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Meet the new Board
Nathan Bernasconi
Gabriel “Gabe” Reyes
Nathan Bernasconi
Paddock Name
Nugby
You might know me from:
Running 3rd Degree (in the process of stepping down from that to focus on Seed), Embers, Burners of Sydney & Surrounds, Sydney Burning Pub, brainstorming how we could run Burns better around many a campfire
What is your vision for Burning Seed in the future?
Getting Seed back to 1,500+ people, prefer
Paddock Name
Nugby
You might know me from:
Running 3rd Degree (in the process of stepping down from that to focus on Seed), Embers, Burners of Sydney & Surrounds, Sydney Burning Pub, brainstorming how we could run Burns better around many a campfire
What is your vision for Burning Seed in the future?
Getting Seed back to 1,500+ people, preferably including Victorians, with Leads, Theme Camps, Artists all wanting to come back and be part year after year. I want Seed to be NSW's BIG Burn, while still allowing space for things like 3rd Degree, Winter Solstice, Neo etc so we can come together as a community multiple times a year.
How I plan to make that vision a reality:
If elected and supported in this by the Board, I would get back to plans for an ~1,000 person May 2026 Seed, using the lessons learnt from the I-BAG Survey and Embers, and growing organically from there 2027 and beyond. I am open to moving from Matong and even changing the name if we feel certain it would bring more of the community together.
Add what you would like people to know about you!
Been Rangering since 2015 yet love nothing more than wearing the Burning Seed Rangers Hoodie while shirking all Ranger shifts (by being Site Manager instead) at other Burns in front of all Seed's Ranger Council (mwaahahaha). Away from Burns, I love turning seeing art into 6km hikes between 10-12 art galleries in a day.
Tereasa Trevor
Gabriel “Gabe” Reyes
Nathan Bernasconi
Paddock Name
Kinkabelle
You might know me from: an active member of I-BAG (the survey team), Consent & Culture Lead for The Third Degree, Creative Director of The Mystical Music Box (Seed 2017), that alluring G’Lorp at Underland (2022), and The Garden of the Squirting Nymphs at Neomenia (2024).
Beyond the paddock: I bring years of experience
Paddock Name
Kinkabelle
You might know me from: an active member of I-BAG (the survey team), Consent & Culture Lead for The Third Degree, Creative Director of The Mystical Music Box (Seed 2017), that alluring G’Lorp at Underland (2022), and The Garden of the Squirting Nymphs at Neomenia (2024).
Beyond the paddock: I bring years of experience in senior corporate communications and organisational change, leading engagement with audiences of 30,000+ across multiple countries and executive teams. Today I work as a psychotherapist and sexologist, specialising in trauma-informed, community-centred care. I am a Yuin Walbanja woman and my ancestors are of the forgotten generation — as such, healing is central to my life practice, and the way I show up in community.
My vision for Burning Seed: A community where radical self-expression and cultural safety thrive together. I believe in Pleasure Leadership — an approach that centres joy, creativity, and connection in how we govern, volunteer, and care for each other.
How I’ll make it real:
- Embed consent and inclusion into every layer of the event. Psychological safety is foundational to functional teams — and it starts with us.
- Strengthen our felt sense of community by creating more opportunities to connect and by listening deeply to the needs of our members. I believe that listening is the most valuable skill of a leader.
- Build SBA’s transparency and trust through my expertise in strategic communications.
What you should know:
I bring both head and heart — the discipline of large-scale organisational leadership, combined with deep experience in cultural repair and consent education. I’m committed to helping us grow as a community that leads with creativity, accountability, and joy.
Gabriel “Gabe” Reyes
Gabriel “Gabe” Reyes
Gabriel “Gabe” Reyes
Paddock Name
Doof Daddy
You might know me from:
The Devon Lounge (Assistant Lead and General Debauchero!), The Fan Club Collective (Co-founder and Sonic Raconteur), Neomenia Music and Arts (Comrade in Chief), Acting Director of Sunburnt Arts Ltd since Feb 2025, I-BAG Survey Team (Advisor), Ranger and Site Manager at numerous regional burns.
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Paddock Name
Doof Daddy
You might know me from:
The Devon Lounge (Assistant Lead and General Debauchero!), The Fan Club Collective (Co-founder and Sonic Raconteur), Neomenia Music and Arts (Comrade in Chief), Acting Director of Sunburnt Arts Ltd since Feb 2025, I-BAG Survey Team (Advisor), Ranger and Site Manager at numerous regional burns.
What is your vision for Burning Seed in the future?
After almost 2 decades of festival-loving fun, I went to my first burn in 2018 (Big Burn) which opened up a whole new realm of conscious frivolity and community connection. Since then, burning has been my most active avenue for celebrating and enjoying art, music and people. After the 2019 Burning Seed, myself and much of the Devon Lounge crew started Neomenia, a Burner-inspired, not-for-profit doof which brought together many of the facets of the Burner and Aussie bush doof culture we love. Our goal was to introduce people within the festival scene to Burning, perpetuate the 10 principles and give artists within our community a new platform for performance. Neo is in its 5th year and saw over 400 attendees in 2025.
I stepped up to be an Acting Director of SBA in late February 2025 as I saw it was in a difficult space - trying to navigate a Post-Covid world and find its feet after a drawn-out restructure process. Although not able to produce an event in 2025, I have helped redirect SBA and SBE onto a path that will undoubtedly see Seed return in 2026. I wish to continue my service as an elected Director so that I can help our community realise the dream of a burn made by the people, for the people. I have developed a good understanding of the processes, policies and requirements of a Director during my time as an Acting-Director and wish to pour my experience in all aspects of large scale, multi day events into this dream.
How I plan to make that vision a reality:
I was part of a Burner committee which initiated a community survey (IBAG) aimed to better understand the community desires for a burn, and how best to service this with the capacity available. I plan to utilise this data, and community opinion, to direct efforts into creating a new event that aligns with our community needs and capabilities.
I have helped to streamline processes and procedures within SBA, including the proposal of a number of resolutions which I believe better serves the burner leadership team. I successfully co-led the 2025 Burning Seed debrief and Town Hall, which was recorded and shared across the NSW burn community.
Whether I am voted into a Director’s position or not, I endeavour to remain an active member of the NSW and Global Burner community with an aim to revitalise our community and provide it with the events we deserve.
Add what you would like people to know about you!
I love nothing more than watching other humans enjoy themselves in a safe, welcoming, accepting environment - one in which a community of like minded people support and encourage eachother. The burner community has granted me the opportunity to create such spaces; it helps me to achieve a sense of life purpose.
Leanna Pugliese
Peter Simpson-Young
Peter Simpson-Young
Paddock Name
Momma
You might know me from:
cacophonous KaKAWS across the Paddock signalling Dirty Birds shenanigans, from brekky burritos and tequila slap shots, or in my years in service roles like Rangers and Gate & Traffic.
I've been a Theme Camp lead (Dirty Birds), co-founded Burners of Sydney and Surrounds (BOSS), and helped shape Sun
Paddock Name
Momma
You might know me from:
cacophonous KaKAWS across the Paddock signalling Dirty Birds shenanigans, from brekky burritos and tequila slap shots, or in my years in service roles like Rangers and Gate & Traffic.
I've been a Theme Camp lead (Dirty Birds), co-founded Burners of Sydney and Surrounds (BOSS), and helped shape Sunburnt Arts though the restructure, and as an Interim and now Acting Director (from Feb '25).
You might also know me in my role as Regional Contact for Burning Man, or as the co-producer of BoNZA- the Burning Man Australasian regional leadership and arts summit with attendees from New Zealand, Australia, China and beyond.
My vision for Burning Seed:
My vision is for a vibrant and diverse community that is built on trust and respect, and an event that is centered on play and Principles at its heart. I'm nominating for a board position because I deeply care for our community and believe that we have an abundance of experienced burners who are ready to re-engage in rebuilding our culture and annual event. I've been involved with the Burning Man community in the US and Australia for the past 15 years doing all sorts of weird and wonderful things, with a focus on community building. I was part of the process of restructuring the org and event from a privately owned company to one now created by -and owned by- all of us. I have been participating in this corner of the Burnerverse for some time and have seen what works, and what needs re-evaluating. This is our event, and I am determined to rebuild with you in a safe and sustainable way.
Additionally, I would love to:
- Build a resilient volunteer pool with strong support structures to prevent burnout
- Grow opportunities for artists, LNT champions, and aligned activist projects
- Establish close ties with the land and Indigenous community so we exist and play reciprocally and respectfully
How I’ll make it real:
By listening first. Through purpose-led engagement, transparent governance, and collaborative decision making, I'll work to ensure Seed thrives as a community driven, inclusive, and sustainable event. I intend to use the rich data published by the independent burner analytics group (IBAG) to help shape our collective future together.
What you should know: ...
The experience of Burning Man and this community has taught me that anything is possible with planning, perseverance and the right team. That it's ok to live an authentic and technicolcolor life, and that it is safe to fall apart to be rebuilt stronger.
For the past five years, I've directed and managed Sparkhaus Studio, a DGR charity Makerspace and arts hub in Newcastle, where I've overseen governance, operations, membership engagement, and events. That experience has given me confidence in navigating charity compliance and building transparent, resilient organisations. At heart, I love humans and deep connection. I thrive in creating spaces where creativity, collaboration, and community can flourish. Whatever the outcome of this election, I will continue to work alongside our leaders so that we can once again gather together and delight in the experience of immediacy and authenticity & the wild products of our imaginations.
Peter Simpson-Young
Peter Simpson-Young
Peter Simpson-Young
You might know me from:
🎪 National Folk Festival — I grew up a Folky. Started volunteering at 15, became a shift manager in my 20s, and by my 30s I helped coordinate hundreds of volunteers across all 5 bars. That’s 20 years volunteering and 10 years leading volunteer teams.
🦈 Critterfest — founder/lead of a freediving × Burner micro-fes
You might know me from:
🎪 National Folk Festival — I grew up a Folky. Started volunteering at 15, became a shift manager in my 20s, and by my 30s I helped coordinate hundreds of volunteers across all 5 bars. That’s 20 years volunteering and 10 years leading volunteer teams.
🦈 Critterfest — founder/lead of a freediving × Burner micro-festival. 65 attendees, 65 volunteers, all cooking/diving/raving together in radical self-reliance. Built radically operationally efficient systems — zero incidents (sharks excluded 🦈).
🔥 NSW Burns — my 10-year Burner journey began in 2015 under mentorship from Amelia “Bubbles” Loye (rumoured to be Seed’s first Ranger). My first shift was in hurricane-force winds at the renegade Burning Salvation in 2016. Since then: Sunset Town, Maverick Burn, and now Third Degree Burn.
☕ Bourges Douf — co-lead since 2020 with Jeremy Funke. Proudly NSW’s longest-running active service camp, known for Andrew & Majella’s Champagne Lingerie nights, Jeremy & Val’s café service, Vik & Paul’s coffee, and Eddy’s legendary picanha.
📈 IBAG (Independent Burner Analytics Group) — co-led the 2025 community survey (518 responses), the most comprehensive dataset in NSW Burn history. Findings: 61% neurodivergent, 71% multi-role contributors, 292 veterans ready to re-engage.
My vision is to:
I don’t believe Burning Seed can be recreated — what we mean by “Seed” now is a large-scale NSW Burn; big enough to fit everyone.
My vision is a humble restart: the first few will be messy, imperfect (#ShitBurn), but they’ll prove the magic is alive.
Over 10 years we can grow towards a 3,000-person flagship Burn with big art grants and sustainable systems — following the footsteps of Underland (VIC) and Blazing Swan (WA).
This means uniting Sunset Town, Third Degree, Peachy, Biophilia, Neomania and 50+ theme camps into one all-of-NSW event, supported by 20+ community distribution channels. It also means generously funded art — through philanthropy, government grants, and grassroots fundraising — so artists can create without going broke.
How I’ll make it real:
🤝 Collaborate with what’s already working — building on the courage of the acting directors, town council, and veteran crews.
📊 Use the IBAG survey — 518 voices gave us a map of capacity, sites, and suppliers. Next survey: 80+ regional Burner orgs.
🧑🤝🧑 Volunteer sustainability — pilot 4-hour shifts, buddy systems, Critterfest-style checklists, and succession planning to protect our veterans.
💬 Communication upgrades — unify channels beyond Facebook: Slack + integrations, simple doc libraries, and “You Said, We Did” transparency.
🎨 Funding diversity — tiered tickets, NSW Create Grants, philanthropy, and grassroots fundraisers to support art and accessibility.
What you should know: ...
Professionally, I’m the Research Translation Strategy Manager at the University of Sydney, advising on governance, risk, and commercialisation in the 25th globally ranked university. My career spans neuroscience, HealthTech, startups, and regulatory compliance.
I’ve worked across registered charities, non-profits, and community services — from MND Australia to the Woolcock Institute to Edward Eagar Lodge.
I see myself as a bridge-builder: I can bring together governance and play, veterans and newcomers, data and art.
I’m passionate about making a flagship Burn fun to organise, sustainable to deliver, and magical to experience — not just once, but year after year. I’m here for scale!
My secret dream is Beach Burn at Seal Rocks in 2030. (A man can dream!)
Teejay Wier
Bjorn Margon
Bjorn Margon
Paddock Name
Hot Wire
You might know me from:
Burning Seed, Black Rock City, Blazing Swan, Red Earth Rangers, Sandmen, RERFM, Fire Art Response Team, BMIR, Shouting Fire, theme/sound camps.
What is your vision for Burning Seed in the future?
Re activate the previous successful org structure into teams and coordinator roles, to simplify workfl
Paddock Name
Hot Wire
You might know me from:
Burning Seed, Black Rock City, Blazing Swan, Red Earth Rangers, Sandmen, RERFM, Fire Art Response Team, BMIR, Shouting Fire, theme/sound camps.
What is your vision for Burning Seed in the future?
Re activate the previous successful org structure into teams and coordinator roles, to simplify workflow and provide more autonomy to teams. Increase the awareness and symbiosis of the org and the teams. Get a successful scaled back event over the line.
How I plan to make that vision a reality:
So far since on the Town Council:
• Driven the email and google workstation clean up reducing the monthly bill by half (so far) & realigned the email accounts with the team lead positions. This will make the use of the manuals and processes previously created easier & more efficient.
• Working with tech and crew wrangling team to reactivate the onboarding process, so that the right volunteers are placed in the right spot, properly vetted so that outcomes/goals are clearly identified and able to be achieved.
• Work with the teams to update all their manuals and process documents so that when people come and go, the role descriptions and documents are easy to follow and relevant
• Continue to push for in person or online video meetups, so that people can discuss their team needs in an efficient and civil manner.
• By reactivating clear processes and onboarding we are able to reduce burn out and achieve the key milestones required.
• Push for a smaller event so that the team leads can get a feel for the flow of logistics and milestones that need to be reached. Once the shortfalls are identified, provide support to plug those gaps.
• Push towards team members not taking on too many roles or responsibilities. Get the right people into a role and have them do that well, rather than five things poorly. This will be achieved by proper onboarding, vetting and support, during/after recruiting campaigns.
• Reestablish good working relationships with the local community in Matong, including external safety agencies like RFS, Councils, forestry etc
• Include the whole org in back of house processes like permit application & restrictions, so that the whole org is aware of why decisions are made by specific teams and how those decisions impact the wider org and community. Including each relevant team in their respective place within the Risk Management Plan and other processes will be a massive help in that regard.
• Encourage the org to hold high standards of attendance and procedure so that we are fiscally responsible but still a wild and diverse bunch. While it is a volunteer org, we are custodians of the communities money, trust, safety and all manner of things. I don't feel this should be taken lightly or abused, but we need clear processes to follow for this to happen effectively going forward.
• Get out of the teams way, once they are rocking and rolling.
Add what you would like people to know about you!
I am tenacious and incredibly passionate about Burning Seed and the Aussie burner culture. It has been a huge part of my life since 2012 & I feel incredibly grateful for being involved in Burning Seed since 2013.
The bones of a great organisation are there waiting to be updated and brought back to life.
While I am a little put off by the recent governance reshuffle, I am pushing hard for the culture to shift away from infighting, back towards getting our event up and functioning properly.
I strongly feel this happens best when the teams are in the same room together, away from their keyboards.
The processes/manuals/history of lessons learned are all there in our admin back of house, we just need to update them, use them and get after it.
I am not as strong in the legal governance side of things and prefer to leave that in the hands of more capable team members.
I am learning to reign in my bluntness, while also navigating others eccentricities.
Let's get after it )'(
Bjorn Margon
Bjorn Margon
Bjorn Margon
Paddock Name
Bj/ Bjorn
You might know me from:
Health tent, the obscure camera 2019, SBE board member, underlands, confest or being silly in Sydney
What is your vision for Burning Seed in the future?
An Australian burn like old times with happy vollies and punters, for an accessible price.
How I plan to make that vision a reality:
- focus on volun
Paddock Name
Bj/ Bjorn
You might know me from:
Health tent, the obscure camera 2019, SBE board member, underlands, confest or being silly in Sydney
What is your vision for Burning Seed in the future?
An Australian burn like old times with happy vollies and punters, for an accessible price.
How I plan to make that vision a reality:
- focus on volunteer and theme camp appreciation - I love them, they need to know they’re loved and that they are the heart of seed
- work to simplify and automate lots of inefficient processes
- find ways to cut costs (like toilets which cost 90K) so we can give more money to theme camps and have more facilities for volunteers
Add what you would like people to know about you!
I’ve learned a lot about the seed machine in the past year. We couldn’t make it happen - but I’m here to work with the team to make it happen in 2026.
About Sunburnt Arts
Our Mission
Acknowledgment
Acknowledgment
We are guided by the Ten Principles of Burning Man as we support and promote artforms that lift the human spirit, encourage community participation and seek to address social challenges for the benefit of all Australians.
Acknowledgment
Acknowledgment
Acknowledgment
Sunburnt Arts acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of the land on which we gather and thank the Wiradjuri people for so warmly welcoming our marquee fundraising event over the years. We pay our respects to their Elders past and present. We acknowledge the past, present and future relationship that the Wiradjuri people have with this land, its waters, the winds, the plants and animals.
Our History
Acknowledgment
Get Involved
Sunburnt Arts has been established to continue the legacy of the Burning Man Project for all Australians.
From humble beginnings at a small gathering of artists and collaborators, our annual event - Burning Seed germinated over a decade ago.
Get Involved
Acknowledgment
Get Involved
Our organisation is made up of passionate and talented volunteers who are committed to making a difference through the arts. From our Board of Directors to our event crew, everyone at Sunburnt Arts is dedicated to creating a vibrant and inclusive arts community. To apply for membership of the organisation please click here.