(words: Graeme Allen, images: Edwin Angless)

Our AfrikaBurn Fire Collective have all arrived in playa at Burning Man, and we’re happy to share the latest update with you, fresh from the dust. Here’s Graeme Allen’s report from a growing Black Rock City:

We are almost all on playa. The early arrival build team have been navigating many logistical hurdles and have done a sterling job of getting all of the artworks up on time. The partnering with Fractal Planet (where we’re staying) has been fabulous – they are a serious operation, producing many offerings to the Burning Man population – the Zendo Dome hosts MAPS lead by Linnae who helped set up our first Sanctuary at AfrikaBurn 2013 with Mike Suss.

There’s a main stage rigged from bamboo rigged by Francois from Boom Festival sporting a Funktion One sound system hosting two of my favourite DJ’s, Opiou and Love and Light, to name two acts amongst many. There are also the aerial acts and fire performers that will participate in our show on Friday night. There is a large geodesic dome featuring artwork by Android Jones (co-founder of Fractal Planet) and our very own Carin Dickson who paints those beautiful friezes we see at our outdoor trance festivals in SA.

Kayden Kleinhans was greeted by the Burning Man organisation on arrival – and a large contingent of Saffas – as he entered the gates of Black Rock City, and is staying with is under our DPW stretch tent that now looks like Bangladesh.

Fractal Planet and AfrikaBurn build teams were set back by multiple dust storms, thunder storms and a rain storm in the build phase, and we’ve relied on each other. By sharing their heavy equipment and using our labour we’ve managed to survive and get off the ground. What was a team of 40 is now 450 people – we’ve been here from the start of the artist build and it has been an unbelievable experience.

AfrikaBurn portfolio leads have been given access to their Burning Man counterparts and the experience for all of them is proving to be invaluable. We’re really looking forward to enjoying the burn and wowing them with our show. Holding thumbs the weather is stable on Friday. The most amazing thing for all of us is to know that Burners are the same everywhere. The people her are super friendly and very helpful. We’ll continue to fly the flag high! It flies above our tent – the SA and AfrikaBurn flags fly above us on a 8 meter bamboo pole.

In Flames and Dust from Black Rock City,

Graeme Allen