Winter Solstice: Koliada Szczodre Gody

Are you new to Burning Man? Have you read about the 10 Principles and how they contribute to creating a Burn experience like no other? Watch the video below and Google 'Burning Man 10 Principles.'

Creative expression and art are the burn's heart, they are the major element that make a burn a Burn. This year's theme Koliada Szczodre Gody is no exception, and we invite you to generate and create something great for your event!

Burner art is known for featuring interactivity, technology, creative illumination, collaboration (Communal Effort), edginess, fire and humour (often in combination, and occasionally even safely ;-) and submissions that feature these aspects in some way will be favoured. It does not have to be highly polished or fancy - we ain't talking no fine-art, museum-quality shit here - especially given budget constraints. What it DOES have to be is safe - see below.


SELECTION CRITERIA/THINGS TO CONSIDER:

Relax, this isn't as serious a process as this form would make it seem. One of the main goals here though is to help you think about what you want to achieve with your creation and feasible ways to achieve it. In reviewing applications, we consider multiple factors and allocate funding accordingly. Some of the factors we look at:

Is it realistic?

- Applications open 20 April and close Sunday 28 May. If you need more time please ask. The Canberra Winter Solstice Burn dates are 23 to 25 June. Soon!

How well thought-through and planned-out is your concept?

- Are your budget, available resources and time frame doable for the scope of the project?

- What logistics considerations are there for getting it there, making it happen, and getting it gone?

- Do you have the tools, skills and expertise you need? If not, don't let this stop you - the community has many people that will step up to help you!  Collaboration/Communal Effort is on of the best aspects of this event!

Artistic Impression:

- What impact will your art have on the subject/experience?

- What emotions will the art-thing elicit in the subject?

Appeal:

- Plain and simple, does it have a captivating aesthetic appeal?

- Is it quirky, funky, non-standard and challenging?

Commitment to your idea:

- Are you dreaming big enough?

Do you intend to exhibit your project again?  

- Blazing Swan, Modifyre, Burning Seed, Sydney or Melbourne Decompression's?

- Other festivals/events

- Public setting, gallery, civic space, etc

- We're big fans of taking creations to other spaces and bringing Burner art to the "default world."

Leave No Trace:

- Commitment to Leaving No Trace of our presence is a fundamental aspect of Burn events. We expect your art to abide by/embody this as well

- Have a Leave No Trace plan/team associated with de-installing physical art

- Think about how you will tear down, clean up and restore the the site to its original condition when you first arrived

- Artworks that look like they will leave MOOP (Matter Out Of Place) will be rejected - *sad trombone*.  Take this into account in terms of your design and materials.

Weather:

- Mother nature can get blustery - your thing should be able to stand up to winds of 60km+

- Rain rain go away?  Will things disintegrate?  Will you need to scramble around disassembling stuff and undoing electrical connections if it decides to dump on 24 June?

Safety:

The last thing anybody wants is for someone to get bitten by an art.

- Is it structurally stable?

- Does it need to be secured for stability and/or wind-resistance?

- Does your art involve fire in any way, shape or form?  If so, we'll need to discuss all aspects in detail, including but not limited to burn perimeters (crowd control), fire extinguishers, etc.


OTHER INFORMATION

Limitations: Things for which funding will not be awarded:

- DJ-only performances

- Transportation expenses - although we may be able to help you sort logistics prior to the event via the community and other volunteers

- Your time - we all Gift our energy to make this thing happen.

Possibilities: things for which funding MIGHT be awarded, if we are convinced, they can become a reality:

- Theme camps - see https://transformus-burn.com/mysteria/theme-camps/what-is-a-theme-camp/ 

- Food and drink service

- Some wacky idea we haven't come across yet

Grants are intended to cover the cost of materials only - be prepared to provide receipts upon request. Ideally you will be able to cover some costs associated with your project; however, don't let this bar you from putting forth a radical idea.

Multiple submissions from one group may be considered.

The site of the Canberra Winter Solstice Burn is situated a fenced, pine forest plantation close to Canberra, which is currently harvested for wood. The site is surrounded by pine forest, which can be used as a part of your art project (hang things, use to create a space, etc). The site will most likely feature grass that will have been mowed, ready for us to set up. The site is open and has a gentle north-facing slope, which is around the size of a sports field. Around halfway down the site, the slope increases slightly and at the end of the site, it becomes flatter, featuring a few pine trees.

We strongly recommend pre-building/doing a dry-run before the event! Artists are allowed access the day before the event, but we don't want you to spend your time tied to building something if that's not the experience you want to have.

IMPORTANT: No advertising, brand names or promotion of individuals or organisation can be associated with your art. You're allowed to talk yourself up and make connections for outside sales of course, but this is not the place for marketing things. Decommodification means you're making art for art's sake.

All Participants MUST purchase a ticket! We all create the Canberra Winter Solstice Burn together. Solstice is created BY and FOR the people who attend, we all pay we all play - everyone, without exception, no matter how awesome the thing you're bringing.

We all pay, we all play. Link to tickets: https://undiscovered.events/koliada-szczodre-gody