Our Story
Our History
Making strangers friends, and leaving friends stranger
Orphan Asylum is a hodgepodge crew of misfits who come together through careful planning, organization and a dash of straight anarchy to create a unique social experiment that has not been terrible yet so far. We rely on the kindness of strangers, and making them not so strange (or stranger, depending) by the end of the burn, as well as providing sanctuary to strangers on playa in need of a desert home.
We don't charge dues and are instead entirely donation-based from our past and current orphans. Folks donate everything from money to org support to moral support to technical/skill support.
Before the burn, we take in new camp members on an application-basis.
Our Vision
Create a safe, vibrant community for all kinds of Burners
We belive in creating a community that is accessible to Burners of all backgrounds and origins. We prioritize creating a safe, respectful camp where veteran and virgin cammpates alike can find community, support, and friendship that lasts on and off playa.
We're dedicated to emodying the 10-principles of Burning Man, as well as demonstrating our core camp values:
- Doing the right thing at the right time
- Inspiring collective action
- Providing sanctuary to those in need
Our Leadership
We're at our best when we lead together
We're here to fuck with normal society in all ways, including traditionally held structures of authority (hence the logo).
As such, we are not led by any individual Burner. Rather, our camp is led by a rotating lead committee that divides responsibilities for Orphan Asylum on and off playa.
This structure allows us to incorporate leadership feedback from many diverse perspectives, as well as help share the load of coordinating and running the camp throughout the year.
Meet our Lead Committee
Jesse Fowler
1/2 of The Silvers
BMORG liaison
Allie Beazell
Tornado
Treasurer
Valerie Micham
Sumpin' Sumpin'
Kitchen Lead
Ariel Olivia
Storm
Webmaster
Jo Meyer
2/2 of The Silvers
Admin
Lucie
Event Lead
Doc Tattas
Admin
Ways to support OA
We're entirely donation based (no dues!). Please consider donating money or goods from our Amazon wishlist to help support camp and our future Orphans.
