EJ "Tedward" LeCouture of Bearclaw manufacturing and one of the main figures down in the LA fire community has stepped forward in protest and has formally requested that Crimson Rose the Creative Director of the Fire Conclave relinquish some of her duties.
Is it time for the old guard to step down and allow fresh blood to infuse Burning Man with new life. Will Tedward lead a revolution on the Playa or is he just kicking dust in the face those who bear the responsibility of keeping him and his fellow fire spinners safe?
Below is the Open Letter sent to Crimson and the 2008 Shins ( Conclave group leaders).
From: TW <ted@bearclawfire.com>
Date: Wed, Sep 3, 2008 at 12:58 PM
Subject: [fireconclave shin2008 list] Some things to consider [an open letter]
To: fireconclave shin2008 list
Crimson, when I spoke to you [briefly] Monday, you said you would be sending a letter to everyone explaining the cancellation of the Conclave this year. I considered this in the 12 hour drive back and think there are some things worth noting.
My heart was broken when we could not perform on Saturday. Not for myself, of course. You and I can get gigs whenever we want them; I'm sure many of the Pyronaughts enjoy a similar status. And some of the conclave groups are also performance troupes with regular gigs. But not all. LAFC is just such a group, and I'm fairly certain there are others. In fact, not only do we have performers who get a chance to perform for an audience only once a year, but we have some members who only attend the Burn to perform grand performances in the scale afforded by that much open space. It is for these people I weep. Not to mention the members who made unique costumes or props that either cannot be used next year (because of turn-over) or were damaged in the crush. And let's not forget that All members have to radically alter their partying schedule to insure a sharp mind and sobriety for burn night while others around them enjoy utter debauchery.
Though I find myself in a strangely Zen state about this year's event, I know there are still performers practically frothing at the mouth. I urge you to take the time to fully address this issue for them. Often, the trails of your day seem to intercede in your writing, causing clipped ideas and terse comments on important topics. In this address, we won't accept phrases like "we'd have lost our window", we'll need to know what the window is, who defined it, what kind of enforcement comes with it, etc. Similarly, you have doubtlessly heard comment about the 45 minutes we were forced to endure, sitting, silent, while the man was completed, pre-burn. That will need addressing. And finally, I'm sure some people would like to be informed why they were told they could perform their routines to the backs of people's heads (especially when the post-crush hours are, traditionally, free renegade time that cannot be stopped by any enforcement attempt). Even I still feel the sting of that slap.
To smooth out the troubles mentioned above, I thought that a simple refund to those members who paid for tickets would be in order. But as I pondered this for a while, I now believe that the wiser move would be for you to offer free tickets to those who return next year. That way, there might BE a returning conclave.
And finally, I would like to formally suggest that you relinquish some of your duties in the Org. As the event grows, each of the tasks you perform must also grow, and this is clearly taking a toll upon you. Please take some time to evaluate your favorite or most necessary duties and think about releasing some to other members of the Burning Man staff.
)^( )^( )^( )^( )^( )^(
Tedward
LAFC Shin
http://www.lafc.org
Please support NAFAA
http://www.nafaa.org
@-->-->--- ---<--<--@ EJ "Tedward" LeCouteur Bearclaw Manufacturing http://www.bearclawfire.com
______________________________
5 comments:
I Love you Tedward...
But, this was a safty issue. The pyro team had not cleared the circle...
Love, Respect and Fire,
Ryano
Hmmm, shall we call the Whah-mbulance?
Hey as soon as I found out the conclave was not going to happen my "party schedule" commenced immediatly!
Gotta be prepared, its the playa, anything can happen (or not happen) you gotta go with the flow, and ROLL with the punches.
Thats just the way it is!
If anything is entitled to the conclavers its the chance to do it again, scrape up what you have rescued and try to recycle it next burn.
Just remember Murphy's Law is still valid (especially) on the playa!
Well said Celsius...
Not only had the pyro team not been able to clear the circle due to 40 mph winds...but we had no rangers for a half an hour to keep the crowds from walking through our fuel stations. Plus, every time the wind seemed to die down it would pick right back up again.
The weather was too rough to perform only ONE year out of twenty on the playa? Those are pretty terrific odds, considering.
I was on the radio that night, and heard the disappointment going back and forth over the comm. No one was more heartbroken than Crimson - this is her baby, after all.
But the priority was for the Man to Burn. (It is, after all, called 'Burning Man,' not 'Fire Conclave Week.')
I've worked for good and bad directors in my time. I know a great director when I see one. Whatever Tedward thinks, Crimson is the only one who can keep the thousand or so ferrets-on-double-espressoes safe and spinning together in such organized chaos. The weather, however, is beyond anyone's control.
My crew and I were treated to a wonderful show, with the best seats in the house, and got to spend that time together laughing at the randomness of it all, before we headed over to the Shiva Vista Project, which had graciously opened up their fire-cannon-bristling stage for all Conclaves to perform their routines to.
Tedward, (and I only say this because I care), there are plenty of decaffeinated brands out on the market today that are just as tasty as the regular brands.
Yours truly,
Anna Maltese
the Phoenix Projekt
Your amazing Anna..
Please get ahold of me....
shivavistaproject@gmail.com
Love and Fire,
Ryano
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