This page can be accessed/shared via papercranesburningman.com
Helpful Links for Current Camp Members
Are you a current camp member? See this page for common links that you might need to find throughout the planning process
Paper Cranes Helpful LinksÂ
Want to join our camp? See the Joining our Camp section below
Who are the Paper Cranes?
At Paper Cranes, we draw inspiration from the Japanese art of folding paper cranes, a symbol of hope, peace, and healing. We envision a community of creative and compassionate individuals who come together to celebrate diversity and explore the transformative power of art. Through our art installations, performances, and workshops, we aim to inspire self-expression, foster connection, and promote sustainability. We strive to create a safe and inclusive space where everyone can fully embrace their authentic selves, and where the collective energy of our community creates a soaring flock of paper cranes, representing the boundless potential for positive change that we carry within us.
Check out the Mood Board to get a feel for the camp.
Between past and current members, we have roots in:
- Bay Area (San Francisco/Oakland/Sonoma), CA
- Los Angeles, CA
- New York, NY
- Austin, TX
- Mexico City, MX
Mission
Paper Cranes is a communally built camp that provides a refuge from the elements. We take care of each other, creating a culture where we feel comfortable and can have a great fucking time. We want everyone to feel motivated to make this camp, and the Burn, their own.
Why Paper Cranes? What do we do?
Paper Cranes invites Burners into our camp to come relax, have a cold drink, and simply learn to make an origami crane. Our inspiration to encourage people to write a wish inside comes from the story of Sadako Sasaki. We have never quite reached 1000 paper cranes but the hundreds we do fold throughout the week are all strung together and brought to the Temple for its burning on Sunday night. This burn is one of the most beautiful things to witness on the playa and knowing our paper cranes are part of it brings us a sense of what this origami shape symbolizes: hope and healing.
Vision
Burning Man is one of the rare examples of a decentralized organization and it works damn well. Paper Cranes is looking to mirror this structure to the fullest so there is equal weight and equal opportunity for empowerment amongst all members. We achieve this through a structure of cross-functional roles where every person is encouraged to take the lead, be creative, and support the camp with their own personal flair. We believe this is the key to our camp withstanding the test of time and continually evolving.
Values
- Be the Burner
- Embody and practice the 10 Principles +consent
- Be the Crane
- Align and uphold the mission
- Empowerment
- Knowing you are trusted to make the camp what you want it to be
- Chosen Family
- Nurture a familial environment within the camp
- Smart and Scrappy
- Conserve budget and resources while maintaining the health of the camp
Who are we looking for?
đđŞđ¤¸đťââď¸đ¤đ¨đ We're looking for proactive, playful, positive people who are considerate AF, are doers to the max, allergic to drama, and are passionate about contributing to the camp.
We don't expect you to drop everything in your life for the camp. However, joining the camp comes with the expectation that you will take an active role in planning and building some really cool shit while nerding out and having a good time!
NO SPARKLE PONIES đŤâ¨đ´
FAQ
How big is the camp? What's the membership structure?
- Our camp size ranges between ~30 and 50 members. Maximum size will be determined based on official placement announcements.
- Our camp operates in a decentralized fashion. We have 15 different teams (water team, kitchen team, build team, etc)! Most teams have 1-2 leads and several other sub-positions. The teams interact with eachother throughout the year to plan the event, and the camp lead syncs with the team leads as needed. The team lead also plans, make decisions, and operates the camp throughout the year.
- Returning members from past year(s) are each allowed to nominate at least 1 person
- We look at applications on a first-come, first serve basis to keep it fair
- If we reach capacity before we've had a chance to review all new member applications, we'll start a waiting list in case spots open up
How many veterans and burgins are in the camp?
While we try to keep a healthy balance of veterans and burgins, we welcome all! We had a ~3:1 ratio in 2022.
What do I need to know if I've never been to Burning Man before?
We've got just the thing for you to read!
Burgin (Burning Man Virgin) FAQWhat's expected of me?
- Before BM: attendance at camp meetings and build/project days, active participation in planning and building, packing + loading camp infrastructure for BM.
- At BM: camp build (if possible), ice runs, cooking 1 communal meal, dinner clean-up, taking trash with you when you leave, MOOP (matter out of place AKA trash) sweep, camp strike, participation during our camp party / games.
- After BM: decompress and share pictures to a shared album :), fill out a feedback survey so that we can learn what went well and what could have gone better.
How much are dues?
Dues for 2023 are $500. This year we are accepting payments through various means (ACH, Paypal, Zelle, and even Credit Cards!). Depending on your payment method, there may be a small fee. If you pay with credit card or paypal, the total will come to $515 due to fees charged by the payment processors. Some people choose to pay more dues to help keep the camp funded. The camp typically just about breaks even between income from dues and expenses.
What is a build/project day?
This refers to time spent doing camp stuff before BM, like making a run to the storage unit, building shade structures, throwing a fundraiser, running errands, etc.
What do dues cover / what does the camp provide?
- A bar stocked with beer, booze, seltzers, water, ice, pickle juice, and all the fixings to support signature drinks crafted by the Bar Team (NEW THIS YEAR!)
- Potable water provided for the camp for all your personal and communal water needs, including drinking, cooking, and showering. (NEW THIS YEAR!)
- Gray water disposal from various sources (kitchen, shower, dirty cooler water). Note that gray water from RVs is your own responsibility.
- Shade coverage for the back of house so that your tent/yurt/shiftpod is protected from the sun in the hottest hours of the day
- A Shaded Lounge area with full rug coverage and comfortable couches
- A Dome which provides extra shelter and shade and a place to chill.
- Electricity provided in the common area to support charging of small personal electronics (phones, cameras, lights⌠no large items like ACs)
- A sound system and DJ equipment to support music for both chill times and party times.
- Camp shower with a self-contained portable hot camp shower pump
- Swing set to unleash your inner child or just take a breather
- A clean Kitchen with appliances, utensils, condiments, and everything you need to cook
- A meal cooked with love by your campmates provided for you for 6 days of burn week (You will join a meal crew to cook a meal for other campmates one of these 6 days)
- Ongoing maintenance and aesthetic improvements for all camp infrastructure
- Storage costs throughout the year and transportation to the playa for all camp infrastructure
- Priceless interactions with participants who come to our camp to write an intention and fold Paper Cranes
- Really convenient placement location in the Tokyo Sector area (8:15 & D this year!).
How come the camp doesn't provide _______?
Although we try our best to pool our efforts for communal resources, we also strongly embrace the BM principle of radical self-reliance. Ultimately, each member is responsible for taking care of their own needs. Let us know if you have an idea youâd like to talk about!
Will I get a ticket through the camp?
Since we are a theme camp, we have the privilege of obtaining a certain number of event tickets via the Stewards Sale (formerly known as the Directed Group Sale). These tickets are reserved for rockstar contributors based on level of participation. Camp leads, team leads, people leading major camp projects, and people critical to camp build/teardown will have priority.
That being said, we are pretty hard-core about making sure no one gets left behind! All of us will be taking part in the Main Sale, OMG Sale, and STEP, asking friends, and scouring classifieds for tickets to make sure everyone in our family gets to come home this year.
What does the timeline normally look like?
- March: camp meetings start, kickoff planning
- April: camp applications open
- May: camp projects start rolling
- June: placement decisions announced
- July: Work Access Pass allocations provided
- August: camp applications close; Last minute scramble + Burning Man!
What if I have another question?
Feel free to email the crane-core group at cranecore@googlegroups.com
Whatâs the application process to join the camp?
To make sure that our camp continues to have an intimate family vibe, we do âMeet + Greetâ chats with any new people interested in joining the camp.
For the Meet + Greets, we pair you up with two existing campmates that you donât know. If you know someone in the camp who invited you to apply, they have already vouched for you so we partner you up with people you havenât met yet.
These Meet + Greets are a casual way of getting to know you and vice versa. This is a two-way street! Youâre getting a feel for the camp just as much as weâre getting a feel for you.
- You fill out the application (see the âHow do I apply to join the campâ section below)
- The camp reviews your application
- Two existing campmates volunteer (at least one veteran) to be your Meet + Greet partners
- The camp reaches out to you and makes introductions with your Meet + Greet partners
- Meet + Greet partners coordinate in-person or virtual chats
- Meet + Greets happen
- The camp discusses your application along with Meet + Greet feedback
- The camp reaches out to you about the decision
How do I apply to join the camp?
As of Aug 11, 2023 our camp is officially at capacity with 41 people and we are no longer accepting applications for 2023 Animalia
We're so excited that you want to join our family!
- Read this entire page, which you hopefully did before reaching this section đ
- If you've never been to Burning Man before:
- Read the First Timers Guide
- Not required, but we highly recommend reading through the sassy and informative Captain's Log from Camp Orphan Endorphin
- Fill out the Member Intake Form
- We'll review your application and our onboarding / acculturation team will follow up with you ASAP!
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Camp Stickers
Every year our camp makes stickers. The stickers have evolved over the years! Usually there is some version of the burning man logo, some amount of paper cranes, and at least the yearâs theme name, the camp name, the words âBurning Manâ, and the year of the event. One year we also included our address for some reason.
2018: I Robot
This yearâs theme was âI Robotâ, and our photoshop skills were still in their infancy stage, so the design was pretty basic, with a version of the burning man logo with the robot emoji đ¤Â face and some paper cranes.
2019: Metamorphoses
This yearâs theme was Metamorphoses so naturally we had a burning man person with butterfly wings and paper cranes. For some reason we included the location of our camp this year
This year we also designed a basic yet thought provoking sticker: âYouâre still at burning manâ. The idea is that when you see someone out on the playa in a struggle bus situation (maybe they took too much, maybe theyâre doing the walk of shame, maybe theyâre asleep on the playa, maybe they just had a major blowout argument with a campmate, maybe their bike just got stolen, etc⌠use your imagination), you hand them this sticker and say âHey. Itâs OK. Youâre still at burning manâ. These also have the added bonus that if they make it back to the default world on your water bottle, or other high-traffic areas where you see it throughout the year, you can remember that youâre always kinda still at burning man đ
2020: Multiverse
This yearâs event didnât actually happen, but stickers were still made! This didnât really embody the âMultiverseâ theme at all, but it sure as hell embodied the Covid theme
And this year also produced two variations of âYouâre still at burning manâ which was quite appropriate, given that this yearâs burning man didnât take place on the playa
2022: Waking Dreams
3 variations this year to embody the âWaking Dreamâ theme. I couldnât decide whether to do the playa background or the cloud background, so I did both AND a third one that combined the two
2023: Animalia
This yearâs stickers were created with a teensy weensy bit of assistance from the AI revolution. These stickers have a TON of stuff going on in them. They are in production now, hopefully theyâre large enough so that people can see and appreciate the detail.
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And after a 3 year hiatus, the âYouâre still at burning manâ stickers return to the scene, this time depicting a cat having a rough time after having spent a bit too much time on the playa.
