me the info at least a week before then, and I’ll do my best to get your contribution included.

~Editor

The Burning Flipside Combustion Chambers Seeks New Members

DEADLINE EXTENDED!!
Do enjoy listening to/discussing/debating the finer points of Community with your friends/campmates/fellow burners? Would you enjoy communicating about crucial matters in this community all year long? Do you know someone else who fits this description?
The Combustion Chamber currently seeks new members to renew and diversify its ranks. Submit your application or nomination here.

The Burning Flipside Combustion Chamber (CC) is the Communication conduit between the Community and the event organizers (aka AAR, LLC), and acts as the Burning Flipside organization’s advisory body. The CC meets typically every other Monday evening for approximately two hours, at the Austin warehouse.
Learn more about the Burning Flipside Combustion Chamber.
As always, we’d like to remind folks that Combustion Chamber membership is not limited specifically to those that live in the Austin area, so if you’re in another city, but could make regular meetings, feel free to apply.
The deadline for submissions is Monday, August 10th, at 11:59PM
After that, we will ask for community feedback on all potential CC candidates. The deadline for feedback is Monday, August 17th, at 11:59PM.
Interested in seeing the CC in action? Regular CC meetings are open to participation of all Community members. Our next meeting is Monday, July 20th, 7:42pm, at The Burning Flipsde Warehouse, 1023 Springdale Road, Austin, Texas.
Best,
The Combustion Chamber

Combustion Chamber Meetings

The Combustion Chamber is an advisory committee to the Austin Artistic Reconstruction LLC to facilitate community input & transparency for the policy-making process and organization of burn community events. Meetings are open to everyone, starting at 7:42 pm at the Warehouse. Special topics are as follows:

August 3:

• Safety Comm
  A recap discussion on how communication worked at the event this year under the challenging conditions, what worked well, what didn’t, and a discussion of ideas of how to improve safety communication at future events.
• How Big Should Our Effigy Be?
  bonobo is a CC member who was member of DaFT (Design and Fabrication Team) this year and has been involved with DaFT many times over the last 14 years. The effigy is the vessel for the largest ceremonial burn of the event, and the largest single construction project funded by the Burning Flipside community.To understate the situation, this Floodside was the most difficult logistical year for DaFT and required an inordinate effort by all who made it through the week long slog. To Quote the DaFT Lead “FU Trench Camp!” Even for a fringe cult as brainwashed as DaFTees are, the circumstances were horrendous, and for many of us, the experience was “our Flipside” (no regrets, for being on such a Rockstar, dedicated team!).If you would like to discuss the long term view of DaFT, it’s relationship to the Community and ARR/LLC or just praise DaFT bearing Homages / Gifts, please attend.

August 17:

• Fall Town Hall
• Early Dropoff/Vendor Interaction

Flipside Flood Relief

Did you hear about the weather at Burning Flipside this year? Flipside Flood Relief was established to help. From their “About Us” page:

Flipside Flood Relief is a temporary organization to help raise and distribute funds to those affected by the storms. We will spend the next few months collecting donations through our website and through fundraising events. Once all funds are distributed, this organization will be dissolved.
Initial fundraising will be spent supporting Flipside participants in financial need due to property loss at the event. All additional funds will support Milam County residents directly affected by the storm.

They’re hosting a fundraiser on August 15, 2015 at Trinity Hall: Sam Houston’s Drag Show & Rococo Rodeo. Donations can also be made to Flipside Flood Relief directly through the website. Please note: Flipside Flood Relief is not affiliated with either Austin Artistic Reconstruction, LLC or Burners Without Borders.

Where, O Where is Our Warehouse Going?

You may have heard the scuttlebutt about moving to a new warehouse. If not, well, some day soon we’re moving to a new warehouse! Nothing is signed just yet, but it’s getting close. All the more reason to come out to Church Night, Combustion Chamber Meetings, and start your goodbyes to the “home away from Home” we’ve enjoyed for so many years.

This is also a clarion call to get your poop in a group, inventory what you have stored at the Warehouse, and get it ready for removal or relocation. More details are coming as things are finalized, so stay tuned!

Which reminds me…

Fall Town Hall

Mark your calendars! September 26, 2015 is the Fall Town Hall. There’s a good chance this will be at the new warehouse.

We’ll be watching theme presentations, picking out the theme for Burning Flipside 2016, and soliciting volunteers for just about everything you can imagine. As we get closer to the event, we’ll post things like location, program schedules and volunteer needs, but go ahead and block out the time now.

Important Information

This is the last scheduled Announce before Burning Flipside 2015: The Wizards of Odd! Remember, if you have things you’d like to contribute to the last Flame before the burn, please check out the Flipside Flame/Announce Submission form. You can find it under “Contact” on the home page of burningflipside.com.

Ticket Status

Ticket lead here!
Ticket holders should have received an email notification and/or a Survival Guide by now.
You can easily verify if your ticket info by logging into your account at burningflipside.com to verify your ticket status.

There is an icon on the right-hand side of your ticket information that looks like a cloud with an arrow coming down from it — clicking this will download your PDF which you can print if you’d like to take to Will Call to pick up your ticket.

Get Involved

Final Work Weekend

The last scheduled work weekend will take place May 1-3 on the Pyropolis Playa grounds. The work will include poison ivy pulling, fire ant eradication and general grass trimming and other tidying efforts. If you have yard tools like rakes and especially weed trimmers, those would be helpful to bring. Please sign up on the wiki at burningflipside.com or email Shugabear at wwcomm15@burningflipside.com so we know to expect you.

DaFT Requests

Howdy from your friends at DAFT 2015! Want to participate in creating the community effigy? We want your art… and Arduinos and Raspberries!

Part 1: We need your old Arduinos and Raspberries to animate the effigy! Yep, that’s right, animate. Bring’m to the warehouse or email onemarva@yahoo.com if you got ‘m and need someone to pick up.

Part 2: ADD your ODD to the Wizard by creating 2 1/2′ x 2 1/2’ fabric patches to be attached to the Wizard’s hat. Camp logos, whatever, etc., due back to DAFT by May Day 10th! Drop it off at the wherehouse on any Church Nite or email onemarva@yahoo.com. We can’t wait to see your special, magic touch! YAY US!”

Burner Charm School 2015

Burning Flipside Edjumication presents: Burner Charm School 2015

We’re all hanging out at the Burning Flipside Wherehouse on Sunday, May 9th from 11 am to 5 pm. This event features workshops and constructive discussions on burning brighter. For newbies and oldbies alike, Burner Charm School can help give you the skills that you need to survive and thrive on the grassy playa.

Booths – We’ll be presenting workshops on Burner Sex Ed and Boundaries, PETs (Pyropolis Emergency Team), Rangers, Sanctuary, Art, Theme Camps, Kidsville, LNT, Recycling, Greeters and more!

The address of The Wherehouse is 1023 Springdale Rd. Austin, TX 78721.

BYOEverything, shade is limited, joy is endless. (Facebook Event Link)

Combustion Chamber

The Combustion Chamber is an advisory committee to the Austin Artistic Reconstruction LLC to facilitate community input & transparency for the policy-making process and organization of burn community events. There will is one more in May before Burning Flipside 2015, starting at 7:42 pm at the Warehouse. Special topics are as follows:

May 4:

• Volunteering – General State of the Volunteers address. Are there volunteer needs in any departments? How can we sufficiently support those gaps? How can the organization as a whole encourage more volunteering?
• Burner Arts Fest similar to EAST – Does the community want this? Who is willing to work on the team to make it happen? Is there a budget or is the a contribution-only festival? If there is a budget, from whom or where do those monies come?

Event Details

Recycling

Rose, recycling lead, here to informing you about the recycling hours and what recycling will be accepting this year.

We will be open Saturday-Monday

• Saturday 10 am-6 pm
• Sunday 10 am-6 pm
• Monday 9 am- 5 pm

Please, pretty pretty please with sugar, sprinkles, cherries, and kitties on top, do not leave recycling at recycling camp after hours. Thank You!

We will be accepting:

• Plastic numbers 1-7
• Glass
• Tin
• Steel
• Aluminum
• Paper
• Card board (corrugated and non)
• Batteries….yes this is new
• NO TRASH!

A quick note for everyone: Monday can be a crazy for everyone because we are all trying to pack up and GTFO, and recycling will be crazy busy too. I would suggest bring your recycling Saturday or Sunday, so Monday all you have is the last bit of your recycling left to bring recycling. Recycling is next to ice so you can bring your recycling and head back to camp with ice!!!! One trip for two errands, couldn’t get much better than that! We try to make your experience out here as stress free because you are all awesome and deserve it!!!

One last thing, we all know that flipside happens because of volunteerism, and so does recycling. I still have some recycling shifts open for Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday. If you are interested I would love to have you on the team and signing up it really easy too; sign up at: Recycling Wiki if you have any problems with the page or have any questions email me at recycling15@burningflipside.com and I will be happy to help you!!!!

If I don’t see you before Flipside; I will see you when we return home. Love and hugs everyone

Rose

Leave No Trace/ Earth Guardians

Travel Tips from Uncle Mulch

It’s that time of year when we flee the dismal city for green spaces, shirt cocking, and flaming art. As you make final preparations for the joy jump that is Burning Flipside, here’s a few tips to ease your travel, make camping easier, and help Leave No Trace.

Do What You Can Do
Nobody expects you to be Captain Planet. Just figure out what you can do. Make one small improvement, then brag about it to your friends. It’s a great ego booster. The effort to Leave No Trace does not have to be torture. It can even save you money if you’re clever about it.

Bigger is Better
Whatever substances you bring, bring it in bigger containers. Most stuff is cheaper by volume when bought in bulk. The fewer bottles, bags, and cans you have, the less you have to carry out. Gallon jugs are far less to deal with than a flat of bottles with cardboard and wrapping.

Try packing your meals in bulk rather than single serving sizes. A pot of chili will freeze in a gallon ziplock lying flat. Then your tasty meal will stack nicely in your cooler and act as an ice block until you use it.

For water, the best option is five gallon jugs. Your local grocery has reusable bottles with convenient handles. If you choose gallon bottles, look for some with good handles and screw on tops that you can reuse.

Use Your Shopping Bags
If you live in Austin then you have reusable shopping bags. These make great containers for expendables on the way in and MOOP bags on the way out. If you’re worried about the branding, duct tape and washi come in a wide variety of colors and patterns.

Plan to Haul It Out
Every “disposable” item we have can be reused for something. Take it home, make art, and bring it back next year.

Despite the greenery, grey water disturbs the food cycle. Filter your grey water before dumping and put the lumpy bits in your wet trash. Better yet, use your empty water bottles to haul that crap back home and feed it to your plants.

You’ll need separate containers for wet and dry waste. Any greasy food waste will draw the hellish evil that is fire ants. Coordinate with your neighbors to place that kind of thing in a shared area to keep the bugs away from everyone. Extra points if you can arrange safe, artful, and horrific death for the little bastards.

Speaking of which:

Bring Insect Repellent
This is not so much a Leave No Trace issue as a sanity issue. There will be mosquitoes and biting flies. You’ll want to protect yourself. Spray kitchen counters with a light mix of soap. Flies dislike it.

Fire ants are an invasive species and do not require protection, quite the contrary. We brought these bastards here and it is our responsibility to control them. Fire ants can even kill those sensitive enough. But poison has a tendency to linger in the environment and affect much more than the target. Mint, cinnamon, garlic, vinegar, and black pepper all have a reputation for repelling ants. Try it out and see what works best for you. Uncle Mulch has never found any scientific evidence for efficacy, but it’s worth a try.

Leave the Glitter and Feathers at Home
The feathers on that boa and the glitter in that body paint just won’t stay put. They will inevitably get away from you and become impossible to clean up afterward.

For our volunteers sake simply DO NOT BRING IT!!! Small items that get separated are the antithesis of LNT, plan accordingly.

Consider Rechargeables
If you can do the electric thing with a rechargeable battery then that’s less load on a generator. Charge them up before you come out and make sure to take them home. Anything to reduce the carbon footprint and noise level of generators is a good thing.

Uncle Mulch has been slowly building a collection of solar chargers and rechargeable batteries. It’s a little expensive to do all at once. The cost of gas for a generator will add up fast over the life of a rechargeable. A little careful planning and patience can add up to savings in the long run.

If It Flies or Floats, Tie It Down
If the thing is in the air it will fly away from you. Make sure your kites and balloons are securely anchored. If it is on the water it will float away from you. Put a lanyard on it so you don’t lose it.

This also applies to your drink container. If you can hang it from your belt with a carabiner, you’re less likely to leave it behind you.

Plan to Recycle
After you’ve made the effort to reduce and reuse, you can recycle. There will be a recycling station on the effigy field. See the Recycling article above for more details.

SIGN UP FOR A MOOP PARADE!!!!
Uncle Mulch isn’t biased or anything, but MOOP Parade the best way to see the site, shake down folks for their gifties, and remind our burner siblings that we need to pick up after ourselves. This isn’t news to anybody. Any MOOP you see is going to be accidental. Be nice, meet new people, and blow their minds with your art.

Check out the MOOP Parade sign up page!

Uncle Mulch hopes to see you all at the Pecan Playa.