How to Submit a Temple Proposal

The application process for our 2024 grant cycle is CLOSED.

Before applying, please make sure you’ve read about the Black Rock City Temple Grant and check out the proposal instructions and FAQ below. It’s mandatory that you submit your proposal through our online process; we will not accept applications via email or mail.

Preview of Application Questions

All of the questions on the 2024 Temple Grant proposal form are available in a preview document.

2024 Temple Grant Program Timeline

September 26, 2023 at noon Pacific Time: the online application for the 2024 Temple Grant opens
October 3, 2023, 11am – 12:30pm Pacific Time: Temple Grant Q&A
November 16, 2023 at 5pm Pacific Time: deadline for submissions
Notifications will be sent to applicants by December 22, 2023.

Late or incomplete proposals will not be accepted.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. What expenses are eligible for funding?

A. When considering what expenses you would like to request funding for, please refer to the BRC Temple Grant Budget Template (available as a Google spreadsheet). While we only award funds for particular expense categories, all of your expenses can and should be considered a part of your total costs when calculating your budget and making your Temple plans and proposal.

Eligible for Grant Funding

Materials and supplies, including tools, consumables, hardware, fuel, and Leave No Trace supplies
Transportation of your materials and supplies to and from the playa
Specialty services such as welding, laser cutting, etc.
Build space rental

Ineligible for Grant Funding

Burning Man tickets (these are provided)
Artist and crew flights/transportation
Crew food
Camp supplies
Artist fees
Ground anchors (we can provide these, but you are required to provide hardware and cabling to secure your piece to the ground anchors for stability)
Post-event expenses such as storage
Legal expenses such as LLC formation or insurance

Q. Does Burning Man provide resources to the Temple team on-playa?

A. In addition to funding $100,000 of the project costs, the Temple team receives up to $15,000 of on-playa resources such as decomposed granite, potable water, fuel (dyed diesel, clear diesel, gasoline, propane, firewood), light towers, scissor lifts and porta-potties at the build site. We also provide the use of a 500-gallon potable water tank and a 250-gallon grey water tank plus pumping services for that tank. In addition, Burning Man Project may offer the use of a large solar shade structure capable of powering a moderate light design for the Temple. However, this is subject to additional requirements such as abstaining from using fuel-powered generators for the build on playa. These resources are unique to the Temple as a municipal structure and not transferable or typically available for regular Honoraria art projects. The Temple crew will also receive a placed art support camp after they submit the art support camp registration form through the Placement team.

Q. Does Burning Man provide heavy machinery I can use?

A. While we prefer that you are able to be as self-sufficient as possible, given the scale of the event and the Temple project our Art Support Services (ASS) and Heavy Equipment and Transport (HEaT) teams are available to assist with heavy equipment if needed. Typically this includes crane support, as well as other equipment such as VRs (telehandlers), scissor lifts, and boom lifts. Don’t worry if you don’t know exactly what equipment you might need; we work closely with artists to identify what equipment works best and what’s available.

Q. What Leave No Trace (LNT) activities am I responsible for at the temple site?

A. Leaving No Trace is one of the 10 Principles of Burning Man. Our community respects the environment and we are committed to leaving no physical trace of our activities wherever we gather. We clean up after ourselves and endeavor, whenever possible, to leave places in a better state than when we found them. Because Leaving No Trace is an integral value in our community, you will need to identify an LNT Lead and submit an LNT plan with your proposal. Please read this page for general information on LNT for Black Rock City artists before writing your LNT plan.

Q. What design features does Burning Man look for in a Temple proposal?

A. While we do like for each Temple to have its own unique characteristics, there are a few things that we look for in a successful proposal:

Visual appeal
Adequate niches or smaller spaces for participants to place small offerings
Protection from the elements at ground level so the wind doesn’t blow away offerings
A central gathering place, possibly with smaller alcoves for more private reflection
Multiple entrances/exits
While not required, we do suggest including some kind of fence, enclosure, or markings to keep bikes out, mutant vehicles at a distance, and to cue participants that they are entering a more reflective, quiet space than is found elsewhere in Black Rock City.
The Temple design should not be based on a particular religion, belief or theme as it’s meant to be inclusive for all Black Rock City citizens.
In the spirit of sustainability, we are especially interested in moderately scaled designs; bigger isn’t better.

Q. Are there materials I should NOT use for the structure of the temple?

A. While engineered and glue-laminated wood have excellent strength and may be useful in larger structures like the Temple, they are also designed to be fire-resistant. Through experience, we have found that these types of beams can often end up mostly unburned and can remain upright long after the rest of the materials have burned. The result can be the need to hold the perimeter for the time that it takes for the remaining unburned sections to be made safe. There may be a way that these can be used in limited horizontal runs but this should be discussed with the Fire Art Safety Team (FAST) Team early in your design work and before those designs are finalized.

Q. What materials are to be avoided in order to avoid excessive embers during the burning of the Temple?

A. Over the years we have found a short list of materials that when burned create excessive embers and floating burning materials. These loose sources of unintended ignition can cause issues for participants and mutant vehicles at the burn perimeter as well as nearby art projects.

Materials not to be burned due to embers include:

Fabric
Cardboard and Sonotube
Large sections of papier-mâché
Thin wood laminates
Plywood less than 5/8th” thick
OSB, chipboard, and particle-board

Q. What is the selection process?

A.The selection is made by an art grant committee that has a long history of being involved with Burning Man Arts’ annual grant cycles and award processes. This committee has extensive personal experience in creating and managing art on playa, particularly with the Temple.

We make our selection from the proposals that are submitted; most years we receive about a dozen applications. The committee reads and discusses every submission. We look for designs with strong visual appeal that meet the criteria and are able to be feasibly built in a short time frame. We appreciate proposals that include well-crafted images that give us a good idea of the proposed concept. And in the spirit of sustainability, we are especially interested in moderately scaled designs; bigger isn’t better.

Because we partner so closely with the lead artist, we’re especially interested in selecting someone whose values are aligned with our culture, who possesses a balance of leadership skills and humility, and who is motivated by offering a gift to the community. We check references and conduct interviews with a short list of finalists before making our decision.