Temple and Effigy

Design Burning Nest's Effigy and Temple

The Effigy and Temple Burns are pivotal moments every year. All the Nestlings gather in celebration and solemnity. We will cherish these moments for years.

Planning, designing, building and burning these art pieces is a big project! But a very rewarding one.

Do you want to create an awe-inspiring structure and then destroy it with fire? Then you are in the right place...

If you are looking to join a team rather than submitting your own proposal email arts@burningnest.co.uk and we will connect you with the right humans.

Submissions close and successful applications will be decided in March.

Budget:

£1600 for Effigy
£1600 for Temple
Designs exceeding this budget will require additional fundraising.

Application template (you don't have to use this but it's pretty helpful)

Your application should include:

Design - The design/description including timelines, sketches, photos or models
Budget breakdown - and (if necessary) fundraising plan
Build plan
Burn plan
Leave a Better Trace & transport plan
Materials/tools
Team (we can help you recruit your team)
Health & Safety (not expected in this submission, but is required prior to build)
Effigy / Temple specific details

Design criteria in brief:

The criteria ensures that the effigy can be easily and safely, built, burnt, and Leave a Better Trace (LBT). All burnable art is subject to a review and discussion with the Dangerous Arts Committee (DAC) incl. Arts, DPW, EoC H&S and Nest community members.
Sound construction: Any injury to any persons caused by the artwork is the responsibility of the design team. The structure must be built evenly, so it collapses inward.
H&S: Participants may be intoxicated, may try to climb the art etc.
Safe materials: Materials used must not pose a health or pollution hazard when burning, such as emitting hazardous chemicals. Guide on burnable materials here.
Burn Plan: Create a safe burn plan, in conjunction with the Fire lead and Rangers.
LBT: The structure must Leave a Better Trace and no MOOP
Strike/LBT: Returning the burn site to its original state (mag sweep/turf)
Transport: How will you get all the materials and tools you need to/from the site?
Designs connection to the 10 principles and event theme
Consider those with accessibility needs
What tools are needed to build this on-site? Any special equipment?

Lead/Co-lead responsibilities

Manage & encourage participation of all team volunteers
Oversee the budget, sharing of ideas and developing the design, in a fair/transparent manner
Organise fundraising if necessary to meet the project budgets
Ensure required team members are available on site for the build and strike
Liaise with Nest leads for community comms, effigy placement and H&S
Nominate a replacement in the event that they can no longer commit to the roll.
If you don't have all the answers immediately, that's okay! We are all in this together and the successful applicant may not have all the answers available at the drop of a hat. In order to be successful we're looking for the team who have the capacity to meet this criteria for the final event

Have read of the guide below. These are our biggest, most exciting, and most dangerous builds, so there's important information to impart!

If you have any further questions you can email arts@burningnest.co.uk

Effigy and Temple Application Guide

Effigy:

The effigy should connect to this year’s theme: Beneath the Aether. There’s no hard and fast rule on how to interpret the theme, we’re welcome to creative inspiration as long as it does connect.

The effigy serves as a symbol for the event each year, something for the community to connect to throughout the week and celebrate during the burn on Saturday. Although placement is not set in stone we generally prefer it to be somewhere where it can be viewed from all angles, and can be surrounded by participants during the burn.

There are limitations to the areas on site that burnable art can be placed. This is due to the site largely being protected grassland and also the inescapable fact that much of the land is on an incline. Traditionally the effigy has been staged in front of the lake on a small flat area measuring only 15m (from the edge of the lake to the tree). The effigy has historically been small in size in order to be sympathetic to its surroundings - allowing room for a smaller burn perimeter and for participants to be closer to it as it burns. There is the possibility of moving the effigy; however, there is one other site in another field that would be further away in distance. Options can be discussed with the placement team in greater detail.

When developing designs, ask - is it something that participants of Nest can understand and connect with? Is it something that is interesting to look at from many angles?

Temple:

The temple does not have to meet the theme, Beneath the Aether. However we welcome any designs that do take inspiration.

The temple should offer a place for quiet reflection and allow for participants to leave their mark. It is meant to be a sacred space, open to all beliefs (or lack thereof) equally, away from the bustle of the theme camps and partying. It would ideally have enough space inside it for multiple people to sit and meditate, pray, contemplate, perform rituals, or just sit and enjoy the sacred atmosphere, with some shelter from potential rain. Because of this, if any sound is incorporated into the temple design, such as chimes or music, it should be respectful of a quiet reflective atmosphere.

Traditionally, the temple serves as both a sacred space and a place for ‘letting go’, whether that is letting go of lost loved ones and grief, or letting go of other personal things that people feel they need a release from. Participants traditionally leave their mark through writing on the temple itself, but the temple could also include other ways of connecting with it and leaving things, such as an altar where people can leave objects, or ways to attach objects to the ceiling or walls, etc.

The temple will be burned on Sunday evening. Unlike the effigy burn, which is more of a celebration, the temple burn tends to be a more quiet, reflective burn.

Both:

Members of the Nest community or temple/effigy teams are welcome to design opening ceremonies for either project, that could include processions around the Temple / Effigy.

Teams:

People can submit a proposal as a team and, if their proposal is selected, one/two from the team will be the lead/co-lead. People can also submit a proposal without a team, so long as they are willing to become the lead and recruit a team.

Anyone from the community can join the teams and offer their ideas and skills. We encourage anyone interested to get involved in the team and participate, regardless of whether you submit an application or not, and regardless of whether your design gets chosen or not. If you just like building things, come help out!

Most importantly, have fun and be creative! The Temple and Effigy burns are pivotal moments of the event for many people, so you have an incredible opportunity to shape their experience and inspire deep thoughts and feelings. We know there is a lot of information to take in here, but don't worry! We are here to help, and you will be supported throughout the process.

If you have any further questions you can email arts@burningnest.co.uk