No Where (event)

No Where (event)

Nowhere is a European arts-based event inspired by Burning Man. It is held annually in July near Zaragoza in north-eastern Spain. Nowhere embraces the Burning Man principles of radical self-expression, radical self-reliance, no commerce and leave no trace but its cultural and geographical distance produces quite a different event. The extreme conditions and harsh beauty of the Spanish landscape provide a blank and fertile canvas for participants to experiment and create. Participation is a key element of the event and everyone is expected to be involved in some way. Everything from construction and set-up, art projects and entertainment through to catering, sanitary engineering and clean-up are handled by those attending the event.

A strong spirit of gifting is encouraged and commerce is not permitted at the event. Participants are expected to organise all their food and water themselves, as well as appropriate shelter for the harsh desert environment. Many participants organise themselves into camps to share organisational resources. Camps are often themed and there is a large communal central shade structure called The Middle of Nowhere (MoN), which hosts a range of workshops and activities throughout the week. Other infrastructure includes the Nowhere Post Office (which sends letters, cards and parcels to participants on site and to others around the world), Costume Camp (where participants can borrow costume items as part of radical self-expression), an Information booth called NoInfo, a medical team, and a daily newspaper, the Nowhere Tribune.