What should the role of fluffers be (and perhaps not be) during build and strike?
This thread is carried over from a Facebook discussion, and I’ve tried my best to capture the main points (but I'm only human).
There is a second thread about feeding build, strike and fluffing crew - please make your comments on the relevant thread (I had high hopes of putting together the second thread this evening but this took me ages so will come back to it tomorrow/friday if someone else doesn't)
Best hopes
(taken from facebook thread - feel free to add your hopes)
- That fluffers/fnuggers efforts are recognised as equal to other build and strike crew members.
- That fluffers/fnuggers support strike team to achieve the goal of packing up site within the timeframe set by the site owner.
- All crew members' wellbeing is considered and people aren't left totally burnt out at the end of build and/or strike.
Roles of fluffers
1. Offering supportive conversations / interactions
Alison commented on the wellbeing of the build and strike teams:
“Unfortunately strike is probably the most stressful part of the burn”
Claire has shared that her role in fluffing / fnugging has been:
"cheering you on, hugging you and listening to your stress." Jamie affirmed that she has found Claire's conversations "therapeutic af"
Anna De Buiscuit shared that she has participated in strike by:
“spen[ding] the day counselling numerous members who were struggling emotionally and psychologically with various issues they were struggling with.” And that she feels this is an “invisible service”.
She also share that she “spent the night before strike looking after a Burner who was so drunk he was not safe to be left alone.”
Alison and Claire agree that offering supportive interactions can lead to better decision making and is supportive to the wellbeing of build and strike crew.
Alison also shared that “while a gulp of water, a snack and a 5minute shoulder rub are much appreciated by the strike team at appropriate moments, this is different from taking hours off to have deep and meaningful conversations. Strike leaders aren't despots, and you'll find they are great at making sure their crew is looked after, but there is a job to be done. Fluffing is there to help make it happen. It's a matter of judgement and two-way communication (as much the responsibility of fluffing lead as strike lead!)”
Alison suggests that “sit-down heart to heart conversations should be done outside working time where reasonably possible.”
Claire says:
I think most people are sensible enough to realise that when people are halfway up a tree it's not productive to entice them down with Apple pie and the promise of a free hour of counselling.
Alison says
“Sometimes the best thing a fluffer can do is to remove themselves and as much MOOP as possible, and transfer themselves back to London to help with getting things into storage. There's always time to provide the shoulder to cry on when the job is done."
Claire asked / commented:
“Who is having all these hour long conversations? 😂 Honestly, I'm just wondering?
I walked around for hours both days bringing food and hugs and listening to what was needed so I could ask other people and make sure it happened. But that took five or ten minutes at the most other wise I would have been knackered and never gotten around.
Claire explained that longer conversations happened more in the evenings:
In the evening around the fire there were longer conversations sure, people talking about things that hadn't arrived, things that had arrived but weren't working.
2. Rehydrating and feeding people who are building and striking [note this is separate to conversation around feeding fluffing team which is in a separate thread]
e.g.
Gulps of water and a snack (Alison)
3. Aligning with strike team aims
Alison says:
“we only have access to the glade for a very short period of time, we have very high standards when it comes to Leave No Trace, and we need to make sure the owner is happy. The logistics challenge of getting everything off site back to storage in proper order is huge. The strikers who organise all this do an amazing job of dealing with the stress after building for weeks and burning their hearts out, but strike is a matter of getting the job done in the immediacy.”
Alison also said:
“Fluffing must be incorporated into the same goals as strike - ie to get everything done ASAP. And if someone is about to pack up the kitchen, of course they get a meal. It's always good for fluffers to check in with strike lead as to what they think the fluffing requirements will be for the day. “
4. Generally offering a helping hand when needed
e.g.
Holding a flashlight, helping to put up tents, helping Desanka to prep food / wash up, organise food donations, moop sweeping, helping to get other people on site to help with build/strike tasks.
How the role is perceived compared to other build/strike team members
Claire explained that not everyone can do the lifting and carrying etc. - "The amount of effort put in is not just determined by how much you give, but by how much of what you had available in the first place was given."
Loz said:
"Absolutely not everyone is starting from the same baseline of personal reserves - or has the same length of tether."
Hilda said: "At Nowhere, fluffers are an integral part of the build team, and therefore part of build and fed. I'm guessing this was the intention at Nest too, but got lost in translation perhaps." [note build/strike food related comments in another thread]
Alison shared her reflections:
"As a former fluffing lead (and still a regular fluffer) I'm with you on the importance of fluffing and the vital part they play during build and strike.
Paul shared:
“ As for cantina food and 'workers' at Nowhere it ultimately doesn't matter what work you're doing, as long as you are doing something for the event (Fried and want to be alone? Here do inventory checks. Don't know anybody? Go fluff, you'll meet EVERYONE and they'll be glad to see you. Have a hankering to get hot and dirty? Here's a rebar pounder, fix the fence.)”
Other reflections on what has happened in the past:
Alison shared –
“I know that, in the past, there was a communication breakdown where some of the Strike team decided to relax at the beach when the short-handed crew were frantically taking everything down - including the beach-goers tents - to meet the owner's deadline, and that really wasn't fair.”
"the point is, does the fluffing that's being provided effectively contribute to the quick completion of strike? If someone is giving food and moral support to someone else, is it happening while chilling for hours or are people talking while also eg packing up the kitchen or doing an inventory? Or after people have stopped for the night?
But if the strike lead feels the fluffing is preventing them from doing their job effectively, then they are perfectly entitled to let fluffers know how much on-site support they can expect. Including meals, and, let's face it, Exeter services are only 20 minutes drive away.
Yes, it's important to manage stress, and fluffers are brilliant for this.
[Other reflections shared regarding feeding fluffing crew will be in separate thread to keep discussions focused]
Suggestions for ways forward:
Claire and Anna suggest having badges or something similar to identify fluffers.
Will Rogers shared: Nowhere is/was making an attempt to re name 'build' to 'setup' because there was a misconception that only people physically building are participating in setting up of the event, which is 100% not true. (suggestion agreed with by Amanda, Lauren, Nathan and Lexy). Although Lachlan shared that he feels the issue is also much more complicated than this suggestion alone.
Awareness for the need for emotional wellbeing support during strike (raised by Anna, Clare, Bess) - but maybe this should be disentangled from efficiency maximising fluffing and taken on by those who are called to do so in communication with other relevant orgs (strike co-ordination, welfare, fluffing)
Gemma Smith Thu 6 Jun 2019 7:07AM
Quick question first.. Is everyone falling into old habits using the term "Fluffing" or is there a general unawareness that fluffing was rebranded to "Fnugging"?
J Thu 6 Jun 2019 9:22AM
I'm wondering if certain people are not aware of this distinction because they're doing self-appointed 'fluffing' rather than acting with the fnugging team in a co-ordinated way?
Deleted User Thu 6 Jun 2019 3:32PM
i think thats a great point J and am gonna catch up with Gemma early next week to see how her vols numbers worked out, my initial chat with her was they weren't great, so will be really interesting to see who was fnugging cos they were lovely and who was part of the Fnugging Team.
Bess Fri 7 Jun 2019 9:17AM
see my essay below, and also happy to chat about how strike went, fluffing etc wise
Deleted User Thu 6 Jun 2019 8:18AM
Its great to see so many people are engaged on improving our fnugging function. Gemma had a tough gig, coming into the role within just 2 months of the event starting. If we start looking at how we can improve what we do this far in advance, we are gonna rock in 2020! I really hope folks step up to the role (fnugging really was a tricky one to recruit for this year) and its great to have ideas, actually its fantastic to see these ideas... it's you that makes it happen.
Bess Fri 7 Jun 2019 9:16AM
Hey all!
First, apologies for my role in flaking out on fluffing. I was keen to take on this role and do it properly, and so stepped up to it in December. In April I needed to take stock of my finances, after a bunch of stuff had gone on, and it didn't look like I could afford the time off in May to attend Nest, particularly not build. I then got 9 days straight of 15hr days that I wasn't expecting at the start of may, so I was able to come after all, and attended fri-mon of build, went home for 3 days work, returned for thursday of event until the last people off site on strike. The 9 days straight of work meant I wasn't able to support hand-over to Gemma as I'd liked to have done either. I appreciate that my unpredictability left a lack of clarity in the fluffing team, and a big up to Gemma and Stephen for stepping in, and particularly to @mandcathearder for recruiting at short notice.
my mission statement for fluffing was
MISSION STATEMENT: to provide for the welfare of people working during build and strike in addition to meals at mealtimes, and folks on shift during event (on a DIY basis: providing a facility for shift leads to care for volunteers). keeping people hydrated, fed, and happy. perscribing a nap or a break if/as necessary. a looked after build is a happy build, a happy build is not a grumpy build, and no one wants to volunteer to help a grumpy build.
Fluffing is supporting people to be in a good physical state to work, but I think it's possible to also have an action oriented check in which is - do you know what you're doing? do you have the resources you need to do what you are doing (eg information, tools, direction)? do you have a plan that keeps you busy and useful until the next mealtime or meeting? do your plan and your energy levels match up?
During build I supported Stephen, but was deployed in a ladder & lighting team for nearly all the three and a half days I was there, I checked in with Gemma when she got to site.
During strike I took on fluffing from Monday morning. This looked like having a 5 litre container of refreshing delicious juice, a prosecco bottle of water, coca cola and b12 pills in a backpack, and going around giving people encouragement, asking when they were leaving, and encouraging them to do some communal strike work before they went, assuring them that if they did so then we would feed them after before they had to drive, answering queries about packing rubbish out etc - and also having a few quick chats and check ins giving appreciation for contributions during the event, and enthusiasm for next year. Having a positive feeling that strike is a great part of the event that sets us apart from commercial festivals, and is a moment when our community pulls together and steps up will get people back and volunteering in future events, rather than leaving feeling frustration and blame towards the community.
One useful bit of fluffing on tuesday morning involved when I had got up at 6:30 supporting someone who had been ill the previous day to go to bed for four hours sleep before contributing to strike. After they had slept they did a really useful days' work. This involved having a 15minute emotionally engaged, supportive conversation.
Another thing was making pans of hot lemon and ginger every evening of strike (a few people did this) to ward of tickling dry throats, and also provide an appealing low/no alcohol evening drink. Caring for others well-being doesn't only happen during duty hours.
Another useful bit of fluffing involved taking someone who was burnt out from projects during the event to have coffee and walk away from other people to diffuse their anger before it had a worse ripple effect on everyone's time and energy.
I do think there are issues with the current build culture. I do not think this should all be handled through the role of fluffing, I think that a culture of scheduled meetings after each meal (maybe before dinner rather than after) for everyone in build to check in with the whole group, would massively improve communication and thus emotional welllbeing and efficiency. Nowhere build (speaking from 2010) has a strict schedule because of the heat, but honestly, people having to start at a set time rather than being able to lie in if they chose to party outside of event time would be great for the group dynamics.
I do think that fluffing is undervalued by some people at the heart of nest. I was told during strike that my talents would be wasted on fluffing. I was asked before the event 'it's just fluffing, we don't really need it when we're not in the desert, do we?' (both by members of core team). The truth in this is that good burners don't need much fluffing, they do it to each other - a work team checks in with each other, carries water and snacks, monitors each others' wellbeing. So fluffing is needed to support everyone on build and strike to self-fluff - including a bit of teaching by example.
On a final note, I got a few hypomanic symptoms from Monday to Weds. I was able to ask for and recieve some really great support from a few trusted people during those days, and since the event. However, supporting people to do what is needed for their potentially fragile end of event mental health, is really incredibly important. It's possible that end of event emotional support and welfare should be acknowledged separately from fluffing, and that the conflation of this very important work with fluffing that is focussed on pack down and site restoration needs to be unpicked.
Glad to see this conversation happening.
Alice Sat 8 Jun 2019 1:23PM
I would really like Welfare to be present during Build and Strike as these can be quite emotionally testing and draining times. It would really help to have a dedicated quiet space to take some time out, as well as for receiving emotional support if needed. If Welfare leads are unable to spend the full 3 weeks on site (quite an ask) perhaps there could be separate leads for build/strike. This is a really important part of volunteer support but in my opinion shouldn't be conflated with fluffing which is more about the other (really good) approaches/ideas you mentioned - making sure people are feeling useful/know whats going on and what they can do/stay hydrated/fed etc
Alice Sat 8 Jun 2019 1:25PM
Also would provide the opportunity for people who want to offer emotional support during this time a set place to be, rather than doing this unnoticed or possibly too much, which can also lead to burnout
xavier dubruille Sat 8 Jun 2019 6:11PM
i quite like this idea actually, withoit speaking all the build and strike, having welfare present like 2-3 days before and open until tuesday afternoon would make sense for the argument cited; also in strike point of view, most of the welfare are going back to london anyway so instead of piling it under a tarp, having the tent taken care of almost last makes senses too.
Alison Forrester · Wed 5 Jun 2019 10:41PM
I agree with both suggestions above. I also suggest that strike lead and fluffing lead meet up regularly so that priorities are understood and any particular support needed is communicated. Especially at what point the kitchen will be struck.