Volunteering at Kiwiburn

Gate

The Gate crew are the first people you’ll meet at Kiwiburn, and they are there to get you out of the default world and into Kiwiburn as quickly as they can. Save the hugs for Greeters; just give your lovely Gate volunteer your ticket, let them check your vehicle to ensure you are prepared for the event and not harbouring any stowaways, get your wristband and get inside! Gate volunteers are onto-it and responsible, with a mean sense of humour and constitutions of steel.

Greeters

Greeters welcome new arrivals home to the Paddock and help them adjust from the everyday default world to the extraordinary world of Kiwiburn. If you haven’t volunteered at Kiwiburn before, this is a good place to start. Whether you are an extrovert with a sparkly personality who just loves hugging everyone or a shy silent type who is learning to push your boundaries, Greeters has a role for you. As a Greeter, you have the important job of welcoming people home to the Paddock with an awkward but precious moment, making new arrivals slightly more disoriented and full of warm fuzzies.

Ministry of Public Works

The Kiwiburn Ministry of Public Works (MPW) is the group that plans, surveys, builds, and takes down the basic infrastructure of our temporary community. MPW work hand-in-hand with other departments to ensure the site for Kiwiburn is prepared and ready to receive the participants on arrival, as well as ensuring the maintenance of Kiwiburn facilities throughout the burn. This includes marking and maintaining access roads, clearing camping areas, building Gate and the Depot, installing all the lighting on gates, restocking and cleaning portos, and placing all signage all over the site! If you have building skills and experience, like to work hard, party hard and listen to power ballads, and have time before the event to set things up, MPW might just be your natural volunteer habitat.

Black Sheep Rangers

Modelled on the Black Rock City Rangers, Kiwiburn’s Black Sheep Rangers are volunteers who help ensure the safety of the site and participants, and can be identified by their hi-vis vests and friendly demeanour. Previously known as Paddock Relief, Black Sheep Rangers are not law enforcement. They work within our community to help participants navigate the Paddock and promote awareness of how to have the best Kiwiburn experience possible! If you see a medical emergency, a fight or any other dangerous situation, alert your nearest member of Black Sheep Rangers or anyone else with a radio. If you are a kind, caring, responsible type of person, who has a lot to give, Black Sheep Rangers might be the volunteer role for you. Check out more information here.

The Depot

The Depot is our centralised community information centre. Buy a bag of ice, check Lost and Found for your camera or favourite earring, find out the latest of what’s going on on the Paddock, sign up for a volunteer shift, become a Paddock Postie. In theory, they know what’s going on everywhere! Open 10am–5pm every day.  If you are organised, efficient and like selling ice, why not sign up for a shift?

The Artery

The Artery is back – a hub for all things art on the Paddock. It will be filled with info on the art of Kiwiburn (past and present) and our Art Grants processes, so you know how you can get some of those dollars to bring your vision to life! They’ll be fun events like art tours and an “official opening” gallery night (giving you the chance to dress up, drink wine and prattle on about art like a fancy wanker!).
We need volunteers to “man the desk” from 2pm–5pm each day, and help run events. You will need to be a people person, passionate about art, and reliable. Interested? It’s a bonus if you have done projects before, have an understanding of the Art Grants processes or have a willingness to learn. Get amongst it!

Site Office

Site office is the administrative hub of Kiwiburn. This is where documents are kept, printed, signs laminated and First Aid kits kept. Site Office also manages the on-site radios ensuring the right teams have freshly charged radios and batteries are always topped up.

There is also sunscreen to dispense, Health and Safety inductions to conduct, and general help and questions to yield and answer.  The Site Office is open everyday from 8am till 8pm and will be run by a 2IC/Lead as well as a volunteer for 3×4 hour shifts every day. Volunteers should have some computer literacy, familiarity with Google Suits a plus, ability to think on their feet and be self-starting.

Traffic Crew

Listen and understand your fellow burners expectations, fears and curiousness, and assist them in touch their fate by leading them safely to their Final Camping Destination (in accordance with general Town Planning’s intention, terms and conditions apply).

Burn Perimeter

Without a Burn Perimeter Crew, there is no burn – simple. These amazing humans ensure that the Effigy and Temple Burns are conducted safely and in conjunction with FAST (Fire Art Safety Team) controls. No one gets past them until the ropes drop and they keep all revelers at a safe distance to enjoy the main event(s) any Burn has to offer. Each Burn requires a separate crew and you must remain sober until after the Burn is completed. You may miss the burn but you can experience all the happy faces of the crowd and you’ll have a very warm back.

Theme-Camp Engagement & Appreciation

The Theme-Camp Engagement & Appreciation Squad (TEA Squad) is here to spill the tea (and maybe sip a little) with the legends behind Kiwiburn’s incredible Theme Camps! They connect directly with Theme Camps on-site to better understand their unique offerings, needs, and contributions on the Paddock. These insights are then passed back to the year-round Theme Camp Team, helping them to provide better support for future events.

But it’s not just about collecting information—it’s about celebrating the huge effort, creativity and commitment that goes into Theme Camps. We want to make sure their hard work is appreciated and that they have everything they need to keep bringing their weird and wonderful visions to life year after year.

Sound

The Sound Team ensures Kiwiburn’s soundscape hits all the right notes while staying within Resource Consent limits. They monitor noise through sound stations, log data, and liaise with Sound Camps to adjust volumes, keeping harmony with our neighbours. If you’re cool under pressure, have an ear for tech, and aren’t afraid to chat with DJs about turning it down a notch (gently!), this might be the team for you. Bonus points if you know your way around sound engineering or just love geeking out over gadgets.