Kym and David are the wonderful humans behind the 2026 Temple. They’re a team spanning the length of the North Island, collaborating on design and administration. Despite being first-time builders, Kym and David both worked on the Art Support Services team in 2025 and have sought to provide safety and support for the hard-working Artists and Volunteers of Kiwiburn.
In keeping with the KB26 Theme – A Work of HeART, the Temple for 2026 – Heart and Home, is intentionally smaller than some previous years. The core principle is people – and value – focused, rather than spectacular. It is a love letter to the community motivated by heart, not ego. This Temple is designed to place realistic expectations on the build and safety teams and the Burn ceremony is designed to recognise the contributions by Volunteers and community, past, present and future.
This comes as the culmination of a particularly hard year with the loss of Kym’s good friend, Kyle Whorrall, the entomologist and PhD student that died in a random attack over Easter. It is, in part, dedicated to him and also the newfound Burner family who supported her over this time.
