DERRY residents took a trip to the Nevada Desert to experience the Burning Man festival before helping to build a temple which will be ceremonially burnt down in their home city this month.
Artist David Best and the team at creative events agency Artichoke brought four volunteers to the cult American festival in 2014 in preparation for their similarly styled event planned for the North of Ireland.
Maggie McKeever, Caroline Temple, Delia Millan Martinez and Darran McGlynn were invited to assist the artist as he built his Temple of Grace structure, ready to be ritualistically burnt down as part of the week-long Burning Man festival, an experience that would prepare them to work on the project currently underway in their home city.
Darran McGlynn will bring his experiences in the Nevada Desert to this month's Derry project“The offer to go to Burning Man and be part of David Best’s Temple building crew seemed like a once in a lifetime opportunity,” said Mr McGlynn.
“It was one that required just a few moments thought, before an intrepid yes,” he added.
Regarding the experience, he explained: “It has been interesting to learn, and pertinent to the Derry event, that the guiding principles of Burning Man are not a dictate of how people should act or be, but a reflection of the community’s ethos that has developed organically since the event’s inception.”
Fellow volunteer, the appropriately named Ms Temple, also claims to have gained a lot from the trip, which was funded through a grant from The British Council.
“I left Burning Man with a little bit of desert in my heart and a lot in my lungs and all over everything I own,” she said.
“Now I have the absolute privilege, honour and joy of reliving the Temple journey in our city, with our friends, family, neighbours and all who care to join us.”
To her fellow Derry natives, she added: “It is being built for you. Be a part of it. Live it, love it.”
The four volunteers are among 100 people from both sides of the city’s political divide who are currently involved in the radical arts project, entitled Temple by David Best, which is being produced by Artichoke and led by Best and his crew this month.
Once the 75ft temple structure is complete it will be opened to the public and available for locals to use as a place to visit, meditate or simply contemplate within from Saturday, March 14 until Friday, March 20.
On Saturday, March 21 the temple will be ceremonially burnt down.
Further information about the build can be found here
