Our Programs
Mystopia Foundation brings people together through creative, inclusive and participatory experiences designed to reduce prejudice and foster belonging. Our programs span public events, immersive retreats, and on-playa offerings — all powered by volunteers, all centered on human connection.
We organize our work into three core areas:
Participatory Experiences
Mystopia hosts immersive experiences designed to build cross-identity understanding through shared effort, vulnerability, and creativity.
Examples:
- Mystopia Campout: A weekend retreat in the Sierras that blends outdoor adventure with shared meals, talent shows, and quiet moments under the stars.
- Build Week: Small teams building infrastructure and trust side by side — often in mud, wind, and extreme heat
- Virtual civic workshops: Discussions on community safety, belonging, and anti-discrimination strategies.
When people build together — physically or emotionally — something shifts. Walls soften. Conversations open. That’s where transformation begins.
Performing Arts Events
We produce inclusive dance parties and creative gatherings that blend art, movement, and mutual care. These events are more than a good time — they’re safe spaces for celebration, joy, and connection across differences.
Past events:
- Technicolor: Our signature Pride party, curated by and for a richly diverse queer and allied crowd.
- Solid Gold: A camp fundraiser disguised as a dance temple.
- Space Odyssey: A sci-fi-flavored night of interstellar beats and flamboyant expression.
These events allow people to move together, laugh together, and step into each other’s worlds — one beat drop at a time.
Burning Man Programming
Mystopia’s origin is on playa, and we bring everything we’ve got to the dust. Our on-playa gifts reflect our values of radical inclusion, communal effort, and interactivity.
Past examples include:
- French Toast Breakfast: For over a decade, this was the largest single-serve food event on the playa. A tradition that fed thousands and made friends of strangers.
- Psychedelic Ice Cream Shop: A literal ice cream shop in a covered wagon. Run by camp volunteers. Free. Fabulous. Frosty.
- Misting Tent & Salon: By day, a refuge for overheated humans and families with kids. By night, a dusty salon of glittering divas and wandering poets.
- Drag & Burlesque Shows: A stage for self-expression in all its forms — from high-camp drag to playful burlesque, honoring queer and straight traditions alike.
- Creative and Inclusive Workshops: Workshops and weirdness, often all in one:
- Meditation and yoga circles
- Hat-making and costume hacks
- “Generic Corporate Mixer” — an absurd satire of office culture in the middle of the desert
These experiences are ephemeral, built without profit, and gifted to the public — which is what makes them unforgettable.
Want to Get Involved?
Every one of our programs runs on love, labor, and laughter. Learn how you can join us as a volunteer, donor, artist, or participant. Email mystopia.foundation@gmail.com.
