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PDFOpen Access (License Unspecified), Open Access
Thesis
Lessons of Burning Man: a case study of the gathering and its audience development practices
Master of Science (M.S.), Drexel University
Sep 2015
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17918/etd-6945
Abstract
Burning Man is recognized as an annual gathering in the desert that encourages curiosity and a disregard for societal norms. The latter is at the core of public perception, but with the event's embrace by tech and art professionals, the temporary city in Nevada regularly inspires studies and thinkpieces about the benefits of experiencing Burning Man. The research in this paper considers what brings participants to the gathering and keeps inspiring them to make the pilgrimage to the desert each year. Alongside audience development surveys prepared for United States arts organizations, interviews with Burning Man participants, and the event's official census help to unpack how Burning Man attracts over 60,000 people annually. By acknowledging the Burning Man Project as a nonprofit arts organization, research is used to illuminate transferrable audience development and retention tactics. The effective engagement practices of the Burning Man project are focused on inclusivity, community development, embrace of everevolving technology, and partnership between fulltime staff and volunteers.
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Details
- Title
- Lessons of Burning Man
- Creators
- Naima L. Murphy - DU
- Awarding Institution
- Drexel University
- Degree Awarded
- Master of Science (M.S.)
- Publisher
- Drexel University; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Resource Type
- Thesis
- Language
- English
- Academic Unit
- Arts Administration; Arts and Entertainment Enterprise; Drexel University; Antoinette Westphal College of Media Arts and Design
- Other Identifier
- 6945; 991014632077804721