Spark: Facilitating Collaborative Connections

Burning Man is pleased to announce the launch of Spark!

Spark is an online application designed to facilitate connections among Burners, fostering collaborative efforts related to theme camps, art installations, mutant vehicles and other Burning Man–related projects. Spark provides a secure, centralized place for people to post listings to seek or offer resources and skill sets to make projects a reality.

So let’s say you can’t possibly pull off your project without a carpenter, electrician, sword-swallower, welder, dancer, aerialist, fire performer, painter, hooper, dude with a truck, seamstress, zebra trainer, project manager, or a 6’5″ woman who juggles flaming chainsaws. Pop a listing onto Spark seeking what you seek!

Or let’s say you’re any one (or more) of those things and you want to offer your skills to a worthy project. Pop a listing onto Spark offering what you have to offer!

But keep this in mind: Spark is not intended to be a commercial connection engine — it’s about collaborations. If you’re offering commercial services, please do that elsewhere. If you’re looking to promote your fundraiser, Spark is not the place for it … use our Support a Project page for that. Take a look at our Spark community guidelines for more information.

We hope you find this to be a useful tool in sparking your ultimate Burning Man experience. Now, click the link and … go forth and collaborate!

http://spark.burningman.com

About the author: Will Chase

Will Chase

Will Chase is Burning Man's former Minister of Propaganda, working on global communications strategy. He was the editor-in-chief for the Jackrabbit Speaks newsletter and the Burning Man Journal, and content manager for Burning Man’s web properties. He also oversaw the ePlaya BBS and Burning Man’s social media presence. Will first attended Burning Man in 2001. He volunteered as the Operations Manager for the ARTery (Black Rock City’s art HQ) and was on the Burning Man Art Council from 2003-2008. He was Web Team Project Manager and Webmaster from 2004 until he transitioned to the Communications Department in 2009.

3 Comments on “Spark: Facilitating Collaborative Connections

  • Wranler says:

    Camp Above the Limit is hosting a Musicians’ Happy Hour, open Mic Monday thru Thursday from 4:00 pm till 8:00 pm with a grand performance on Saturday from 4:00 pm till 8:00 pm.

    We will have scheduled and Ad Hoc performances promoting musical diversity, radical self expression and participation. If you are a musician, or performance artist and wish to play on the “You’re the Limit Stage” bring yourself, your talent and your instrument to Camp Above the Limit and participate in our Musical Diversity Program! It doesn’t matter what it is! From Violin to Kazoo, Guitar to Ocarina, Sarod, Sitar, Spanish Bagpipes, heck even Accordion’s are welcome. Bluegrass, Old Timey, Country, Rock, Classical, Irish, English, Morris Dancing, French, Middle Eastern, Balkan, Afghan, Barber Shop, performance art, Your whole band or your radically self-expressive solo act, bring it. We will provide sound and we’ll have other musicians for accompaniment, Drums, Guitar, and Mandolin, most likely anything you’ll need. We will be putting together an all-star performance on Saturday for all those who participate so come be a part of a great community of musicians and performance artists and share your gifts with us and the Playa! Community is what makes the Burn so great and within all communities there is greatness! Come share yours with us!

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  • Dr Geoff says:

    So how is this different from e-playa? Or the mailing lists? Why is there yet another interace for people to exchange ideas, questions, and recruit camp members?

    Is is this a reaction to the ticket fiasco? Is this a “yes, our process gutted your camp head count, but dont fret, we will give you this sparkly interface to fill the gaps”

    Or perhaps we just follow ‘wranler’s lead and post our project right here in the comments.

    Change and stirring things up is a good thing, but how many new tools do we need?

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  • Will Chase says:

    Hi Dr Geoff, it’s different from the eplaya in that it’s a more focused, direct way for people to connect around creating projects … a simple listing service without the distraction of the wide variety of discussions going on the eplaya. Also, it has features that the eplaya doesn’t that facilitate this process.

    We created this system because we saw a need, as the community grows and people’s projects become more ambitious, for helping folks find a way to get engaged, connect with each other, and participate in creativity.

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