Forums > Social Discussion > Guild of Firedancers?
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Fool
2,020 posts
Location: Cornwall, UK
Fool
2,020 posts
Location: Cornwall, UK
Posted:
I was thunking. When trying to get gigs spinning fire, it would be very cool to be able show the person doing the booking something official like a membership card to a Guild or Society of fire performers. Something to set their minds at rest that you have acheived a certain level of experience and will not burn their things or their customers.
Does anything like this exist?
I was thunking. When trying to get gigs spinning fire, it would be very cool to be able show the person doing the booking something official like a membership card to a Guild or Society of fire performers. Something to set their minds at rest that you have acheived a certain level of experience and will not burn their things or their customers.
Does anything like this exist?
"I believe the cost of life is Death and we will all pay that in full. Everything else should be a gift. We paid the cover charge of life, we were born."
Bill Hicks, February 1988
AnonymousPLATINUM Member
Posted:
Nope. Although I imagine a Suit would see it as a way to make money.
Nope. Although I imagine a Suit would see it as a way to make money.
BRONZE Member
the henna lady
6,193 posts
Location: WNY, USA
the henna lady
6,193 posts
Location: WNY, USA
Posted:
Actually, yes they do...three of them
One is at ground level, and has been for two or more years.
One started with alot of gusto and then burned out. I have no idea what happened to it.
And one...well, it keeps changing but not really evolving.
Part of the problem are the participants. Everyone claims they want it, but no one is actually willing to invest time or money to support it and just a few people can not carry it for all.
Then there are the disputes between who should regulate whom. Who is the best to determine guidelines to be followed?
Next, who enforces it? Who gets to travel around and follow up on all the members, updating trainings and such? Whoever does this essentially gives up life as they know it.
And then it takes years to build up the kind of recognition that would allow people to simply look at a card and feel secure.
There have been alot of issues because what we deal with is so dangerous.
A good insurance policy and a letter of recommendation from your local fire authority goes a long way.
Take care,
Pele
Actually, yes they do...three of them
One is at ground level, and has been for two or more years.
One started with alot of gusto and then burned out. I have no idea what happened to it.
And one...well, it keeps changing but not really evolving.
Part of the problem are the participants. Everyone claims they want it, but no one is actually willing to invest time or money to support it and just a few people can not carry it for all.
Then there are the disputes between who should regulate whom. Who is the best to determine guidelines to be followed?
Next, who enforces it? Who gets to travel around and follow up on all the members, updating trainings and such? Whoever does this essentially gives up life as they know it.
And then it takes years to build up the kind of recognition that would allow people to simply look at a card and feel secure.
There have been alot of issues because what we deal with is so dangerous.
A good insurance policy and a letter of recommendation from your local fire authority goes a long way.
Take care,
Pele
Pele
Higher, higher burning fire...making music like a choir
"Oooh look! A pub!" -exclaimed after recovering from a stupid fall
"And for the decadence of art, nothing beats a roaring fire." -TMK
BRONZE Member
the henna lady
6,193 posts
Location: WNY, USA
the henna lady
6,193 posts
Location: WNY, USA
Posted:
One has gone into a fire tribe at tribes.net. I think it just goes by Fire Guild. There are threads about why have a guild and who should belong. It is very grassroots and is headed up by John Voldel. There is alot of interest but alot of different opinions trying to be appeased to. Kind of "too many cooks spoil the stew" type thing.
The other, The North American Fire Artist Association had a website but last I checked it was gone. Feel free to search for it.
Ted Ward and Donia Love were big proponents in it. This one started at the top and went right for safety regulations, contacting airlines and such, trying to gather a database of every fire marshall in the northern hemisphere type stuff. Great at it's core but more than what I think they could take on.
The other was Fire Arts Association International. It is another that had a website that vanished. I don't even remember who headed this one up.
So there you have them, in a nutshell.
People are supportive but afraid. Fire attracts the non-authoritative, (as I am told) "radical, hippy" element, which is known for not wanting to be regulated. People are wanting regulations to help keep other people in line and to prevent the actions of others from inhibiting their ability to spin, but then they do not want to be regulated themselves.
Case in point, a group I recently worked with was *preaching* safety to their new people. But when it came time for the troupe creators to rehearse lit, and the safety was not ready they complained "Why do things always have to be so regulated? Why can't we just light up and spin. We don't have anything to worry about." This is an all too common mentality, that it is someone else's problem and someone else's fault, and that is part of the barrier from a true meeting of the minds with these projects.
Kindest Regards,
Pele
One has gone into a fire tribe at tribes.net. I think it just goes by Fire Guild. There are threads about why have a guild and who should belong. It is very grassroots and is headed up by John Voldel. There is alot of interest but alot of different opinions trying to be appeased to. Kind of "too many cooks spoil the stew" type thing.
The other, The North American Fire Artist Association had a website but last I checked it was gone. Feel free to search for it.
Ted Ward and Donia Love were big proponents in it. This one started at the top and went right for safety regulations, contacting airlines and such, trying to gather a database of every fire marshall in the northern hemisphere type stuff. Great at it's core but more than what I think they could take on.
The other was Fire Arts Association International. It is another that had a website that vanished. I don't even remember who headed this one up.
So there you have them, in a nutshell.
People are supportive but afraid. Fire attracts the non-authoritative, (as I am told) "radical, hippy" element, which is known for not wanting to be regulated. People are wanting regulations to help keep other people in line and to prevent the actions of others from inhibiting their ability to spin, but then they do not want to be regulated themselves.
Case in point, a group I recently worked with was *preaching* safety to their new people. But when it came time for the troupe creators to rehearse lit, and the safety was not ready they complained "Why do things always have to be so regulated? Why can't we just light up and spin. We don't have anything to worry about." This is an all too common mentality, that it is someone else's problem and someone else's fault, and that is part of the barrier from a true meeting of the minds with these projects.
Kindest Regards,
Pele
Pele
Higher, higher burning fire...making music like a choir
"Oooh look! A pub!" -exclaimed after recovering from a stupid fall
"And for the decadence of art, nothing beats a roaring fire." -TMK
AnonymousPLATINUM Member
Posted:
Wow! I stand corrected! Thanks Pele.
Wow! I stand corrected! Thanks Pele.
Mr Dizzy....
154 posts
Location: Spiralling into uncertainty
154 posts
Location: Spiralling into uncertainty
Posted:
As an alternative but a much more general one and specifically to the UK (although outside the UK similar unions have affiliations) you can join Equity as a Circus/Variety performer, of course this would not be a regulatory body for fire spinning, but membership offers many benefits.
It provides you with public liability insurance which covers you for most things, however for fire you need to pay an extra premium through Equity's insurance company First Act, and it kinda gives you a bit of "respectability" for want of a better word by being and Equity member. However a said above it won't necessarily regulate the quality and safety of the performer. I could go on and on, there are a host of reasons listed on their web-site.
Equity
Have a look.
Diz
As an alternative but a much more general one and specifically to the UK (although outside the UK similar unions have affiliations) you can join Equity as a Circus/Variety performer, of course this would not be a regulatory body for fire spinning, but membership offers many benefits.
It provides you with public liability insurance which covers you for most things, however for fire you need to pay an extra premium through Equity's insurance company First Act, and it kinda gives you a bit of "respectability" for want of a better word by being and Equity member. However a said above it won't necessarily regulate the quality and safety of the performer. I could go on and on, there are a host of reasons listed on their web-site.
Equity
Have a look.
Diz
"To live a creative life, we must lose our fear of being wrong."
A Fortune Cookie
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