Each year in Black Rock City, a sacred perimeter forms around the Man, the Great Circle. What appears during the week as open playa becomes, on Burn Night, a ceremonial space reserved for those entrusted with a shared purpose: to hold, protect, and create within ritual.
At the heart of this moment is the Fire Conclave—a global gathering of fire artists who offer their performance and expression in devotion to the flame, culminating in the ignition of the Man.
The Great Circle Documentarians are invited into this space as participants in preservation, storytelling, and cultural continuity.
Each year we invite one1 Guest Documentarian to join the Great Circle Documentarians in capturing the ritual, performance, and ephemeral beauty of the Great Circle.
This is an honor role, grounded in trust, responsibility, and deep respect for the community.
As a Documentarian, you will:
- Witness and document key Fire Conclave rituals throughout the week
- Capture the energy of the Procession, Conclave performances, and the Man Burn
- Contribute to the living archive of Fire Conclave and Burning Man culture
- Create imagery that inspires artists, participants, and future generations
Your work becomes part of a lineage—images that outlast the city itself.
This role exists within the principles of:
- Decommodification – images are gifted, not used for promotion or profit
- Participation – you are part of the experience, not outside it
- Civic Responsibility & Safety – honoring protocols within the Great Circle
- Communal Effort – working closely with the Fire Conclave Council and team
You will be embedded in a coordinated crew, with specific placements, timing, and responsibilities—especially on Burn Night.
What to Expect
- Pre-playa coordination with the Documentarian team
- Documenting a variety of events on-playa including the Opening Ceremony, Tuesday Photo Shoot, Burn Night Ceremonies. On-playa participation in key moments and gatherings
- Contribution to the Convergence Gallery (displaying your work in Black Rock City)
- Post-event delivery of edited imagery to the Fire Conclave
We are looking for documentarians who:
- Have experience photographing or filming fire performance, low-light, or live events
- Understand or are aligned with Burning Man culture and principles
- Can move with awareness in high-intensity, safety-critical environments
- Are committed to integrity, collaboration, and gifting their work back to the community
If you feel called to this work, we invite you to step forward and apply here: https://forms.gle/Q96JBHGksGNWprEr8
The Great Circle Documentarians,
(Kevin Levezu, Grant Palmer, Vimala Faith, EsspressoBuzz)
Burning Man 2026 Fire Conclave
Cover Image by Guest Documentarian: James Deane, 2024
