Q&A
General
When did it all start in the Netherlands?
This goes back to the early 90’s when Dutch people started visiting the Nevada event and brought the culture home. As the community grew, in 2014 two of them, the Regional contact Daniel Lumpkeman and Gaby Thijsse, founded Stichting Burning Man the Netherlands as the first official affiliate of Burning Man US. They organized it in close consultation with Marian Goodell, the CEO of the US Burning Man organization and together formed the first board. You can read more about it on the official Burning Man website/blog here and in this interview on the Guardian website.
Can I subscribe to the newsletter?
Absolutely! Stay informed on all activities, events and burner need-to-knows from Burning Man the Netherlands, by subscribing using this form. Also, you can subscribe to the official Burning Man USA newsletter ‘Jack the Rabbit speaks’.
Where can I find official publicity material?
You can contact media@burningman.nl for questions about official material.
Is it possible to visit the events on a professional level to create press or media related work?
Please contact media@burningman.nl if you want to create any form of coverage.
Where the Sheep Sleep
How can I buy a ticket for the event Where the Sheep Sleep?
Check out the WtSS page on this website for all info, tickets and if the event is sold out.
Where does the name Where the Sheep sleep come from?
The first event was held in 2016 on a piece of land called Caitwick, Celtic for ‘where the sheep sleep’. Once this was the place where sheep graze – and slept. Caitwick is located in a region called de Veluwe, just like the eventsite for 2017 (Bosweide inside Park Berg & Bos, Apeldoorn). Due to our growth, nowadays the events take place on Scouting Landgoed Zeewolde.
How do you create the original ‘Nevada Burning Man’ atmosphere during the WtSS event?
The atmosphere has much to do with the participants input. It’s not only about burning things and partying. Like in the US, it’s to do with the community, where all ages, including children, participate.
By encouraging active theme camps and calling on participants to bring art installations, we guarantee the (audio) visual aspect. We are not a copy of the US version, although we do apply the same principles and equivalent objectives, it must fit within our regional and Dutch culture. And of course we are much smaller which means that you are more likely to find someone you met before.
Do I need to sign up as a volunteer to participate?
You are not obligated in the legal sense of the word, no. But Burning Man events are all about participation and is fully run by volunteers. No spectators! You are responsible for your experience and the experience of others. The 10 principles of Burning Man are a guidance to support the participating community.
If you really participate, in any way whatsoever, you gift, and are co-creating the experience for yourself and others. Only together the Burning Man culture will maintain its uniqueness, life blood and value year-round. The gift of everyone’s involvement, input and talent is needed. Participants make the event and grow the culture. . . not the organizers!
Are there any other Burning Man Netherlands events?
Yes, besides the Burning Man NL “Where the Sheep Sleep” event, there is the Dutch Decompression, Art Jump, Equinox, and Event Participation and the Burning Man Pub in Amsterdam, Rotterdam, The Hague and Wageningen. They will all be announced on our Facebook page, and of course on our website.
Organization, Funds and Plans
What is the structure of the organisation?
There are two legal entities, the ANBI Stichting Burning Man the Netherlands and Blackrock(s) Orange B.V. The B.V. is 100% owned by the foundation. If you want to know more about it, please have a look at our Organisation improvement plan (Organisatie verbetering plan) on page 5 and 6 where this is explained extensively. .
How do you comply with the A.N.B.I. status?
We maintain an about page which holds all the information needed. The Policy plan and annual reports are published also in a folder accessible from this page. This is yearly finalized in May following the previous year and published before June 1. It holds the figures and the summary written explanations. More details can be reviewed by the audit committee, or the specific committees as needed.
What is the role of the board?
The board serves to provide financial and regulatory oversight, to facilitate the wishes of the community. By Dutch law, the board has sole responsibility to formulate policy, is charged with the welfare and continuity of a legal entity and has autonomy in this area, subject to the same legal conditions. So, the board realizes that it is of the utmost importance that the entire community participates in and then recognizes itself in the formulated policy. Therefore, it can and will want to take good note of the wishes and needs of the community and, in various forms of cooperation, align and align interests and needs as much as possible. Indeed, the board seeks consensus with the community whenever possible to maximize support for its decisions. To organize this further, a strategy committee has been formed and operates as a cooperative body with the board and the community.
What is the Board’s take on Transparency & Trust?
The board aims to be fully open and transparent within the limits of good privacy practices and the Dutch regulation and laws. One of the tools is this page which answers questions from the community on various topics. If you have a question which hasn’t been addressed yet, please send an email to board@burningman.nl and we answer it and add it to this page if relevant. We are working on a new additional platform which will allow us to easily publish our meeting schedules, abbreviated notes as well as a structured decision list.
What is your policy with financial results of events?
We reserve these for future art and civic engagement projects. In 2023 we have decided to have a more structural approach in close interaction with the community and have scheduled it in our annual plan for 2024 (Jaarplan 2024). This is high on the agenda but is waiting for the outcome of the strategy committee.
How are the reserves maintained and handled?
We have an account at the Triodos Bank. Most savings are held there at a standard interest rate, at the time of writing 1,35%. The treasurer works together with administratiekantoor Van Duuren on all operational financial and fiscal issues and if needed can acquire additional advice from specialists. on report. All non operational decisions are taken by the board. We are healthy, have a reserve due to Covid where we spent less on art than anticipated. We have a reserve in order to facilitate growth, staying healthy also in case of unforeseen calamities, and to accommodate our big hairy audacious goal (which we plan to define together with the community).
How are payments done?
All regular payments for approved event costs, software and other regular maintenance are done by the treasurer with implicit approval of the chair. When something special or out of the ordinary happens it is discussed in the board before payment is made. Every board member can get access to the accounts and/or bank statements at will and we will always make sure that there is someone next to the treasurer with access.
Do you have a future proof financial plan?
We have a solid and healthy organisation and are working on making it more future proof allowing for further growth. We are working on improving the structure of our operations and finances including clarity on volunteer’s, roles and tasks, continuity in events, appreciation system, art and civic engagement budgets, reserves and long term goal. This has been addressed and started in 2022 as the future proof project and is now waiting for the outcome of the strategy committee. We plan to give this new life asap in 2025 and beyond.
Is there an audit committee?
In the past the community has asked for an audit committee to review the financial situation and the board has approved with that on the condition that it would be staffed with financial professionals. That approval still stands. As far as we know there has been an audit committee only once, they did their checks, were happy and stepped down which is not uncommon for an audit committee. In our Organisation improvement plan (Organisatie verbetering plan) on page 13 the board has included the suggestion to reïnstall an audit committee. We will work together with the committees and the community if there is a need to do this either now or in the future.
Will there be any fundraising events (such as a gala dinner) soon?
No, not yet. We see this as something which needs a number of prerequisites which currently are not at the correct level. The same goes for a number of other fund raising options like promoting leaving money as by someone’s last will.
What are the plans for supporting art, cultural awareness, and community involvement?
We have started the 10-years anniversary project which addresses some nice projects. Also we are open for all suggestions on some specific subjects as we have indicated in our annual plan for 2024 (Jaarplan 2024). Every individual or group can apply for a grant within that context. We also welcome other initiatives which need funding. We do consider this very very important. We are working on our new infrastructure to better support community engagement and will get full up to speed with this once we have our board complete and the committees installed and active.
Are there plans for a cultural center, maker-space, or breeding ground?
Yes! We are very excited about this topic. This has been on the board agenda for a long time, in fact we have been further along much earlier in the life of Burning Man the Netherlands. However, there have been setbacks (and Corona years) which made it challenging to move forward. In 2023 we decided to make it more tangible and into a real project which we started but this had also stalled. We hope to start the definition of these plans a reality soon – in structured interactions and engagements with the community.
What do you do to show appreciation for the volunteers?
All burners and visitors of all events are participants and bring something which creates the event – which is the main gift to each other and the community. We do recognize that there are volunteers, like event leads, who spend enormous amounts of time above and beyond an average participant. We encourage these folks to split heavy roles into multiple small roles – dividing responsibility and knowledge amongst different people. However, as our community and events grow there will come a limit to only volunteers as well. We have had yearly volunteer events, after event dinners or parties and other tokens of appreciation like discount on tickets, access and sponsoring to visit ELS and/or the event in Nevada.
It is very likely that one day key roles will receive monetary remuneration for their efforts. (Note: We have been able to contribute to some leads already in the past years.) This is a very delicate thing however since as part of the Burning Man Ten Principles we have Civic Responsibility, Communal Effort and Gifting – as well as Decommodification contributing to the push to focus on volunteer efforts. Therefore we aim to create a more structured system which allows for full transparency and fairness in volunteer appreciation without harming the gifting based nature of our events. The board created a concept appreciation policy plan early 2023 (which we will share here for transparency) and today this project is on the agenda of the strategy committee to find a balanced solution.
Other
I have a question which is not answered on this page.
If you have additional questions which are not addressed here please send them to board@burningman.nl so we can answer you and publish here as well if appropriate. Since we aim for 100% transparency we welcome any questions you might have.