SOAK*2021 Cancelled
Hello Community! We’d like to give you an update of what’s been going on with SOAK.
After much listening, many discussions, and careful consideration, we have made the painful, yet necessary decision to not build SOAK in 2021. We are sad to share this news as, now more than ever, human connection is really important. The disheartening reality of COVID-19 and a handful of factors went into making this difficult decision.
We’ve conferred with our Leads and Production Team, as well as the county, land owners and vendors, and have boiled it down to the following: we cannot apply for our Outdoor Mass Gathering (OMG) permit until Wasco County is in Phase 3 in which a vaccine or treatment is publicly available. In order for the county to have sufficient time to review and approve our permit before our event, as well as for us to have sufficient time to plan and coordinate SOAK, this would need to happen by January 1st, 2021. Of course planning and paperwork are not the only reasons for the months of lead time on the cut off date. It will take time for a vaccine/treatment to become widely available and for herd immunity to provide the level of protection needed to keep a couple thousand physically friendly people safe - and for us to learn the appropriate ways to handle creating a safe event in that environment. We were holding on to a strand of hope that the current circumstances would change by January. We know we’re still a few weeks away, but at this point in time, we can say with 99.99% certainty that Wasco County will not be in phase 3 in the beginning of the new year. The well-being of our participants, volunteers, our Wasco County neighbors, and public health and safety is our top priority. Safety remains in first place.
The following are some ways you can get involved and connect with our community:
Learner Barn Program: Sign up for a workshop to develop & foster your creative skills for use at festivals, events, and sharing with our communities. If you'd like to teach a class, help produce the Learner Barn program, or make a contribution to Precipitation Northwest, we'd love to hear from you! More information about the program can be found at www.learnerbarn.com.
Develop events with the help of PNW: If you have an idea for an event or program, this is a chance for you to partner with Precipitation Northwest and bring your idea to life! PNW can provide help and support for your event in a variety of ways. To submit an idea, fill out this form and the PNW Board will review your proposal and be in touch. Please feel free to contact PNW at any time at info@precipitationnw.org.
Who knows what the future holds? What we do know is that we are all SOAK - we are multifaceted, multi-talented, innovative, creative, adaptable, weirdos! Keep burning bright!
Much Love & Virtual Dancing Hugs,
SOAK Production Team & Precipitation Northwest Board of Directors
Photo: TJ Baxter 2019
Updates from Learn(Burn)er Barn
Thank you to all those who have participated and shared your skills for Precipitation Northwest's Learner Barn workshop series!
You may have caught the announcement a few weeks ago about Multnomah County's climbing Covid-19 infection rates. We cancelled in-person workshops from Nov 18th - Dec 18th to keep everyone safe, and will re-assess whether meeting up at the Burner Barn again soon is appropriate in accordance with all local guidelines. As a reminder, any workshops conducted in-person are limited to 10 people, and social distancing and masks are required.
Fortunately, we were prepared for this and are happy to continue the series virtually! Here are the details for our next workshops:
Beginning Sewing - Create Your Own Utility Belt
Date: December 3rd
Time: 7:00 pm
Location: Your house! Streaming links will be provided to all those who sign up.
Signup Link: HERE.
Beginning in December, we'll be offering Materials Packs at cost for people who want to participate in workshops but are unable to physically acquire project supplies at retail stores. For more information on this, please contact our production team when they confirm your registration for each workshop.
Later this month, we have shifted the in-person CnC router workshop to take place online, so feel free to mark your calendar:
Intro to Maslow CnC Router
Date: December 17th
Time: 7:00pm
Location: Your house!
Signup Link: Will be posted the week of the workshop on LearnerBarn.com and the Learner Barn Facebook Page
and to come…….
Intro to Woodworking
Date: December 30th
Time: 7:00 pm
Location: TBD (see covid spike announcement above)
Intro to Maslow CnC Router Part 2
Date: January 7th
Time: 7:00 pm
Location: TBD (see covid spike announcement above)
We are so glad to be able to continue to create with you. If you'd like to teach a class, help produce the Learner Barn program, or make a contribution to Precipitation Northwest, we'd love to hear from you! Please feel free to contact us any time at board@precipitationnw.org.
NOW SEEKING NEW BOARD MEMBERS (deadline 11/30/2020)!
Precipitation Northwest is seeking new board members to join our enthusiastic and skilled nonprofit Board of Directors!
As board members we provide leadership, oversight, and strategic direction to SOAK, BurnOut and other events and programs managed by our organization. With the uncertainty of large gatherings in 2021, we aim to support our community's emerging creative ideas in changing times.
Do you or someone you know have a passion for community engagement, facilitating leadership opportunities and interactive art and events? Do you have experience in accounting or nonprofit legal regulations? Do you get excited about grant writing and development? Or maybe you have other skills you believe our organization would benefit from?
Any community members who think they might be a good fit are encouraged to apply. Please be sure to read the position description and familiarize yourself with the organization’s mission statement before doing so.
Read the Position Description here.
Please apply by filling out this form.
The deadline to apply is November 30, 2020. Interviews will be on a rolling schedule. If you have any questions please feel free to reach out to board@precipitationnw.org.
Introducing the Learner Barn!
Introducing Precipitation Northwest's premiere workshop series: the Leaner Barn! At, the Burner Barn, of course! This new program focuses on developing and fostering creative skills for use at festivals, events, and sharing with our communities. Workshops will address technical skill sets used for artwork such as wood projects, LED project's, costuming, fire, robotics, other mediums and growing.
Classes are starting every other week; being held on Thursday nights from 6:30pm to 9:30pm. Each workshop will be hosted by a member of the Learner Barn team and feature an expert instructor on the topic.
(Note: with current health policies, classroom space is limited to 10 participants.)
An amazing first round of classes are as follows:
• Intro to Burner Barn policies, usage, and tools.
• Intro to sewing, costumes and design.
• Intro to SketchUP design.
• Maslow CnC router operation, programming and functionality.
• Intro to woodworking.
• Intro to LED lighting.
Check out our website at www.learnerbarn.com for more information and follow the Learner Barn Facebook page, which will have our schedule and links to each workshop’s event. Sign ups required!
Come join us and learn a new craft or advance a craft you already know. Or just come and explore how others do their crafts!
Ideas? Questions? Contact Beacon at beacon@burnoutpdx.com.
The Burner Barn’s Learner Barn (now with masks).
PDX Burner Barn Rebirth!
Precipitation Northwest is happy to announce the rebirth of the PDX Burner Barn in its new home with fresh ideas. The PDX Burner Barn is now offering itself as a center for community activities, camp meetings, interactive classes, fun gatherings and a place to allow your creative side to project.
Do you have a Skillset, Hobby or Talent that you would like to share with the Local Burner Community?
The PDX Burner Barn can help you project your vision. Share your story at the Burner Barn using all the tools gifted for communal use. Teach a class in person or with the virtual streaming rig. Have a camp meeting in the conference area, lounging on the couches or relaxed in the hammock. How about putting on a movie night for your camp on the 75’’ telecommunications rig?
Do you have a project you would like to build but do not have the space requirements at home?
The PDX Burner Barn is here for you. There is a 22x22 workshop with tools and gadgets for communal use. There are skilled stafflings who are able to help you learn how to use tools you may have never used. The PDX Burner Barn has available storage for projects and tools should you need a little more room than your hobby closet.
Project Space Application Here.
Contact us here: burner.barn@precipitationnw.org
*Please note our COVID-19 Policies:
Masks and physical distancing (6ft between humans) are mandatory.
The space is limited to 10 people at a time in accordance with local guidelines.
When appropriate, activities like workshops will be live-streamed to accommodate those participating from home. Please be advised that this means you may be on camera if you choose to attend in person.
Fundraiser for the Tygh Valley Rural Fire Protection District
The community of Tygh Valley has graciously hosted the SOAK Regional Burning Man event since 2015. The Tygh Valley Rural Fire Protection District (TVRFPD) has been particularly generous in sending out a Fire Engine and volunteer firefighters to augment SOAK’s fire safety team; providing an extra measure of safety for everybody present.
In past years, the SOAK community has expressed their appreciation by making a donation to the TVRFPD, and this has been a helpful boost to their limited budget. You may have previously attended one of the fundraising cookouts held in Portland, or made a donation when buying ice at the SOAK event. This year we aren’t able to gather together as we would like, but we want to remember our friends in Tygh Valley just the same. They have been there for us in the past, and we recognize that just because the SOAK event isn’t happening this year, that the local communities' need for fire response is undiminished.
If your finances allow you to do so, please consider joining others in our burner community to show our appreciation to the community of Tygh Valley by making a donation to their Volunteer Fire Department.
Tygh Valley Rural Fire Protection District
Portland Multiverse Excursion
Here’s what’s happening!
Precipitation Northwest is proud to present a socially distanced event to explore and share artwork, creative expression, and positive entertainment in a virtual environment while breaking away from being electronically bound.
This event will “map” out an Excursion of Art around the Portland metro and surrounding area that participants can drive by and view or interact with WITHOUT contacting others or breaking social distance protocols.
The art will be in community spaces such as private yards, commercial lots or spaces, small parks or community spaces. Artists will be asked to ensure that social space and distance protocols can be supported and encouraged around their art.
On Saturday night there will also be a drive through area where performers and art can be setup for participants to experience. Currently there are several locations being reviewed including OMSI, Vancouver Water Front, etc. This event is being organized as a collaborative event with SMART, Seattle Multiverse Augmented Reality Trek.
The plan includes an online Twitch broadcast event presented by Precipitation Northwest with hosts discussing and interacting with the participants and artists in both areas (Portland and Seattle). Think Macy’s Day Parade. The broadcast run 7pm to 10pm Monday, August 31 through Friday September 4th and 7pm to Midnight Saturday and Sunday evenings of Burn weekend September 5 and 6. During these broadcast we will be interviewing Artists from the community, Leaders of Theme Camps and community leaders to hear how these communities have been affected and what they have done to thrive in these crazy times. An alternate Twitch cannel will host nightly DJs and other musicians to provide a central music theme. Artists in more reaching communities such as Bend, Eugene, etc, will be invited to participate by video feed and alternate interactions.
Artist and Map Plan
Artists from the entire area are invited to participate by submitting their Art pieces or activities and locations. As artists commit, we will develop a map that will be placed online. The map will go live Monday of burn week August 31st.
There will also be a matchmaking program to connect artists who don’t have space to share their art with spaces that do not have art to share.
Each night of the week the Twitch hosts will feature one or more art projects leading up to the event.
There is a signature patch being developed for this event that will be a Prize for an online scavenger hunt throughout the art event. There will only be 50 of these patches.
Details, special events, locations and Art projects will be presented on the Event page as we get close to the event.
This is also a great opportunity to see the Art in our neighboring communities like Seattle, Bend, Eugene, Boise, and Spokane.
Fundraising
Throughout the hosted event, there will be an option to donate to support you favorite artists and the Precipitation Northwest art programs in general.
Click here for more information!
Contact: Dan "Beacon" Forrester, beacon@burnoutpdx.com
BurnOut 2020 Survey Results and Cancellation
Unfortunately, with saddened hearts, we are cancelling BurnOut 2020 that was originally planned for fall this year. This decision was made by Precipitation Northwest.
Following the success of 2019’s BurnOut event, we started the new year enthusiastic about bringing the event back again in fall of 2020. We were thrilled to share the news of Beacon returning as this year’s Executive Producer at our annual Town Hall in mid-February.
We began work on this event earlier than ever before, and collectively held our breath as COVID caused us to cancel SOAK*2020. We watched as other art and community groups cancelled events as well. We hoped that Oregon’s state shutdowns would contain the spread, and moved forward with Beacon to plan a fall gathering with cautious optimism, making sure to prioritize safety and civic responsibility throughout the process.
To make sure we took into consideration the community’s opinions, we collected community feedback through an event survey shared to our website and Facebook page, the Portland Burners facebook group, and the Portland Announce email list maintained by our Regional Contacts. The survey went live on all channels on July 7th. Questions were open ended, designed to help the leadership determine the appetite for a public art gathering and a private decompression party, preferred size and times, interest in volunteering and participating, and how to prepare for and uphold public safety.
In the one week that the survey was open, we received over 120 responses. 20% indicated they would attend, 25% would not. The rest said maybe, depending on details of the safety plan, size/density, and the progression of COVID and personal matters. We appreciate all of the details, suggestions and constructive criticism our community shared. We especially thank all who expressed interest in volunteering as this event could not happen without you. Your feedback was essential for our discussion at the July 14th board meeting.
The survey was closed on July 13th, and discussed at our July 14th board meeting with the whole board and with Beacon. We considered not only the survey results, but also the most recent data regarding the spread of the virus in Oregon. Unfortunately, reported cases in Oregon and Washington are on the rise and state officials have given us an uncertain outlook for the fall flu season.
We considered the health and safety of our volunteers, participants and our civic obligation to minimize community spread. We also weighed the risk of cancellation by authorities, increased production cost, and community members having limited funds and bandwidth to organize and participate fully as our lives have gotten increasingly complex.
Ultimately, while we are saddened by the decision, we believe that this is the best for both our community and for the future of our organization.
We would like to publicly thank Beacon for his hard work and his support through a difficult situation. He worked hard to plan an amazing event for our community, knowing that cancellation was a real possibility from the beginning. We hope to bring BurnOut back in fall of 2021, and we will keep the community updated with event updates via our website and Facebook.
With your help we will continue to envision how our community can gather and support each other and the arts, both physically and digitally. If you are interested in producing or collaborating an event (in person or digital), please begin the conversation by submitting your ideas for an event or program through our website or by emailing our programming committee directly at programs@precipitationnw.org.
Feel free to reach out to board@precipitationnw.org with additional questions you may have about this decision.