– What do you actually do around here now?
I’ve been accepted to fill the role of Communications 2IC – meaning I assist Captain, our Communications Facilitator and will have some specific responsibilities in the team as well.
– What made you want to volunteer for a year round role? And what would you say to anyone considering it?
I have volunteered in a couple of different teams at the event over two years, and have met some amazing year-round vollies as part of that process. I also camped with a couple of ExComm members in 26 and learned a lot of what being a year-round entailed – it sounded great! It may have been the rain dripping on my head, or something I drank, but I thought why not?!
– When you’re not doing KB stuff, how do you spend your time?
I run a small business, and am also a committee member in another incorporated society. I also volunteer as an admin in a large Discord server – so I guess I don’t have a lot of spare time!
– How did you get involved with Kiwiburn?
I’d been intrigued by Burning Man for years. Had really wanted to get to Black Rock City some time, then discovered Kiwiburn! It was a no-brainer really. So my first time was 2025 when I latched on to a theme camp a couple of months before the event and got myself helping with Parking and burn Perimeter. Had an amazing experience and learned a lot about myself and started to learn what being a burner really was.
– What’s your favourite thing about being part of this amazing community?
The ability (or is it requirement?) to learn a lot about yourself. Not just who you really are beneath the public persona, but what you actually believe in and how it’s OK to just sit and cry in the middle of a crowd – oh, and to laugh too!
– What’s your favourite Paddock moment?
Temple Burn. The moment I’d describe the most to non-burners after my first KB was being on the perimeter team for the Temple burn. Kneeling there with the heat on my back, the flames lighting up the tear-streaked faces of the crowd in front of me and contemplating the notes I had written in the temple the day before. Being there, being part of the burn, and seeing the people rather than the burn itself was a very very powerful experience.
– What skills have you learned by being involved with Kiwiburn?
I’m generally a very punctual person. I’ve started to learn to adapt to paddock time though… I did overhear in my theme camp this year though that a few people were calling me “on-time Piklik”. Made me begin to wonder if that was really such a good thing! Also – yes, I can contribute in other ways. I ran a workshop for the first time at the Rainbow Burn and it was empowering and rewarding. Hope to be doing that again!
– What are you most excited about for Kiwiburn 2027?
Sunny skies, maybe a few cooling showers late at night to keep the dust down, and meeting more and more of you awesome people!
Photo Credit; Piklik
