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Amsterdam street performers protest against city council
WAR WITH CITY COUNCIL:
The Amsterdam city council doesn't any longer issue street performing licenses to performers from outside the European Union. We don't like this and we want to fight it (see www.straattheater.info). Legal stuff around this has already started. Some local politicians and their lawyer are backing us up in this and will put pressure from the inside.
Further, the council is pulling our leg and full of apathy for two years now. Great acts are made illegal, or are still illegal, without any sense-making reason. We see the Amsterdam pitches dying slowly but steadily. Alltogether, the city council is systematically killing circle show street theatre, consciously or sub-consciously.
We don't like that so much neither.
We had enough of being ignored, neglected and always being put in the last place. Our patience and their benefit of the doubt has run out.
WHAT:
So we want to organize a street theatre protest demonstration. The idea behind it is to show the public and the press great and positive street theatre acts and tell them they will miss it in the future - if it is up to the city council of Amsterdam. Instead of money lines we will do 'signature-lines' ;-)
WHO:
For this we need (preferably) hot, non-EU performers or performers using music-choreographed routines, but of course *any* performer's support is greatly needed and appreciated. Also non-circle-acts like stiltwalking, ballon-sculpturing etc. could help to collect signatures and enrich the overall atmosphere.
The ideal is to create a powerfull divers program of a few hours, for instance 15 routines of 15 minutes or so. Only with a good program we can get the people's attention and get the press to come, watch, and cover our story. If we merge our professional power, we could create something of great impact the city council simply can not ignore.
Besides acts and routines, we also need 'hands and heads' for organizing the whole thing before, and on the day itself.
WHEN & WHERE:
As it looks now, the protest demonstration will be on Sunday, September 5th on Dam Square (yes, Amsterdam). This is the first weekend after the Edinburgh festival.
Date still depends on some unsure factors, but mostly on the performers available. Another option is to do it the following weekend, i.e. Sunday 12 September.
(update: Saturday Sept 11 Dam Sq. and Leidseplein are already occupied by another event)
LEGAL:
Just for clarity: participating does NOT involve a legal risk, since this is a protest demonstration which is guaranteed by the Dutch constitution. This is not 'normal' street performing.
PLACE TO STAY:
For performers who don't have any place to stay in Amsterdam we will try to find something for free or at least very cheap. But sources are pretty limited, so if you can arrange something yourself, thats great.
TELL OTHERS:
Think about it, talk about it, spread the word.
Together we can open the city council's eyes and make Amsterdam a party pitch again. But it would only work when we do this together, as a team.
TELL US:
Please let us know a.s.a.p. if you are into participating, when you could be in Amsterdam, and what you could do to help. Knowing that, we can make a more specific plan.
Any other feedback or ideas are welcome too.
Frank van Dijk
SuperFrank
-----------------------------------------
Samenwerkende Amsterdamse Straatartiesten
Email: sas at straattheater dot info (replace the 'at' and 'dot')
Website: www.straattheater.info
-----------------------------------------
The Amsterdam city council doesn't any longer issue street performing licenses to performers from outside the European Union. We don't like this and we want to fight it (see www.straattheater.info). Legal stuff around this has already started. Some local politicians and their lawyer are backing us up in this and will put pressure from the inside.
Further, the council is pulling our leg and full of apathy for two years now. Great acts are made illegal, or are still illegal, without any sense-making reason. We see the Amsterdam pitches dying slowly but steadily. Alltogether, the city council is systematically killing circle show street theatre, consciously or sub-consciously.
We don't like that so much neither.
We had enough of being ignored, neglected and always being put in the last place. Our patience and their benefit of the doubt has run out.
WHAT:
So we want to organize a street theatre protest demonstration. The idea behind it is to show the public and the press great and positive street theatre acts and tell them they will miss it in the future - if it is up to the city council of Amsterdam. Instead of money lines we will do 'signature-lines' ;-)
WHO:
For this we need (preferably) hot, non-EU performers or performers using music-choreographed routines, but of course *any* performer's support is greatly needed and appreciated. Also non-circle-acts like stiltwalking, ballon-sculpturing etc. could help to collect signatures and enrich the overall atmosphere.
The ideal is to create a powerfull divers program of a few hours, for instance 15 routines of 15 minutes or so. Only with a good program we can get the people's attention and get the press to come, watch, and cover our story. If we merge our professional power, we could create something of great impact the city council simply can not ignore.
Besides acts and routines, we also need 'hands and heads' for organizing the whole thing before, and on the day itself.
WHEN & WHERE:
As it looks now, the protest demonstration will be on Sunday, September 5th on Dam Square (yes, Amsterdam). This is the first weekend after the Edinburgh festival.
Date still depends on some unsure factors, but mostly on the performers available. Another option is to do it the following weekend, i.e. Sunday 12 September.
(update: Saturday Sept 11 Dam Sq. and Leidseplein are already occupied by another event)
LEGAL:
Just for clarity: participating does NOT involve a legal risk, since this is a protest demonstration which is guaranteed by the Dutch constitution. This is not 'normal' street performing.
PLACE TO STAY:
For performers who don't have any place to stay in Amsterdam we will try to find something for free or at least very cheap. But sources are pretty limited, so if you can arrange something yourself, thats great.
TELL OTHERS:
Think about it, talk about it, spread the word.
Together we can open the city council's eyes and make Amsterdam a party pitch again. But it would only work when we do this together, as a team.
TELL US:
Please let us know a.s.a.p. if you are into participating, when you could be in Amsterdam, and what you could do to help. Knowing that, we can make a more specific plan.
Any other feedback or ideas are welcome too.
Frank van Dijk
SuperFrank
-----------------------------------------
Samenwerkende Amsterdamse Straatartiesten
Email: sas at straattheater dot info (replace the 'at' and 'dot')
Website: www.straattheater.info
-----------------------------------------
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