Theme Camps
are the lifeblood of SOAK.

New Resources

• The Placement Survival Guide, a new resource for Artists and Camps, will be available when registration opens. The Placement Survival Guide offers valuable tips and guidance.

• We'll be hosting online office hours to answer your registration, Art and Camp placement questions. More details to come around the time the registration form opens!

Simplified Registration

• We are working diligently to make the registration process easier and we have streamlined the process!

• Focused Questions: The registration form has been carefully reviewed to ensure we're asking the most relevant questions.

• Layout submissions are now only required for certain Camp sizes and activities.

• For the Camp registration, one submission per email address. A camp lead can only lead one camp. Multiple art pieces can still be registered by one artist.

No rough draft of the map release and feedback form

• This process was causing more strife than fixing issues. We are aligning more with other regionals in releasing one final version of the map about a month before we get on-site so there still will be time to plan and connect with your neighbors.

• Allow for more time for the registration form to be open so projects will be more fully formed before decisions start getting made.

Layout Changes

• We are only requiring Camp plan layouts in 2025 for Camps with large infrastructure, sound, and with certain fire requirements. 

Digital What Where When (WWW)

• SOAK aims to introduce an app for camps, art, and events as a digital WWW. Placement will be loading camp/art names and descriptions into the app and then the camp/art lead will be able to update descriptions and add events.

• Placement will add the map when it is released and integrate it into the app. 

Art and Mutant Vehicles

• The application process for Art and Mutant Vehicles is largely unchanged at this time,  you can expect things to be roughly the same as our last event cycle.  

Grey Water Tanks

• SOAK will provide gray water tanks again this year.

• Interactivity

  • Interactivity must be obviously welcoming to the stranger and invite participants into the camp.

  • Interactivity must be provided in camp

  • Active vs passive activity

    • Passive activity is something that does not require a human to run in order for a participant to partake in it. Such as: leaving out hot water and tea bags.

    • Active activity is when the camp is actively engaging with the participants to facilitate the interactivity.

  • Is camp size appropriate for the amount of interactivity provided?

    • Larger camps are expected to have more interactivity

  • The timing of your interactivity 

    • Camps that have active interactivity at key times of the event (e.g. on burn nights) are more likely to be placed along major corridors

  • Over time, camps are expected to adjust and improve their interactivity as they hone in on their offerings.  Meaningful improvements are valued more highly than surface level aesthetic changes.  This might look like more hours of active interactivity, offerings that are specific and unique to the camp or offerings that integrate with this year’s theme.  

• Appearance

  • What does the camp look like? 

    • The standard of appearance is set by what most of the camps are doing. Such as, it was the standard a few years ago to have interactivity in a carport. Now the standard seems to be to integrate your theme heavily into your structure. 

  • Have lighting at night even if you have no events going on

    • It should be obvious that this is a theme camp even when the interactivity is not active. 

  • Put thought and effort into the look of the front of their camp?

    • While Placement provides little signs for all camps and art, you should also have a sign so that it is obvious who you are. Could someone describe your camp to another person with your unique features?

  • Put effort into the other public-facing borders of the camp

  • Have a balanced level of interactive/public space to private space

    • The camp should be at least a third interactivity to private space. 

• Unique Offerings

  • Doing something new or differently.

  • Is this an interactivity that many other camps are doing?

  • Do you do this ‘common thing’ really well? Have you added a twist to make it more unique than the other camps making that same offering?

Starting in 2025, we are no longer requiring camp plan layouts for every camp. 

Placement will require a layout for your camp if you have one of the following.

• Need more than 200 square feet per person as this would indicate large infrastructure we need to place.

• Have a custom-built fire apparatus or intend to host fire performance.

• Have a large sound system (we need layouts to understand your speaker orientation)

If your camp falls into one of the above categories then please email a layout to SOAK Placement by the time the forms close. Failure to do so will result in your registration being incomplete and therefore you will not receive placement.

Format - (YourCampName_layout.JPG)

Accepted image file formats are JPG, PNG, and PDF.. Limit file size to approximately 1 MB. 

Digitally created layouts are preferred. A photograph of a drawing works in a pinch - just make it legible for us.  

Your camp name is the name of the file.  

Creating a Layout

In the image you send:  

• Your camp name and contact info needs to be legible.

• Layout plans must be an overhead/birds-eye view of your camp.

• Denote frontage and depth dimensions in feet.

• Call-out and highlight public interaction areas or large infrastructure in feet. 

• Diagram of offerings needs to be clearly legible. 

• Call out significant features and each project within your camp area:

  • Where is the main structure or area for the participant interactions?

  • Where does sound originate, and in what direction is it projected to travel?

  • A fire perimeter at least 2x the device height (or 8’, whichever is larger), as horizontal clearance from nearest stationary objects, and at least 8’ vertical clearance to any overhead objects, for any custom-built fire apparatus is required.

  • A fire perimeter at least 20’ for fire performance is required.

Camp Plans should be emailed to SOAK Placement.

Example Camp Plan: Cow Pies and Cock Tails (example map) - v2.svg

All vehicles/trailers that do not have an RV pass, a Support Vehicle pass, an accessability approval, or are a registered Mutant Vehicle can not park in your camp and must park in the designated lot outside of the main event.

RVs:  If you wish to camp with your RV, camper trailer, bus conversion, or truck-mounted camper, you must purchase a RV/Trailer Pass. Camping in an unmodified passenger vehicle is not allowed. People without a proper RV/Trailer Pass will be turned away at the Gate.

Support Vehicles:  Support vehicles are anything on wheels that is intended to stay in camp that is not a Camper Vehicle, nor needed for accessibility support.  Support Vehicles need to be actively integrated into the camp infrastructure and interactivity.  

If you can sleep in the vehicle, it is a Camping Vehicle.  Make sure that it is included in your registration as a Camping Vehicle before registration closes and a CV ticket will be made available for you to purchase. 

If your support vehicle is required for accessibility support, please fill out the accessibility form and the producers will contact you.  

For a support vehicle pass to be approved, you need to explain how that support vehicle is integral to the success of your camp and have a detailed plan on how you will decorate that vehicle as an artistic representation fit for the event.  Placement will not approve Support Vehicle passes that fail to meet this criteria.  

Please indicate in your camp application form what make and model of your Support Vehicle , why it is integral to the infrastructure/interactivity of your camp and your detailed plan of how you’re decorating it.  

Approval for Support Vehicles at the discretion of SOAK Placement and Producers. Placement will reach out after reviewing your Support Vehicle request within your camp placement application.

SOAK accessibility policy can be found here: http://soakpdx.com/accommodation/

For information on Mutant Vehicles, visit: http://soakpdx.com/mutant-vehicles/