For this Propagandist, 2025 has been a year of challenging, inspiring, and transformative change. The kind that cracks you open a little, makes you slow down, reflect, and re-evaluate what truly matters – and what really matters is Community. The people who show up daily, weekly, monthly (or once a year on a random paddock in the middle of the North Island) and remind you what connection, collaboration, and belonging feel like.
If there’s ever been a reminder of just how much heart goes into building and sustaining a community, it’s Kiwiburn itself. Every structure raised, every meal shared, every sparkle of Paddock magic is born from the love, creativity, and collective effort that unites us.
The Theme for KB26 is A Work of HeART – and what a perfect reflection that is. Kiwiburn is a living, breathing work of art, a labour of love powered by volunteers, Artists, Theme Camps, dreamers, and tireless legends, crafted and held together by heart.
Here at the DoP, we’re pretty big on team effort – you can’t keep the best KB department humming without a healthy dose of collaboration, creativity, and chaos management. Working together is where the magic happens, and that’s what A Work of HeART is all about. We reckon 2026 is the year to merge ideas, share skills, and build something bigger together. Reach out to other Theme Camps, find folks in general camping who’ve got that spark (or that hint of mischief for a renegade event), and dream up something wild, something meaningful – something that could only happen because you connected.
When we collaborate, we don’t just build art – we build community. And maybe, juuust maybe, a couple of DoP members have a juicy little Paddock collab brewing for you too…
Image credit: Jean-Baptiste Gaillet
