Transformus Policies
ADA Service Animal Policy
Transformus, LLC follows a strict no pets policy for both Ignite and Transformus. There is an exception for ADA Service Animals. If you need to bring your Service Animal to either Ignite or Transformus, please email the Accessibility Lead before the event.
We follow the ADA guidelines for Service Animals, which states:
“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 Accessibility Lead (or TLC/BoD member) on-site determines your animal falls under one of the following categories, the animal will not be allowed into the event:
- Emotional support dogs
- Therapeutic animals
- Companion animals
- Comfort animals
- Service animals in training
Our intention is not to make those with disabilities have a harder time. In most cases, dogs and other animals being on-site present unique challenges and difficulties for staff and participants.
Sources:
Amplified Sound Policy
The New Transformus Sound Policy is set according to the neighborhood. Theme Camps are placed in areas with similar sound tastes in order to help create neighborhood cohesion and to create a variety of spaces for our citizens. Some areas are allowed to have limited amplified sound post 2am, subject to a decibel limit.
Argonath: Amplified Sound 8am until 11pm
Avalon: Amplified Sound 8am until 2am
Eden: Amplified Sound 8am until 11pm
Elysium Amplified Sound 8am until 2am. Restricted sound til 8am,
Narnia: Amplified Sound 8 am until 11pm
Nutopia: Amplified Sound 8am until 11pm
Paradise Plateau: 24 Hour Amplified Sound
Shangri-la: 24 Hour Amplified Sound
Valhalla: 24 Hour Amplified Sound
Xanadu: Amplified Sound 8am until 2am.
Enforcement Can Include:
Asking to turn down or off the sound
If further violations occur, confiscation of equipment (generators, power cords) for the remainder of the burn
In extreme cases of repeated violations, further action will be taken on a case-by-case basis
Art Car Policy
Please reference this link.
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.
Our community's guiding principles include 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 civil and responsible. 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 TLC 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
Transformus wishes for you to be free to create art, interact with others, and enjoy autonomy up to a point. Regarding conduct, Transformus 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 unsafe or 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 correct the situation yourself if possible. If you do not feel comfortable with that, please inform a Ranger or anyone with an event radio.
Zero Tolerance Violations (these will get you kicked out no matter what)
- Failure to respect consent.
- We believe in body autonomy. Violating a fellow participant’s consent is not okay.
- This holds true to photography, as well. If you take a non-consensual photos of others, you may be asked to leave. If a participant asks you to delete a photo you’ve taken, you should respect their wishes.
- Effigy, Temple or other art Burn perimeter violations. Once a perimeter has been established you MUST NOT cross the perimeter.
- No ticket/wristband (all participants over 2 years of age, no exceptions)
- If your wristband is lost, it is your responsibility to promptly work with the Gate team on figuring out a replacement, during their gate hours. If your wristband comes off, keep it secure until Gate can reissue you one.
- Helping someone sneak into the event
- Failure of parents to ensure minors under the age of 18 wear wristbands or file “Minor Tracking Form” with Rangers
- Failing to ensure that a minor for which you are responsible has proper adult supervision at all times
- Failure to adhere to the guidelines of the Under 18 policy.
- Failing to respect boundaries. This includes personal boundaries (physical consent and personal camp space including living area) and physical boundaries (event boundaries),
- Unauthorized fireworks
- Possession of firearms
The following offenses may get you removed from the event:
- TRESPASSING IN GAS WELL AREAS. These areas of the property are OFF LIMITS.
- 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.) driving
- 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.
- Unapproved fires are not allowed. No ground fires.
- Respect the value of Leave No Trace!
- Violating any of the fire safety rules
- Violation of DMV rules
- Harassing wildlife
Consent Policy
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 TLC 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].
You can contact the Transformus Conduct Committee by emailing [email protected] or filling out this form.
COVID-19 Policy
Please reference this link.
Deliveries on Site
All deliveries to Transformus must be approved in advance by the TLC in order to ensure there is no negative impact to our burn infrastructure and plans. Please apply for approval using the form here.
Drone Policy
For the safety and privacy of all participants, drones, or small unmanned aircraft systems, are not permitted to be operated at Transformus, except if explicitly requested by the Transformus Board of Directors or the TLC.
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
Transformus 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 -- ever think about that! -- 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 in the downtown 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 TLC 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 Transformus.
Laser Policy
The TLC 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 Transformus. 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 the event grounds. If it is aimed at a hill, then it must be above the highest point of human traffic on that hill.
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 TLC 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 Transformus.
LNT & Greywater Policy
Transformus 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 the 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? West 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 TLC 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.
Marvin's Mountaintop 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, Transformus 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 TLC. If this policy is violated, the BOD or the TLC 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 Policy
Please reference this link.
Vehicle Policy
Please reference this link.