Contribute Your Skills and Playfulness to The Canopy!
Calling all Volunteers, Contributors & Artists
The heart of Black Rock City comes to life each year thanks to the teamwork of many dedicated volunteers who plan, create, install decor, and support other Black Rock Citizens in bringing their vivid visions, immersive shticks, and interactive antics to life. While the Temple and the Man invite a release as they burn, the heart asks us what we wish to cherish, nourish, and bring with us on our quest. The heart of the city will ignite, distill, define, and cultivate the very essence of Black Rock City.
VOLUNTEER
We are looking for volunteers to support this vibrant community space. The vibe of this tribe has always had its special kind of cohesion. The culture of The Canopy Volunteer teams is one of family and community. It’s a great place to find your place amongst other creative, fun, and hard-working humans who will likely become dear friends before you know it.
To get in on this amazing experience of Communal Effort fill out the Volunteer Questionnaire, accessible via your Burner Profile.
What Are the Teams that Create The Canopy?
SWIFT (aka Shenanigans Wrangling & Instigation Facilitation Team)
If you enjoy helping Black Rock Citizens bring their weird and wacky activations into the space, SWIFT (aka Shenanigans Wrangling & Instigation Facilitation Team) may be your dream team. SWIFT supports all the wonders that await the participants under the Central Canopy.
Decor
Calling all designers, builders, carpenters, crochet artists, stitchers, furniture builders, painters, and multi-talented hands-on creators! Work with the skilled decor team to transform The Canopy into a magical, whimsical environment to house raucous and relaxing activities throughout Burn Week. Most of the work is done during Build Week before the Gate opens and after the event when we pack up all the pretty things and Leave No Trace.
Stage Crew
Make sure the show goes on! From stage building, lighting, and amplifying the new, larger, Canopy stage before the gates open, this crew supports the myriad merrymakers by MCing, mixing sound, and stage managing during Burn Week. Bring your stagehand experience to The Canopy and work with some of the most skilled and interesting humans and support the incredible talent to grace the stage!
Center Camp Guardians
During Build Week, Strike, and overnight during Burn Week, Guardians wander The Canopy enjoying the offerings, chatting with the people, and making sure things are safe and sound.
*Note: All volunteers get involved in The Canopy space because they are committed to a shared collaborative project that ignites the cultural heart of Black Rock City. First-year volunteers do not get free tickets in exchange for volunteering — but if you get involved and kick ass, you may gain access to future tickets and opportunities to contribute more deeply to The Canopy team.
To get in on this amazing experience of Communal Effort fill out the Volunteer Questionnaire, accessible via your Burner Profile.
CONTRIBUTE YOUR MAGIC!
Musicians, Magicians, and Marching Bands. Soothsayers, Shtick players, and Side-Show Acts. Flow Artists, Freestylists, and Fantastic Fabricators. Comedians, Cacophonists, Curators of Experience. The Canopy hosts special immersive takeover events, has one central stage for scheduled performances, and features an art gallery, crafternoon sessions, a 24/7 tea party, guest bar service, and several curiosity nooks. Participants are invited to scratch below the surface; there may even be some meta-shenanigans at play — think scavenger hunts, side quests, riddles, and mythic lore galore — ‘cause who doesn’t love a little live-action role-playing in their day? You might end up donning a character that sticks!
Please fill out the Collaboration Interest Form to share your offering!
The stage hosts an eclectic mix of offerings such as improvisational comedy, jazz, DJ throwdowns, and world-music performances, and encourages community gathering, engagement, connection, and relaxation. At night, the stage will come alive with epic musical sets paired with a different themed party every night of the week: maximum cohesion and complementary synergy!
Alcove spaces can host micro experiences designed for 2 to 5 people ranging from bad advice booths to healing arts, board games, or intellectually stimulating conversations.
The Canopy space also hosts large participatory and performance groups, dancers, orchestras, and jugglers. The Canopy is open 24/7 for Event Week. Performers interested in showing off their talents under The Canopy should arrange for a pre-scheduled performance slot during the event. But HOW?
Start by filling out this Collaboration Interest Form! There is a tremendous team of volunteers ready to help get your performance booked.
- ****Note to Booking Agents – All artists are required to be radically self reliant, which means purchasing their own ticket to the event as well as providing all necessities to survive in Black Rock City. The team does not work with Booking Agents, have your clients contact us directly.
Performance Musts
Your performance must be all original work. Cover bands, cover songs, or samples subject to licensing cannot be played. This is the space to celebrate YOUR music, YOUR words, YOUR art.
If you want to perform copyrighted material, you MUST secure the rights yourself by contacting the copyright holder/agent and providing written permission to perform such material to the performance coordinator IN ADVANCE of landing on-playa.
Something Else?
There are a plethora of performance styles that aren’t listed here. Got something a little different? Use THIS FORM to let us know what you have in mind.
No Fire under The Canopy!
The Canopy structure is not a safe space for performances that include fire. Lots of things get burned on playa, but not The Canopy.
BRING YOUR ART!
The Center Camp Plaza and The Canopy host many of Black Rock City’s diverse artists. The Canopy is one of the most visited locations on playa and it’s a great place for YOU to display your art for the community to interact with and enjoy throughout the event. There is a curated gallery space for hangable artwork and plenty of space — slightly more protected than the open playa — for all types of installations and expressions.
- Please read ALL the guidelines CAREFULLY. Only submissions adhering to the guidelines will be accepted. Any submissions that fall outside the guidelines or are incomplete cannot be considered.
- Submit your art project here.
We can’t wait to see how your magic contributes to The Canopy!