Category: Announcements

Archive of messages sent to the Austin-Announce mailing list. High-priority messages for the Burning Flipside community.

Tan circle with dark brown trim. In the middle is an old fashioned microphone with the words "Burning Flipside Broadcast System" around the top edge

October Announce – Beyond Town Hall!

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Now that we have a theme, we’re gonna need an effigy! Here’s what you need to know to get started! We’re well on our way to building Burning Flipside 2024!  We need our effigy designers to step up and propose their DaFT magic!
Basics: https://www.burningflipside.com/event/effigy
Details for the proposal process can be found at: https://www.burningflipside.com/event/effigy/proposal
Are you full of great ideas but have never built or designed an effigy before? No problem! You’ll find contact information for the DaFT Selection Committee (DSC) in the proposal link above. Do make sure you read through the guidelines before you do anything else, so you have a good handle on expectations. Our wonderful group of previous effigy builders are happy to share a brain and provide feedback as you design your art at any time before the deadline. Reach out as early as possible. You are encouraged to utilize this resource!
The deadline to submit your effigy proposal is Thanksgiving this year (11:59pm CST on 11/23/2023). This provides the DSC some time to help guide prospective DaFT leads. Today’s a great day to let your creative juices flow- we look forward to seeing your submissions! Happy designing!

Burning Flipside Art Show at Lloyd! Save the Date and start the art! December 10th from 2-6pm we’re hosting an Art Show at Lloyd! Please note – this is an all ages event and littles are encouraged to participate! Facebook Event:  https://fb.me/e/g63oi5i6s
So what’s the theme? You have until 11:59pm Oct. 7th to throw in your suggestions by commenting on the theme thread on the FB event, adding your suggestion to “the box” at Town Hall, or by emailing art@burningflipside.com.The Facebook event will be updated shortly afterwards with everything you’ll need to know to pARTicipate. We will also post an update on the art blog on the Burning Flipside website with all of the info mid-October, including how to RSVP and sign up if you are not on Facebook. Happy arting!

The STicket Contest is Back (along with the free tickets)! Do you desperately want to leave just one really cool trace on the event and wider community? Do you have fun ideas to share about cosmics and critters and carnivals bubbling in your mindspace? Do you want to get a pair of free tickets?

Then submit your dang art for the dang ticket and sticker, dang it! We’re bringing back default world incentives to encourage more submissions, because we can’t have a contest if the community only sends in one or two choices. There is a pair of tickets available for the ticket art winner, and a pair available for the sticker art winner. The deadline to submit your art is April 8, 2024.  See the details here: https://www.burningflipside.com/event/tickets/stickets-design

Share Your Opinions About Our Website From now until Sunday, October 8 you can fill out this really easy survey to help us decide what to prioritize for a www.burningflipside.com makeover.  Should we improve the mobile experience?  Should we upgrade the Secure section?  Should we enhance the public-facing side?  We maintain a web presence for many reasons, help guide our decisions: https://forms.gle/3gF6NdWmoXoSsN1V8

Tan circle with dark brown trim. In the middle is an old fashioned microphone with the words "Burning Flipside Broadcast System" around the top edge

ANNOUNCING the start of the Burning Flipside 2024 season

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Happy September! And a hearty welcome back to the hot and dry to all of you pouring back into Texas and other homes! Burning Man has come to a close, and we know what that means. Burning Flipside is getting ready to launch this coming year’s planning season.

FALL TOWN HALL The Catalyst Collective is wrapping up the reporting from last year’s event, right in time for the Combustion Chamber to host our annual Fall Town Hall on September 30 at Lloyd the Warehouse (3106 Industrial Terrace, Austin, TX 78758). Fall Town Hall is a great place to catch up on the latest news, show off some costumes, schmooze with your buds, and especially vote on the theme for next Flipside!  Set up and tailgating start at noon! Many hands make light work.

We begin at 2:34pm! Here is the Facebook event link if you are into that stuff. Here is the agenda:

– Welcome, Pledge, Leave No Trace
– Catalyst Collective Update
– Retiring and New Area Facilitators
– Volunteerism
– STickets Contest
– DaFT Effigy Proposals
– Theme Presentations
– How to Vote
– Voting Break
– Pledge
– Warehouse Use
– Combustion Chamber Update
– Community Announcements (Ignition Philter et al.)
– Theme Announcement, Closing, Leave No Trace

Speaking of themes, SUBMIT YOUR THEME suggestions!  Log in required. Voting will take place at Town Hall. There’s probably some sort of deadline. While you’re at it, be part of the show by PRESENTING those wacky, wondrous, or weird ideas in front of a crowd of 10s to 100s.

VOLUNTEER CORNER Know how Burning Flipside runs? It’s an ALL-VOLUNTEER org.  And the time to start is now!

Area Facilitators: We currently have two open Area Facilitator (AF) roles we’re looking to fill: Genesis and Site Signoff. Genesis encompasses Greeters, Zone Czars, Parking, & Towing and Site Signoff makes sure we put all our toys away and leave the land even better than we found it.

Both AF roles involve some project coordination, volunteer management and written communication skills, but you might be surprised by how applicable your theme camp, art project, line volunteer, or default world experiences could be!

If you think you (or someone you know) might be a good fit for one of these volunteer roles, let us know at llc@burningflipside.com. Thanks y’all!

Communications Interested in communications? Want to help collect and provide content for THIS newsletter? Just reach out to me at noreen@burningflipside.com and let’s talk.

Take care, and see you where!

Izzi B

Your content Content lead

THE END IS NIGH: Flipside 2023 Load-Out!

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Greetings Citizens of Pyropolis!

Flipside has ended and wasn’t it awesome? We discoed, we demoed, and a few of us even derbied.

Yet there is still work to be done! Load-Out is THIS Saturday, June 3rd, at 10am, on land. We’ll need many hands to help load event infrastructure, de-MOOP, etc. Park your car, find the waiver wrangler to sign a site waiver, and help make sure all the things we brought out get back home. Bring your water bottles and gloves and let’s get moving!

Starting around 12pm at the warehouse (3106 Industrial Terrace, ATX) we can use hands to help *unload* trucks. We always have a significant drop-off of volunteers for this part, so any help is super appreciated!

Many hands lighten the load <3 ( Facebook event here: https://fb.me/e/1nbCwPMM2 )

Questions? Reach out to siteops@burningflipside.com

2023 Burning Flipside PUPs sign

Welcome to Pyropolis PUPs!

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We are excited to test a new way to improve accessibility in 2023: Pick Up Points – PUPS! Look for them on the map and at Disinfo Kiosks, where they will be clearly marked and highly visible. All volunteer carts and registered mobile art will be participating in this program when they have availability. VAS has a schedule for when they are providing rides that will be shared at the event.

PUP Etiquette

  • Don’t try to get on, impede, or stop a moving mutant vehicle or volunteer cart. Wait until it has come to a complete stop and you have the operator’s permission before boarding or disembarking. Consent applies here, too!
  • The folks you are riding with are going somewhere. They are happy to help you on your way, but they may not be able to take you to your final destination. 
  • Ask for permission of the owner/operator before you operate any artistic additions (e.g., fire cannons, pants cannons, sounds and light systems). Yep, consent!
  • Help look out for the safety of fellow passengers and passers-by.
  • Most volunteer carts are full when they have four people on them.  Some can only take two. A few can hold six. Please don’t ask to crowd onto a cart.
  • Mutant vehicles also have limits. Please respect your fellow Flipizens when they tell you their vehicle is full. Even if there appears to be space, keep in mind that weight, balance or other issues may affect how many or where a mutant vehicle can carry passengers.
  • In limited cases, a volunteer cart may need to get somewhere quickly to address an emergency issue.  In those cases, the volunteer cart will pass by to address the issue.  Please don’t be rude if it doesn’t stop for you.

Burning Flipside RUNS on volunteers!

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You’ve read it before and you’ll read it again…Burning Flipside is an all-volunteer event (save a few outside services). Come visit this space often; info will be added as it is received. Below are just a few of the ways you can volunteer. Event shifts can be found at here. X out the departments you are not interested in (and select the ones you want) so you don’t have to wade through every department/every shift.

Work weekend 4! May 12-14 on the land. May 13 is the work day. This is a campout if you choose to spend the night. Contact Michele at wwcomm@burningflipside.com

Load In Day! Saturday May 20 Truck loading starting at 10am. After Work Weekends, the first thing you can sign up to help with is Load In Day! After loading up trucks and sending them on their way, you get to see the land in its near-pristine state, before we start living all over it. Sign up here (different link than the above). If you’d like to sign up to DRIVE a truck (please have experience driving a 24′ diesel box truck), contact siteops@burningflipside.com.

Greeters is a great “entry-level” activity for first-time volunteers! No heavy lifting! Short (3-4hr) shifts! Variety of activities possible! Terrific opportunity to make a lasting impression on the community!

Zone Czars What do Zone Czars do? We help direct theme camps to their designated areas, holler at RV’s trying to go places they really shouldn’t be, point at things, and say ‘that way’ a lot. It’s a great way to meet people and get a lay of the land. Our training is simple and on-site, you’ll be sitting in the shade (as best as we can facilitate) for most of your shift, we provide snacks and ice cold water, and you get a cool bandana to show off to your friends! We have 4-hour shifts on Wednesday and Thursday. If don’t have a login or have any questions, you can email  flipsidezoneczar@gmail.com for more help. ~Willow, InterZone Lead

Ice – The coolest job on the Pecan Playa, sign up to work at ICE, either customer facing or up in the truck throwing ice! Longer ice post is on its way! In the meantime, sign up for a shift!

Shaven Apes KANIHEPYA? Shaven Apes is the volunteer corps who help participants set up their camps and art and helps them tear it down again. Meet other burners! Many fun shifts available!!

Earth Guardians Mad about MOOP? Just looking for a way to lend a hand? We still need an Earth Guardians lead! The Earth Guardian lead is responsible for Leave No Trace and Sustainability education and action for the event. For more info on what that looks like or to throw your hat in the ring, email the Site Signoff AF, Groovy at sitesignoff@burningflipside.com.

DaFT needs fluffers! Our fluffer checks in while we’re building, makes sure we have full ice water and Gatorade, checks with builders to be sure they’re rested, hydrated, eating, and wearing sunscreen.  This is great for somebody that can’t or doesn’t want to build but wants to help us out! We need on site help! If you’re interested in joining us to assemble the structure at the event, we’d love to have you.  It’s alright if you haven’t built with us at the warehouse, there are phases on site that having more hands is helpful. Stop by the effigy when you can. Sign up to help clean up the burn scar during cleanup 6/3, shifts in the volunteer system.

Perimeter Guardians Calling all Introverts, neurospicy friends, and general misanthropic personages! Do you need at least 4 hours break time from constantly being “on” at flipside? Come join the Perimeter Guardians Team where you and a friend can make a difference by sitting in a remote location dissociating into the middle distance for the betterment of the burn! Our Shadow team helps us by keeping an eye out for potential trespassers and reporting what they see, while our Digital team responds to calls and supports our shadows during shift changes and breaks!

This is a great opportunity to take a 4 hour break from the burn, including on burn night, where the volume of the effigy and fireworks can be a bit much for some of us, but that’s also when we need you the most! Email guardians@burningflipside.com,  check out “Guardians of flipside” on facebook, or look for kerberus at Safety HQ for more information!

Sanctuary provides emotional support for distressed and overwhelmed Flipizens.  We have 3 levels of volunteers; Listeners (two 6 hour shifts), Shift Leads, (two 6 hour shifts) and MHAs: Licensed Counselors and psych Nurses (one 12 hour on-call shift).  Required training includes Sanctuary Basics (1.5 hours), Active Listening (2 hours), Radio (20 min) and ICS (30 min to 1 hour).

Load Out Day! Saturday June 3  Commit NOW, add it to your calendar, and come on out  to help us finish cleaning up and sending all the rest of our stuff back to the warehouse. Sign up for shifts at here (a different link than above). If you’d like to sign up to DRIVE a truck (please have experience driving a 24′ diesel box truck), contact siteops@burningflipside.com.

More Info about ALL departments can be found at https://www.burningflipside.com/organization/operations! See you out there!

Flounce with Flam-ounce!

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Burning Flipside is fast-approaching! And just like you, I got projects to do, so let’s jump right into the news. …there’s some important event specific info here, so this post is part Flame, part Announce: “Flam-ounce”!

Non-Profit Success! We did it! Thanks go out to the most recent board of Austin Artistic Reconstruction, LLC. While we were all hunkered down and starting re-emergence, they were hard at work, securing a new non-profit status (and new organization to run it) for our beloved community! Read more about it here!

Event Registration Are you holding an event at Flipside this year?  What’s that you say…your camp is inviting Flipizens to help demolish a fantastic Derby-themed feast or hosting a demolition derby of Derby hats, but no one knows yet? Do you have events listed in your theme camp description, but haven’t taken a minute to head over to the event page and get them added to the Events list?  Do it now, so you can focus on those last few projects! Event registration will close at 11:59pm on Friday, May 19th. Head on over to the Event Registration form, log in, and add your event to the growing list of goodness! See event lists at our 7 disinfo kiosks placed conveniently throughout Pyropolis.

DMV Registration: As long as we are registering things, let’s move on over to the Department of Mutant Vehicles and get those art cars registered! Same deadline and link as above.

Need a ride at Flipside? Do you sometimes miss out because you just can’t get from point A to point B? This year the org is trying something new! The Disinfo Kiosks will serve as event cart and art car stops we are calling Pick-Up Points (PUPS). There won’t be a regular schedule, but there will be a seat at most of the stops. Event carts and Art Cars STRONGLY encouraged to pick people up and drop them off.

Effigy Art: The Effigy needs art! The mushrooms are coming along great, but we need to finish out our sparkly disco wonderland with companions to accompany us on our forest floor adventures. Let’s populate the effigy with creatures, real, imaginary, or fae; mushrooms on mushrooms, ferns, dewdrops, spiderwebs; crystals and sea creatures, banks of moss, and tree stumps.  Email DaFT or come to a build day and chat! (Tues/Thurs 5-10, Sun 10-5). These pieces can be burned or can come back to the artist when the effigy closes; we will have power available for items with lights and whatnot, & there is space for both 2D and 3D art of a variety of sizes.

2023 Survival Guide: The new guide to keep you alive is here!  Read it, because it has great community art in the PDF and lots of important info about How Flipside Works.  You need to be ready when a Greeter asks you, “How many gallons of water per day did you bring?”

Volunteer round up! Watch this space for all volunteering info for our all-volunteer event! (There’ll be a whole post about it!)

Survival Guide 2023 is Live

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Howdy! The 2023 Burning Flipside Survival Guide is live. Many, many thanks to all of you who decorated your ticket request envelopes and gave us permission to publish your work. Dive right into the super-cool PDF version here: https://burningflipside.com/sg

There is also a plainer-text version here: https://www.burningflipside.com/event/survival-guide

We do not mass-print Survival Guides any longer, so if you did not check the box in your ticket request for a printed copy, the above formats are what you get. Be sure to read up, Greeters will want you to know your stuff when you enter…

Registrations, Sign Ups, and Upcoming Events! 

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Hello, Pyropolites, Pyropleans, and Flipizens,

It’s that time again – when the calendar turns over and we send out some info. So get out your laptop, your calendars and a frosty or hot beverage of choice, and get reading!

CALLING ALL ARTISTS! We really need your submissions for the sTicket contest- We have such a colorful theme and not enough ideas. Help design how our official tickets and stickers will look this year.Think about the awesome mark that would make in our community. Go to www.burningflipside.com/event/tickets/stickets-design for more info. Deadline is APRIL 17th!

ART EVENT Can’t wait to get your art on? Come on out to the art show: Unchosen Themes tomorrow (April 1, no kidding!) to Lloyd the Warehouse from 4-7 p.m. to appreciate community art inspired by themes unchosen from previous Flipsides!

ARTISTS AND ART-letic SUPPORTERS! Want to contribute to the Flipside Artscape?

  • HOW TO BRING ART TO FLIPSIDE (including Mutant Vehicles and Theme Camps): Planning on bringing art to Burning Flipside? If it is climbable, burnable, flame-effected, otherwise “dangerous”, or you just want to make sure it is on the official Burning Flipside map, you need to REGISTER IT! Is it a vehicle that doesn’t LOOK like a vehicle? Perhaps a mutant vehicle? REGISTER IT! Got a theme camp (a whole camp based on a theme is DEFINITELY art!)? REGISTER IT! Visit our registration page (secure.burningflipside.com/register/index.php) and follow the links from there (log in required). The deadline for Art and Theme Camp placement is APRIL 17th! The deadline for Mutant Vehicles and Flipside events is May 19th!
  • Not bringing a whole art piece? You, too, can get in on the fun! Visit burningflipside.com/art/art-projects-seeking-support and sign up to contribute your time, materials, funds, or even your smaller art to a larger piece!
  • IGNITION PHILTER SPRING PHUNDRAISER! Support the org that funds the art! Experience a night of art in central Austin from Flipside past and future! Dance the night away to community DJs! Enjoy snacks and libations! Bid on an item from the silent auction! Be amazed by performances. Bring a costume/leave a costume in a pre-flipside costume exchange! Learn more and get tickets at ignitionphilter.com/springphundraiser!

THE ART OF VOLUNTEERING! Did you know that Burning Flipside is an ALL-VOLUNTEER ORGANIZATION?! That’s right! And All means YOU! Grab a friend and sign up for shifts at Ice, Greeters, Parking, Safety teams, and more. There’s something for everyone. Learn more at https://www.burningflipside.com/volunteer. Some departments have shifts ready for sign-up now (with more department shifts coming soon!) Log in and sign up at secure.burningflipside.com/fvs/index.php. Watch for a Volunteer Round Up message coming soon to an inbox near you!

Love and flames, ~Izzi B.

Burning Flipside and Texas Politics

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All Citizens of Texas who attend Burning Flipside or similar events,

The Texas Legislature is considering many bills this session that would be damaging to members of our community and thus to the event. They are also considering several bills that could make it difficult, if not impossible to hold any burn event in Texas.

Among these bills are HB 643, HB 708, HB 1266, and SB 476. Each of these bills would require any business where someone performed “exhibiting a gender identity different from the performer’s birth (including by makeup or clothing) as sexually oriented businesses in the eyes of the law.”

This law is so onerous and so ill-conceived that it could impact not only burn events, but bars, dance clubs, and even community theatre.

For our participants who live in Texas and want to see burn events continue, we hope you’ll reach out to your state Representatives/Senators and attend committee hearings if you are able to register your opposition to these bills. Not only are they a danger to the event they are harmful to the community the event represents.

We are grateful for organizations like Equality Texas for their work in tracking legislation. You can visit Equality Texas‘ Legislative Bill Tracker to find out which bills to watch, and go to the Texas Legislature Online Bill Lookup page to look up the bills by number to read the text for yourself.

Note that Equality Texas also lists bills that support the LGBTQ+ community. Supportive bills don’t get as much love as they should. Please keep them in mind as you’re registering your opinions that you can also register in support of good bills.

New Year, New Announce: All About Tickets and an Updated Covid Policy

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Hey all you Gregorian calendar users out there! Happy new year! And to everyone, happy new ANNOUNCE! PAY ATTENTION! There’s some important stuff in here!

TICKETS!

NOTICE: Before you start, you might want to familiarize yourself with Burning Flipside’s updated COVID policy. The Burning Flipside 2023 COVID-19 Policy will be enforced for all participants. Being unaware of our policies will not be a basis for a refund or an exception. More on this policy follows ticket info.

Want a ticket to Flipside? If you’ve been here before, you know we don’t have your average ticketing system! We have a multi-part process. It’s pretty simple though: Register, Mail a Money Order, and Wait! 

PLEASE NOTE: Make your money order or cashier’s check (NO PERSONAL CHECKS!) out to Burning Flipside this year. This is a change from previous years. Find more detailed details, the answers to your lingering FAQuestions, and a link to registration at www.burningflipside.com/event/tickets!  

In the meantime, here are some pointers from our very own Ste. Michelle!

No Personal Checks

Hi!  Ste. Michelle here, reminding you the easiest way to get a ticket is about to start; some key things to remember include:

Ticket Window Opens January 9

No Personal Checks

Hi!  Ste. Michelle here, reminding you the easiest way to get a ticket is about to start;  some key things to remember include:

  • No Personal Checks
  • Register Early, Register ONCE (per login)
  • No Personal Checks
  • Double check your MONEY ORDER (It should be made out to Burning Flipside)
  • No Personal Checks
  • Mail in your Registration BEFORE January 30th
  • No Personal Checks
  • If you wait until January 30th to mail in your registration:  Go to the post office and get it HAND CANCELED to ensure it’s postmarked correctly
  • No Personal Checks

 Ticket Window Closes January 30

Seriously, no personal checks. 

~Ste. Michelle

While you’re at it, have a heart! Have some fun! Entertain your postal-person, your ticket-team, and yourself! Decorate that envelope! It’s not required, but why wouldn’t you? If I can make a tiki doctor using the highlighters, post-it notes, and tape I had at the office on the last day, so can you! Or you can plan better than I did that year and go to your favorite art supply store today.

Enough of the frivolity. Time to get serious…

BURNING FLIPSIDE 2023 COVID-19 POLICY

The COVID-19 Policy has changed since 2022; please read the entire policy at www.burningflipside.com/about/policies/2023-covid-policy

There will be two options for entry to Burning Flipside this year.

Option 1 – Proof of Vaccination

You can present proof of vaccination at gate. This proof must show that you are fully vaccinated as defined by the CDC.

Types of proof of vaccination that will be accepted:

A CDC Vaccine card. You must present your physical vaccine card at gate.

Two VaxYes verification cards. There will be one card for your original vaccination and a new one for your booster.

Other government-issued immunization records.

The name must match the ID presented at gate.

Option 2 – PCR Test Negative Result

You can present a negative result from a Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) test that was performed at most 72 hours before your arrival at Burning Flipside. AT-HOME TESTS ARE NOT SUFFICIENT! The name on the test must match the ID presented at gate. A mismatch in these two names will result in you not being admitted.

The full policy and answers to your FAQs can be found at Burning Flipside 2023 COVID-19 Policy.

Sorry for such seriousness, but seriously, it needed to be done! Now make sure those vaxes are up to date or plan to schedule that test, get your registrations in (STARTING MONDAY JANUARY 9), and see you out there, you crazy kids!

Much love,

Iz (your friendly and content content volunteer)