Policies

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ADA Service Animal Policy

The IPA follows a strict no pets policy. There is an exception for ADA service animals. If you need to bring your service animal, please email the IPA before the event at [email protected].

We follow the ADA guidelines for service animals, which state:

“A service animal is defined as a dog or miniature horse that is specifically task-trained to help an individual with a disability that substantially limits one or more life activities. Disabilities may include visual difficulties, hearing impairments, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), seizures, ambulatory issues, mental illness, diabetes, autism, and more depending upon the applicable ADA law. Service animals are working animals, not pets. To qualify, the task (or tasks) must be related directly to assisting with the individual’s disability, not basic obedience or owner protection. Dogs whose sole function is to provide comfort or emotional support do not qualify as service animals under the ADA as emotional support and comfort are not trained tasks.”

Types of service animals may include:
Guide Dog
Mobility Dog
Hearing Dog
Medical Alert Dog
Autism Service Dog
Psychiatric Service Dog

If you do arrive at the gate without pre-clearance, please be prepared to answer the following two questions so we may better determine, at our discretion, if your animal falls under the service animal category, and in order for us to be in full compliance with ADA regulations. You will be asked:
(1) Is the animal a service animal required because of a disability?
(2) What work or task has the animal been trained to perform?

If the IPA member on-duty determines your animal falls under one of the following categories, the animal will not be allowed into the event:
Emotional support animals
Therapeutic animals
Companion animals
Comfort animals
Service animals in training

Alcohol Policy

It is illegal in the state of Virginia to serve alcohol to minors under 21. If you’re serving alcohol anywhere at any time, you are fully responsible for making sure the person is over 21 years of age. Wristbands should not be used for legal age verification. Checking official forms of identification is always best. Failure to comply may be grounds for ejection from Ignite!

Amplified Sound Policy

Please reference this link.

Art Car Policy

We love art, we love public transportation, and we love them together! But, our little utopia can't handle huge amounts of traffic, nor large art cars. We have set the size limit of art cars to "golf cart" sized. Other than that, it is pretty much the same old rules. It must be arted up and it must be lit from all sides if you plan to drive it at night so that it can be clearly seen. Please gel the headlights or dim them another way to not blind people. Plus, offer rides and accept any reasonable request for a ride if you have room.

Art Policy on Radical Inclusion

Radical inclusion means that ALL PEOPLE are welcome to participate in our community regardless of race, sex, gender, age, sexual orientation, religion, ethnic background, country of origin, language, or any other identifying characteristic.

We welcome and respect the stranger.

The guiding principles of our community include among them radical self-expression, radical inclusion, civic responsibility, and communal effort. Radical self-expression is offered as a gift to others. This means the giver should respect the rights and liberties of the recipient, including their right to decline the gift or critique its content. Civic responsibility means, among other things, that the exchanges between participants should be conducted in a civil and responsible manner. Communal effort, another principle, is focused on our commitment to creative cooperation and collaboration. This means that we strive to produce, promote, and protect social networks, public spaces, works of art, performances, and other means of communication which support collaborative and cooperative interactions.

No single principle is considered more important than the others and, frequently, these principles find themselves in contradiction with one another. These contradictions are by design and lead to conversations which can be moments for reflection and growth.

With these considerations, and in order to protect and preserve the inclusive nature of our community, the leadership of Transformus LLC and the IPA reserves the right to suspend, temporarily or permanently, and for any reason, the exhibition of artworks or performances at events related to Transformus and Ignite.

Code of Conduct Policy

Ignite wishes for you to be free to create art, interact with others, and enjoy autonomy up to a point. Regarding conduct, Ignite believes:

  • Participants are responsible for themselves, their issues and resolution of them, and their own behavior.
  • In behaving and acting in a manner which will not make other participants feel threatened.
  • In not condoning any behavior that endangers our community’s ability to hold our events.

If you witness a violation of any of these rules, feel free to address the situation yourself, if possible. If you do not feel comfortable with that, please inform a Ranger or anyone with an event radio.

Grounds for immediate removal from the event:

  • Failure to respect consent
    • We believe in body autonomy. Violating a fellow participant’s consent is not okay.
    • If someone asks you to leave their camp or personal space, do so.
  • Effigy, temple, art, or other burn perimeter violations
    • Once a perimeter has been established you cannot cross the perimeter.
  • No ticket/wristband
    • If your wristband is lost, it is your responsibility to promptly work with the gate team to replace it during gate hours.
    • If your wristband comes off, keep it secure until gate can reissue it.
  • Sneaking in or helping someone sneak into the event
  • Entering the lake
  • Unauthorized fireworks
  • Possession of firearms

The following offenses are grounds for removal from the event:

  • Failure to comply with the Under 18 (Kids) Policy
  • Entering into an off limits area
  • Photographing another participant without their consent
  • Taking photos/video for commercial purposes without registering as media
  • Vending or commerce of any kind
  • Unsafe operation of a vehicle (golf cart, art car, bicycle, etc.)
  • Malicious destruction of property
  • Possession of alcohol if under 21
  • Serving alcohol to someone under 21 (Theme camps serving alcohol are required to check IDs)
  • Disrespect of the land such as digging, felling trees or limbs, etc.
    • No ground fires.
    • No fire in Unicorn Pasture.
    • Respect the value of Leave No Trace!
  • Violating any of the fire safety rules
  • Harassing wildlife
  • Misuse of lasers
  • Not adhering to the amplified sound policy
  • Not adhering to the generator policy
  • Not adhering to the drone policy

The IPA and BOD reserves the right to deny entry to the event or to revoke event access at any time for any reason.

The BoD would like to reiterate our consent policy. At Ignite, consent is celebrated and viewed as an indispensable part of participant interaction. The BoD will respond to issues that are brought to its attention by those with firsthand knowledge of the situation, particularly if they occur onsite at the event itself.

Remember, most importantly, that you are the Burn. The IPA and the BoD are simply the organizers of a great event for the community. We are not – and simply cannot be – the neighborhood watch for everything that happens between community members outside of the event. Of course we take the safety of our participants very seriously. If there is reasonable evidence that someone is a threat to our community, we do reserve the right to refuse admission.

If you have specific knowledge of an event that you believe the BoD should be aware of, the best course of action is to email [email protected] or complete our Conduct Reporting Form.

Ignite!, will not require proof vaccination against COVID-19.

By attending Ignite! you are accepting responsibility for all health risks associated with COVID-19.

The Ignite! Planning Association (IPA) reserves the right to modify this policy at any time.

Deliveries on Site

All deliveries to Ignite must be approved in advance by the IPA in order to ensure there is no negative impact to our burn infrastructure and plans. Please apply for approval using the form here: https://forms.gle/qu7ZVvTGcGwaYY8A6

Drone Policy

For the safety and privacy of all participants, drones, or small unmanned aircraft systems, are not permitted to be operated at Ignite!, except if explicitly requested by the Transformus Board of Directors or the Ignite Planning Committee.

Event Imagery (Photo and Video) Policy

Please reference our waiver for policies related to Event Imagery.

Fire and Flame Effect Policies

Please reference this link.

Generator Policy

Ignite is an exciting and often loud experience. Still, while the THUMP THUMP THUMP of untold numbers of DJ’s spinning in the night is something we look forward to, or expect to deal with, the unending brrrrraaaaaaaaappp of a noisy generator is another thing altogether. The exhaust can often be just as bad or worse for your neighbors.  It can be like sleeping beside a diesel burning bus.

If you do choose to bring a generator, please be considerate of others by following these guidelines:

Bring the quietest generator you can afford, and the smallest that will meet your actual needs. Larger generators are more difficult to transport, use more fuel and create more pollution.

Better yet, see if you can contribute gas to your neighbor’s generator, run an extension cord, and don’t bring your own at all

Be mindful of which direction the exhaust is going.

Don’t run your generator late at night or early in the morning (unless of course, you are camping in the THUMP, THUMP, THUMP).

Place the generator as far from other camps as possible – even hiking it up into the woods.  You might need to consider bringing extra extension cables for this.

Cover your generator with a sound shield or baffle, or outfit it with a motorcycle muffler.

NEVER bury it to shield the noise.

Make sure people can’t trip over any power cords.

Don’t forget to bring the oil, and to check it’s levels regularly.  A seized generator is a sad generator.

The IPA and Transformus Board of Directors (BoD) reserve the right to modify or turn off any improperly-used generator at their discretion. Failure to correct the installation may be grounds for ejection from Ignite!

Laser Policy

The IPA has approved a laser policy that is similar to policies being adopted across the Burn community. All use of handheld lasers and laser pointers is prohibited for the entire duration Ignite!. Violators are subject to having their devices confiscated. Please leave them at home.

A fixed-position laser is permitted as part of an art project or theme camp, but the laser must be aimed not less than 7 feet above ground level at all times. "Ground level" is defined as the highest ground the laser crosses over within Combustia. If it is aimed at a hill, then it must be above the highest point of human traffic on that hill. Look for tents in the woods!

The only exception to the fixed laser policy are small, approximately the size of a cigarette pack, less than 5 milliwatt "star field simulation” lasers. These are prevalent in our community and are specifically designed to safely scan across people. Each dot is extremely low intensity. They must be set in motion mode, not static mode.

The IPA and Transformus Board of Directors (BoD) reserve the right to shut down any laser installation at their discretion. Failure for the installation to remain off may be grounds for ejection from Ignite!

LNT & Greywater Policy

Ignite! is a Leave No Trace (LNT) event. Our land use ethic is not only something we take seriously, it is ingrained in the 11 Principles we hold ourselves to as a sanctioned Burning Man event. As such, there are no garbage or greywater collection services, and it is up to all of us to remove all Matter Out of Place (MOOP) that we find or create during the burn.

To clarify, MOOP is litter, or anything that does not belong on property before we got there or after we leave. Beer cans, cigarette butts, and packaging are all good examples that participants should take home with them. However, here are some other examples of MOOP that needs to be packed out and taken home as well:

  • Greywater - any water (with or without biodegradable soap) that has been used in washing, showering, cooking, etc.
  • Organic items such as banana peels, apple cores, etc. Biodegradable MOOP is still MOOP.
  • Sanitary and menstrual products (tampons, pads, baby wipes, etc.). These do not belong in our toilets.
  • Bio-waste like urine, feces and vomit. These belong in our toilets and not in nature.

Still curious about greywater? Virginia has environmental laws that prohibit the dumping of greywater into streams or lakes even when no soap is used. So, not only does dumping greywater run afoul of our land use ethic, it is illegal. You are also prohibited from dumping your greywater into our toilets. This puts a massive strain on our infrastructure.

Furthermore, if our volunteers find an LNT issue in your camp or near an event you are hosting, you will be given a reasonable amount of time to fix it. The IPA reserves the right to shut down any activity generating uncontrolled MOOP, and you may face ejection from the event if you don’t address the LNT concern in a respectful manner.

Spirithaven hosts many other events during the year, and it is possible you may encounter remnants from those events during the burn. To help us maintain good relationships with our landowners, pitch in to clean up pre-existing MOOP that you find in your travels around the property. If you have questions about a larger piece of pre-existing MOOP, feel free to contact a Ranger or someone with a radio.

To summarize, Ignite! and our community take LNT seriously. If you pack it in, pack it out.

Plug and Play Camps Policy

Our community seeks to create social environments that are unmediated by commercial sponsorships, transactions, or advertising. We stand ready to protect our culture from commercial exploitation. We resist the substitution of consumption for participatory experience. To that effect, no person shall bring or support so-known "plug and play camps," camps where radical-self reliance is not practiced, or other camps deemed to break the policy in the opinion of the BOD or the IPA. If this policy is violated, the BOD or the IPA reserves the right to suspend, temporarily or permanently, and for any reason, the camp or specific persons at events related to Transformus and Ignite.

Press Policy

Please reference this link.

Under 18 (Kids) Policy

Please reference this link.

Vehicle Policy

All vehicles will be parked in our remote parking lot, and even theme camps must comply. In general, there are four exceptions to this rule. Unless noted otherwise, permission can only be granted by City Planning/Accessibility, so ask real nice.

Exception 1: If the vehicle is an Art Car or an explicit part of the camp, like a bar. (All art cars shall be registered by contacting the IPA at [email protected].)

Exception 2: Major and/or expensive camps (like sounds camps or camps w/ expensive equipment they do not want to get wet) can keep ONE vehicle on site to lock their gear in and keep their equipment dry.

Exception 3: We also usually grant permission to keep a vehicle on site if it is being requested for a person with accessibility concerns or for someone who has specific physical needs where having their own vehicle on the premises and nearby would be vital.

Exception 4: RVs will be allowed adjacent to remote parking only if they are pre-registered.

When vehicles are allowed inside Combustia, we ask that it is either painted or otherwise decorated to match the the camps decorum, or hidden with tarps or by other skillful means. This is especially true if it is a rented box truck. Please take all measure to hide the logos and whatnot. Remember, permission can only be granted by the City Planning/Accessibility team - so ask and honor their response.

Want to help lead?

Did you know: Our organization is entirely volunteer-run, from the Board of Directors, planning committees, right down to our Traffic and Parking Volunteers.

Be the weird you want to see in the world. Volunteer.

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