EFFIGY AND TEMPLE GUIDE - NEST 2023

What are we looking for in the effigy and temple?

Effigy: The effigy should connect to this year’s theme: A Glitch in Reality. There’s no hard and fast rule on how to interpret the theme, we’re welcome to creative inspiration as long as it does connect.

The effigy serves as a symbol for the event each year, something for the community to connect to throughout the week and celebrate during the burn on Saturday. Although placement is not set in stone we generally prefer it to be somewhere where it can be viewed from all angles, and can be surrounded by participants during the burn. 

There are limitations to the areas on site that burnable art can be placed. This is due to the site largely being protected grassland and also the inescapable fact that much of the land is on an incline. Traditionally the effigy has been staged in front of the lake on a small flat area measuring only 15m (from the edge of the lake to the tree). The effigy has historically been small in size in order to be sympathetic to its surroundings - allowing room for a smaller burn perimeter and for participants to be closer to it as it burns. There is the possibility of moving the effigy; however, there is one other site in another field that would be further away in distance. Options can be discussed with the placement team in greater detail.

When developing designs, ask - is it something that participants of Nest can understand and connect with? Is it something that is interesting to look at from many angles? 

Temple: The temple does not have to meet the annual theme, though we welcome any designs that do take inspiration from the theme.

The temple should offer a place for quiet reflection and allow for participants to leave their mark. It is meant to be a sacred space, open to all beliefs (or lack thereof) equally, away from the bustle of the theme camps and partying. It would ideally have enough space inside it for multiple people to sit and meditate, pray, contemplate, perform rituals, or just sit and enjoy the sacred atmosphere, with some shelter from potential rain. Because of this, if any sound is incorporated into the temple design, such as chimes or music, it should be respectful of a quiet reflective atmosphere. 

Traditionally, the temple serves as both a sacred space and a place for ‘letting go’, whether that is letting go of lost loved ones and grief, or letting go of other personal things that people feel they need a release from. Participants traditionally leave their mark through writing on the temple itself, but the temple could also include other ways of connecting with it and leaving things, such as an altar where people can leave objects, or ways to attach objects to the ceiling or walls, etc. 

The temple will be burned on Sunday evening. Unlike the effigy burn, which is more of a celebration, the temple burn tends to be a more quiet, reflective burn. 

Both:

Members of the Nest community or temple/effigy teams are welcome to design opening ceremonies for either project, that could include processions around the temple and effigy.

BUDGET The budget for 2023 is £1200 for the temple, and £1200 for the effigy.

Any designs that want to be more ambitious than this budget will need to arrange fundraising and consider a “Plan B” aka a cheaper version of their design should they not end up raising as much funds as needed. This is up to the temple and effigy team to organise, however Nest will happily assist with putting out information via our comms channels.

Criteria for both the effigy and temple designs:

The criteria for the effigy and temple are important - some ideas that would make a fantastic art project won’t fit (but can be submitted for an art grant instead!). The criteria ensure that the effigy and temple can be easily and safely, built, used, burnt, and leave no trace. This means:

• During event the structure must be built soundly so that it will not collapse or injure participants, this includes withstanding potential extreme weather events. Should any unforeseen  situation happen with the structure suddenly becoming unsafe, the responsibility to repair or remediate any unsafe elements of the structure are the responsibility of the design and build team and not the Nest org. Any injury to any persons caused by the artwork are the responsibility of the design and build team so please ensure that what you have built is safe for participants at all times. Consideration should be given to that participants may be intoxicated, may try to climb the art, etc and you should have a rigorous H&S strategy to cover this.

• Materials used must  not pose a health or pollution hazard when burning, such as emitting hazardous chemicals or any uncontrolled explosives. Avoid the use of unnecessary paints or finishes. Avoid materials with any potential for creating very large embers which increases the chance of spreading fire). Lakes of Fire (Regional burn in Chicago) has a very good guidance document on burnable materials http://lakesoffire.org/departments/fast/prohibited-materials/ 

• Designs can contain non-flammable elements if it is important to the design, as long as it is designed so that these parts can be easily removed before the burn. For example: walls made of polyester (a plastic that will melt and create fumes if burnt) could be used during the week, and then removed just before the burn.

• The structure must be built evenly, so that it naturally collapses downward and inward rather than collapsing sideways. The structure must not exceed 3m in height in order for it to be a controlled burn. We simply do not have the resources on site to safely manage any fire above this measurement. 

• The responsibility to adequately fuel and oversee the safety of the burn is with the Effigy/Temple team, done in conjunction with the Nest Fire lead and the Rangers.

• The structure must meet Leave No Trace principles - all parts must be securely attached, and include no small decorative elements (eg sequins) that would create MOOP. After burning, the burn site must be cleaned up and brought back to exactly how it was before. Nest can provide specialist tools required and this can be discussed with the Dangerous Arts Committee.

• There must be a transport plan - can it be flat packed? How much space will the materials take up in a truck? How will you get all the materials and tools you need to the site? How will you bring any tools or non-burnable elements back from the site?

It is the responsibility of the temple and effigy teams to meet these requirements - the Nest team can and will help, and volunteers from the community can be found to join the team to support you. All burnable art is subject to a review and meeting to discuss plans with the Dangerous Arts Committee to ensure that the plan in place meets Health and Safety requirements and does not breach any licensing or land restrictions. There is a resource guide with useful links that can be shared by the Arts lead

Site can be accessed for build the week before the burn and all LNT and strike works completed up to 2-3 days after the event. DPW will provide all food to the build and strike teams during this time. All working crew attending during these times will need to complete the required questionnaire to arrange Work Access Passes and provide their relevant information in advance of working on site.

What should a design plan include?

Designs are more likely to be chosen if they can demonstrate:

• A well-thought through plan, detailing all the steps in the project process that must happen for it to succeed, with realistic deadlines

• A detailed, realistic budget breakdown, and (if necessary) fundraising plan 

• A detailed description of the project and accompanying sketches, photos, models or other visual material that express the concept as best as possible

• Consideration made to the landscape it will be built on, its environmental impact, and a thorough LNT and Health and Safety plan

• Proper consideration of accessibility, safety and burn plan

Further considerations:

What considerations have been made for accessibility? Have the projects been designed so that those with physical constraints can still interact with them? 

Try to be as environmentally responsible as possible. How can you avoid using metal/wiring or design in a way that it is removable? Past projects have used natural twine to sew walls together without nails, or wood joinery techniques, for example. How can you avoid using unnecessary glues or paints? 

Try to have a test-build prior to Nest to check for unforeseen problems while there’s still time to fix them.

If building of either project gets delayed be prepared to be flexible and alter plans

What tools are needed to build this on site? Will this need any speciality equipment, and how will we get it? Nest has a limited number of tools available during build, and can’t guarantee that what you need will be available when you need it. Please tap into all resources available to you to bring your own, well-labelled tools and equipment to the site.

In the unlikely but always possible off-chance that we are prevented from burning the art at the last minute (due to wet weather or other unforseen incident), is there a plan for how to safely dismantle and transport then store the material?

Who is on the temple and effigy decision committee?

This will include the Arts Lead and DPW lead, EoC  Health and Safety Lead, and co-leads, as well as welcoming members of the nest community who want to join the decision committee. They will assess applications against the above criteria. As with grant decision-making, if there is an application with a conflict of interest (i.e. that member has applied with their own idea) then that committee member won’t vote on that specific project.

TEAMS:

People can submit a proposal as a team and, if their proposal is selected, one/two from the team will be the lead/co-lead. People can also submit a proposal without a team, so long as they are willing to become the lead and recruit a team.

Anyone from the community can join the teams and offer their ideas and skills. We encourage anyone interested to get involved in the team and participate, regardless of whether you submit an application or not, and regardless of whether your design gets chosen or not. If you just like building things, come help out! If you have some ideas you think would work, but aren’t sure how to build them, get involved and see who can work out the practicalities with you. It’s likely that they will be built in London, but even if you don’t live in London you can still be a part of the team and share your ideas.

Responsibilities of Temple & Effigy Lead/Co-Lead: 

• Manage and recruit volunteers to the team
• Encourage participation of all volunteers in the development process 
• Oversee the sharing of ideas and the process for choosing what designs to commit to, in a fair and transparent manner, according to the above criteria, with assistance from the Arts Lead 
• Oversee the budget of the chosen projects and ensure they are realistic and updated as necessary
• Organise fundraising if necessary to meet the project budgets
• Liase with Nest leads as necessary to meet project criteria, spread information through comms, or get advice (such as what tools will be available on site, etc.)
• Nominate a replacement lead (normally the co-lead)  in the event that they are no longer able to commit to the role, so the projects can continue smoothly 
• Liase with DPW Lead to sort out placement on site
• Ensure that a plan is in place for the transport of project materials to site
• Ensure that they and/or other appointed team members are available on site during build to guide the build process, with the goal of both ideally being up by Tuesday morning 
• Ensure that they and/or other appointed team members are available on site after each burn to clean up the burn site and return it to a LNT state
• Liase with Edge of Chaos (aka health & safety) Lead to ensure any necessary changes are made to the structures before burning
• **Optional but recommended: find a co/assistant lead so that there is already someone involved to take over if the lead has to step out.

====== Final Note =======

Most importantly, have fun and be creative! The above may sound rather stern and overwhelming to some but it’s all based on lessons learned from past events. Things don’t always go exactly to plan, so we have to be flexible and think on our toes. Don’t be afraid to reach out to Nest team members with any issues that come up in the process. We’re all in this together trying to make something awesome happen. If at any point in the development of the temple or effigy there are any unforeseen issues or delays, don’t hesitate to contact Nest leads so we can see what we can do to help.