Burning Man Project

Hello and welcome to your reading guide to the Burning Man Project (BMP). The fact that you are taking the time to read this informational handbook is an indicator that you are interested in experiencing the wonderful culture of Black Rock City, the one week a year hometown of the BMP. Before you begin to read this guide I would encourage and ask you to please disregard any preconceived notion of what you may think this event comprises of. You more than likely have been shown an idea or descriptions of what this event is like from news media, television shows, or a general hype that happens when this city is functional. The real descriptions and truth behind this event do not come from these sources. Instead, the most accurate tales …show more content…
While there are festivities happening during the event, the whole concept of the BMP is created upon the idea of community and community effort. The community is built on recognizing all member's unique abilities, whether they big or small. The idea is that everyone there is combining a collective effort to help the community in as many ways possible. In this community, monetary transactions are frowned upon and not welcome. Participants are there to live with each other and help everyone they can, when they can. If someone in the community is in need of something, they will ask their neighbor or go seek it out from the vast population of the community. Usually these needs are small because everyone in community knows that in this event, everyone must be prepared to be self reliant. You need to bring enough shelter, food, water, and any other living provisions to last yourself a week in the desert. The community members are expected to be totally self …show more content…
This is an environment where you don't have to be afraid or embarrassed of who you really are and how you feel. You can check in your normal, culturally influenced and defined identity at the gate, and decide later whether or not you will pick it up on the way out. No one is judging you here. There is nothing but open minds and good people to help you freely express your identity. I feel that most regular BMP community members have an identity just for the event. They have salience, meaning that they have more than one identity that are important to them and can have the ability to shift between them. They save this identity for this event and when they participate, they show their BMP identity intensely over their regular one. Also vice versa in their regular lives. They may hide their BMP identity and be more intense in showing their regular life identity. So be ready to create or embrace a new identity that you may save for you next trip down to Black Rock City.