Everything You Need to Know About the Upcoming Event at Shavuot!

At least, everything we know so far. The rest we'll decode together, later on.

 

The Concept

 

This year we're returning in a different format, subject to all the constraints and the reality of 2024. The event this year will be different from previous years in many aspects, yet similar in the most important aspect of all - the Midburn community coming together for a week of art, self-expression, and "burning."

 

The event this year will take place in Shitim village, and will be smaller than previous years, marking a decade since the first Midburn event and laying the groundwork for the next ten years. Midburn is turning ten, and it has already gone through so much in its decade of existence. We will mark this decade by coming together.

 

The upcoming event won't be Midburn as we're used to. Given the circumstances, sensitivity, and considering the location itself, we thought of a somewhat different concept. It's a time when we need to think creatively, step out of the existing perception, and try something a bit different. Although the fog of war doesn't allow for long-term planning, the vitality, communal encounter, and creative fervor within us, alongside the difficulty and pain, gives us an opportunity to reevaluate things we've grown accustomed to as "Midburn" - what a camp looks like, what the Playa is, allocations, production, and more.

 

After brainstorming in various circles, we are pleased to announce the decade event for Midburn - “Burn to Basics”.

 

The location

 

Shitim.

We take hold of the compound and create our small communal village, utilizing existing infrastructure but also reinventing all the space according to our character and dreams.

 

About the name
 

 It seems that in this year, with its challenges and sensitivities, there is room for something more modest. More basic or foundational. Let's return to basics. On the communal level, at the level of the ten principles, and at a size that is feasible at the moment. It's also the decade of Midburn, a great time to talk about the sources and the roots, the initial experience, but also to look forward to the next ten years.

 

Similar to the traditional city of Midburn, here too we will continue to maintain the structure we are used to (with a twist we'll talk about soon). As always, it's an event based on the Ten Principles and relies on experience.

Unlike a "regular" event, we're aiming for a concept with several changes that fit the time, situation, and site requirements:

1. Focus on culture and art - Empowering the creative experience and the principle of participation - we want to create art, content, playfulness throughout the event and not just during build time before the event.

2. Engagement and contemplation on the future of Midburn (explained later).

3. No allocations (you heard right. The ticketing plan is at the end).

4. A different design of "the village" to better utilize the space and refresh the perception and expectations - it appears that the center of the "village" will be the area where the experiential events, encounters, art, creation, and more will take place.

5. There will be a dedicated space attentive to people who have experienced trauma, for coping, processing. Not healing or therapy, but certainly awareness that there are members in the community who have gone through something difficult and complex in recent times. Of course, like everything else, it will rely on community initiatives.

 

Imagine an event dedicated to thinking and dreaming about who and what we want to be in the next ten years. A space that encourages participation in creation, action, dialogue, and experiences of who we can be.

Imagine an event where participants are positioned, either as camps or individuals in tent areas, while most content and art take place in two defined areas - in the central compound and in the Deep Playa.

Imagine an event where the content or theme are clearer and less abstract than other events, yet allow absolute freedom of expression and action.

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 How will it happen?

About content and participation

 

For logistical and technical reasons our site will be divided into three main areas:

1. Accommodation Area - The place for setting up camps and tents (this of course does not mean that content cannot be hosted and created at the camp. But we want to emphasize content outside the camp).

2. Village Center - The event area in the "constructed" area of Shitim, will centralize broad parts of the content and activities, and some of the art at the event. The Village Center is our main resource, and it will be partitioned collaboratively, during tours for artists, camp leaders, and prominent community members. According to the contents that will be created, we will divide the area together to allow as much as possible.

3. Deep Playa - an area hosting art and installations while preserving the uniqueness of nature. We will not allow vehicles there, probably won't burn effigies there, and won't change the landscape - in the setups and in the event in general.
   
   Ideas that have come up so far:

• - Continuous creation with wood and iron.

• - Theater performances and shows.

• - Sound of all types.

• - Immediate and mobile experiences.

• - Culture, philosophy, and discussions about the movement's vision, nostalgic panels about 10 years ago, and dreaming about the next 10 years together with the founders

• - Commemoration for community members

• - And of course, an endless number of ideas that will come from you. In Shitim, there are rooms and halls, grass spaces, activity areas, wide desert, which are very suitable for this perception and an open and inviting desert.

Content

Every event has its own story. In Midburn, for example, you write your story, for example - camp Carrot, Shithole, Art Car, Lemons, Cocktail Bar. Here you are invited to write your story in the decentralized community area. A collaborative content-sharing atmosphere, a kind of open-source event - being open to sharing your content , together we design the experience, experiment with creation together, flow with people and the territory's vibes, and imagine together. It will be expressed in our art and supported by the Art Fund, in active spaces, in planning and executing the content.

 

Content and art can take place in three ways:

• Playing in an existing structure or allocated space according to needs and availability (halls/rooms/domes/spaces) - we will decide together after tours by artists and camp leaders. Mark your calendar - Artist and Content creators tour, Saturday April 13th. Details will be published separately.

•  Playing in a structure they will build themselves (tent/awning/dome/canopy).

• - As Pop-Up (box/cart/facility and other portable or temporary facilities).
  Note - we are used to thinking about exciting content in the camp areas, and that's great! but this time we call on the community to create content in the communal area, in a more inclusive, open, and spacious manner.

 

Ticketing Plan

 

The ticketing program reflects our commitment to a communal cultural shift. This year, we are emphasizing participation, immediacy, and communal effort. The characteristics of the area, the nature of the event, and the structure of the ticketing program each play a significant role in shaping our cultural dynamics. Moreover, what we individually bring to the event is equally important.

 

The program outlines our priorities and guides how we aim to cultivate our culture. It serves as a tool for cultural realization, integrated within a broader framework of budget, logistics, regulations, and licensing considerations.

 

Let's Talk About Allocations

Allocations and the ticketing program are tools for achieving our communal goals. Last year, in preparation for a major event, our focus was on enhancing participation. We believed that limiting open sales and increasing allocations for content creation would foster more genuine engagement. This approach is effective for larger events, but it also introduces challenges, as it can lead to a reliance on allocations for volunteering opportunities. There's no right or wrong, but in a smaller event, we can take a bit more “risk”.

 

In the upcoming event, we are taking a different approach:

1. Almost no allocations will be made. An open sale will determine the community for the event, encouraging immediate participation and creation from all ticket holders.

2. Tickets are non-transferable. Returns are possible within a 14-day legal cancellation period (subject to a 5% cancellation fee by law), after which tickets will be offered to the next person in line.

3. The intervals between sales serve as "community organization windows." This time allows for assessing the viability of camps or projects and facilitates the formation of new partnerships.

4. Approximately 200 "allocation" tickets will be reserved for critical participants in event operations, to be used if necessary. Success of the experiment = need for 0 allocation tickets. Failure of the experiment = everyone is a Sparkle Pony drowning in trash and there are 1000 allocations to ensure event licensing.

5. Ticket Transfers - there will no ticket transfers this event. You may cancel your ticket within 14 days (the ticket will return to the general ticket pool for the next sale

 

Open Sale: Ensuring Active Participation

Although last year's event was canceled, we believe we've undergone an interesting process and fruitful discussion about participation and gifting. Therefore, the sale for Shittim 2024 will be open to those who held a valid ticket on October 7, 2023. A few notes on this topic:

 

1. In our view, the vast majority of those involved in the canceled event were ready to contribute to the success of our city.

2. This also serves as a nice closure (at least partially) for those who were looking forward to the canceled event under such tragic circumstances.

3. True, the community is larger than those who had tickets for the canceled Midburn, and if possible, we will expand to more circles. Try to see this as an opportunity to meet more people.

4. The shadow of war is still heavy, and who knows what the future holds, but it's definitely possible to say that the association's team is making efforts to find space for a larger event at the end of the year, where we hope there will be room for all of us to meet.

 

Concerns:

• What if my campmates can't get tickets? They are, after all, my family.

• How will my installation stand if the people I rely on aren't there?

• Is everyone really in the open sale? How do we ensure there's content?

• What if there aren't enough volunteers for the critical departments?

The concerns are understandable and legitimate. They were raised in consultations we held with many, alongside the enthusiasm for innovation. It's important to understand that in any type of event or ticket plan we choose to implement this year, there will also be disappointments. The blanket is too short to cover all the demands, whether through allocations or open sales.
 

On the other hand, in open sales, there will be immediate certainty about the identity of the village's inhabitants, and we can begin organizing department teams, art, camps, and more. The aspiration is that "everyone has a role," just instead of an allocation incentives system, we'll try a system of trust, personal-cultural connection, and playfulness. "Let's do this together" and "everyone has a role" is the focus.
 

So yes. The gate might be open only 5 hours a day, or there might be chaos in the parking lot, and the authorities might require us to pay for more security staff. It would be annoying and costly. But honestly? I don't think that will happen. We see the community's passion for connection through joint action, initiative, and creativity.

And come on - a lottery with odds of 1 to 3 isn't bad at all...

 

What's the schedule?

Time is short, and we need as much certainty as possible.

We wanted a lottery, found it complex in our beloved country,

so it will be a traditional F5 sale (no real need to refresh).

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• Participation Ticket price - 860 NIS.

• Financial Support Tickets - A limited amount of 125 tickets (will be offered as a refund as it was previously, and not in a separate allocation) at a price of 430 NIS.

• Children and teenagers - Since minors cannot participate in the event without a parent according to the law, they will not participate in the lottery\registration and 100 children's tickets purchased alongside an adult ticket will be reserved.

• Accessibility - Allocations will be reserved for caregivers of individuals with disabilities who have purchased a ticket that requires a caregiver.

• Participants from abroad who held a ticket on 7.10 will be able to register for the lottery (given the circumstances, the likelihood of many participants from abroad is low).

• Gratitude Tickets - Approximately 50 tickets priced at 430 NIS (as a refund) for Mapatz and Rasto (according to criteria determined by the head of the Mapatz department). This strengthens the recognition and appreciation for more dedicated participation, as well as enabling more people who cannot afford to participate.

 

Summary

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The word "radical" in the principle of Radical Self-Expression originates in the latin word for "roots" and not necessarily extremism. While the changes and innovations may seem "extreme" compared to what we are familiar with, in our opinion, they are actually more "rooted," interesting, allowing for play and exploration, full of immediacy, and of course, a shared community effort.

 

We're already excited to start working on this together.

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