Photos of Street Performing in front of iconic buildings?

[CoralCoventGarden]

Hey hello hello hi.

I'm Coral, working for the Covent Garden Street Performers Association in London, England. They've just recently passed a law stopping performers in Trafalgar Square, for a range of bogus reasons, one being that they're not allowed to perform in front of a Grade 1 Listed Building (The National Gallery). I'm pretty sure a lot of street performing is in front of the big iconic listed buildings over the globe. I was wondering if anyone could help me out, and send some photos of you guys performing in front of somewhere iconic, from anywhere in the world.

We're also trying to give a voice to fellow performers by getting quotes from them about why street shows are so important to the public, to the arts industry, to a city's identity and for the economy. If anyone could spare the time to drop me a line about how important street performing is, that would be ace.

Cheers!

Coral

[sippy]

Hi Coral!

I'm very surprised to hear about this new legislation. We were just at Trafalgar this past summer performing for an event which we were invited to, but we arrived a couple days early and got to talk to some buskers there. Very few of them were natives of London, they were from all over the world! It's tragic that a venue which attracts international performers on a daily basis is losing it's greatest asset: its buskers. The understanding I had from other buskers was that directly in front of the gallery was the only place you could legally perform, since it was technically still a street. I'm guessing this no longer applies.
Trafalgar square is truly one of the most beautiful places we've ever had the privilege to perform in. It is a wonderful, multi-use, public space which could draw thousands of people on any given day as a place to relax, take photos, and-given the vast space of it- take in a street show. Based on the sheer size, a street performer can carry out his or her act without inhibiting any persons on the lower levels due to it's size, the noise of competing traffic and the fountains. The features and external surroundings create naturally occurring sound barriers. And the entrance way of the gallery, due to it's design, is never inhibited by persons performing directly in front of it.
Furthermore, I think it would be a true failure on the part of the gallery if it doesn't stand up to fight for street performance to occur in front of its doors. Not only is it an additional draw to the area, but a building whose occupants mandate to the preservation of art and its history should not be ignoring the rich history and cultural influence of street theatre!
I know that more buskers will have more to add to this, and I know I don't need to reiterate the points that your association is all too familiar with. But from a couple of Canucks who got to spend one glorious day in Trafalgar Square, I sincerely hope the powers at be step in and preserve this wonderful pitch.

[CoralCoventGarden]

Hello Kyle!

After a meeting I had with the Street Performer's Association today and a closer look at the geographical boundaries of the legal documents, it turns out street performers are allowed to perform on the north terrace in front of the National Gallery, so this seems to be a false alarm. The council are, however, putting a ban on all of Westminster of noise equipment, so my whole angle needs to be altered a little. But what you said about the natural sound barriers is definitely a great point. Thanks so much for writing back to me; I will use the rest of your words in my defence of London's street performers, should this sort of threat happen again in the future. Sorry for the false alarm!

Cheers,

Coral

[dawndream]

keep us up to date with any information you can. Thanks!

[Irina]

I can send you pictures, what's your e-mail?

[CoralCoventGarden]

hello

my email is coralbrowncoventgarden@gmail.com

cheers!

[Kate Awesome]

Hahahaah. I have a picture of myself balancing an umbrella on my face in Tianamen Square...but.... what I *didnt* get in the picture were the police officers circling me...


I do have some pix for you somewhere if you still need them.