Mystopia Foundation

THE MISSION OF MYSTOPIA FOUNDATION IS TO ELIMINATE PREJUDICE AND DISCRIMINATION BY BUILDING COMMUNITY THROUGH ACTIVITIES SUCH AS DANCE, MUSIC AND ART PERFORMANCES; CAMPING, RETREATS AND OUTDOOR EXCURSIONS; EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMMING; AND THE SUPPORT OF COMMUNITY AND CHARITABLE ORGANIZATIONS WITH SIMILAR GOALS.

PARTICIPATORY EXPERIENCES & RETREATS THIS PROGRAM INVOLVES THE PLANNING AND PRODUCTION OF SHARED PARTICIPATORY EVENTS. THESE EVENTS SERVE ANYWHERE FROM 10 TO 2,000 BENEFICIARIES, DEPENDING ON THE FORMAT, AND ARE CONDUCTED TWO TO FOUR TIMES PER YEAR, WITH PLANNED ACTIVITIES OCCURRING THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE CALENDAR YEAR. EXPERIENCES INCLUDE: A WEEKEND RETREAT WITH A FOCUS ON DEEPENING CIVIC PARTICIPATION; A WEEK-LONG OUTDOOR TRIP WITH A FOCUS ON BUILDING BRIDGES THROUGH SHARED CO-CREATION; A VIRTUAL SESSION ON HOW TO BUILD SOCIAL INFRASTRUCTURE THAT IS MORE DIVERSE AND INCLUSIVE. THE FOUNDATION'S LARGEST PARTICIPATORY EVENT IS THE PRODUCTION OF BOTH LARGE-SCALE ACTIVITIES & SMALL GROUP COMMUNITIES AT BURNING MAN. STAFFED BY 100-150 VOLUNTEERS, THE FOUNDATION PROVIDES A SIGNIFICANT OPPORTUNITY FOR INDIVIDUALS TO PARTICIPATE WITH OTHERS, ACROSS IDENTITIES, IN THE CREATION OF PHYSICAL STRUCTURES, ARTWORKS, PERFORMANCES, LARGE SCALE COMMUNITY- BENEFIT PROJECTS (E.G.PROVIDING FREE FOOD TO THE PUBLIC), AND MORE. CROSS- IDENTITY UNDERSTANDING IS FORMED THROUGH THE PROCESS OF SHARED CREATION, WITH INDIVIDUALS OF MANY DIFFERENT GROUPS WORKING SIDE BY SIDE. AS A DIRECT RESULT OF THIS SHARED EXPERIENCE, TENSIONS ARE ABATED, AND A SENSE OF CAMARADERIE, UNDERSTANDING, AND EMPATHY IS DEVELOPED. IN 2022, ACTIVITIES INCLUDED PROVIDING FOOD FOR THOUSANDS OF PARTICIPANTS AT BURNING MAN; THE DEVELOPMENT OF SAFE SPACES BOTH LITERAL AND METAPHORICAL; AND THE PRODUCTION OF QUEER ART & BURLESQUE PERFORMANCES FOCUSED ON INCLUSION.

ARTS & SCHOLARSHIP. PROGRAMS OFFER FINANCIAL SUPPORT FOR CAMPERS WHO WOULD NOT OTHERWISE BE ABLE TO ATTEND EVENTS, AND CREATE AND STORE ARTWORK USED AT OUR EVENTS.

COMMUNITY DANCE EVENTS. THIS PROGRAM INVOLVES THE PLANNING AND PRODUCTION OF PUBLIC PERFORMING ARTS EVENTS. THE EVENTS ARE HELD QUARTERLY AT VENUES ACROSS A NUMBER OF LOCATIONS (SAN FRANCISCO, NEW YORK, LOS ANGELES), AND HAD SEVERAL THOUSAND PARTICIPANTS IN 2022. THESE EVENTS CREATE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF HUMAN CONNECTION AND THE REDUCTION OF PREJUDICE. BY CREATING A SAFE SPACE WITHIN PERFORMING ARTS EVENTS FOR MARGINALIZED GROUPS TO CONNECT, OUR EVENTS HAVE A NET POSITIVE OUTCOME ON THE LEVELS OF DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION IN OUR COMMUNITIES AND APPLY DOWNWARD PRESSURE ON PREJUDICIAL BEHAVIORS. PRINCIPLES SUCH AS NOTAFLOF (NO ONE TURNED AWAY FOR LACK OF FUNDS) ENSURE INCLUSION AND ACCESS.

SUSTAINABILITY. THIS PROGRAM BUILDS ON THE FRAMEWORK OF CO-CREATION DESCRIBED ABOVE, WITH AN EMPHASIS PLACED ON ACTIVITIES THAT BRING DISPARATE GROUPS TOGETHER TO DEVELOP AND PROBLEM-SOLVE SUSTAINABLE WAYS OF PRODUCING PARTICIPATORY EXPERIENCES AT SCALE, THUS ENABLING AS MANY MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC AS POSSIBLE TO ENGAGE WITH THE EVENTS. IN 2022, VOLUNTEERS AT THE MYSTOPIA FOUNDATION DESIGNED, DEVELOPED AND BUILT A SOLAR POWER GENERATION SYSTEM TO PRODUCT 16KWH, WHICH IS APPROXIMATELY 10-15% OF THE ENERGY NEEDED TO PRODUCE LARGE SCALE PARTICIPATORY EVENTS - AND WITH PLANS FOR FUTURE EXPANSION. THIS DIVERSE GROUP OF VOLUNTEERS HAVE ALSO DEVELOPED EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS; CIRCULATED THEM BROADLY THROUGH NETWORKS AFFILIATED WITH BURNING MAN; AND PRESENTED AT EDUCATIONAL SUMMITS, RESULTING IN THE PROLIFERATION OF SOLAR POWER SYSTEMS AT MULTIPLE "THEME CAMPS" WITH DIVERSE BACKGROUNDS & COMMUNITY CONTEXTS.