Episode 28 with Monique Schiess is out now. Meet Monique, a pivotal co-founder of AfrikaBurn, the largest regional Burning Man event. The conversation explores the evolution of the burn movement in South Africa, detailing how Schiess and a small group of "renegades" adapted the desert festival model to a landscape defined by extreme economic inequality and a history of activism. A significant portion of the dialogue addresses the philosophical tensions between grassroots anarchy and the "corporatized" top-down structures that often emerge as these events scale. Schiess shares her personal journey of professional burnout and organizational conflict, ultimately advocating for the burn as a transformative tool for social change rather than mere entertainment. She concludes by highlighting her current project, a documentary titled "From Ashes," which aims to capture the authentic, non-commercial essence of the community she helped build.
You can contact her at monique.schiess@burningman.org
The documentary about Afrikaburn:
from.ashes.story.of.afrikaburn (Instagram)
afrikaburn documentary crowdfunding campaignBackaBuddyhttps://www.backabuddy.co.za › campaign › from-ashe… (crowdfunding campaign)
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