Spontaneous street performing/busking to be banned in Liverpool.

I'm not sure if this is the right area to stick this in....

Liverpool City Council is bringing in a strict policy that will ban all street performing, busking and the likes unless you buy a licence. The ramifications of this are endless...

Liverpool City Council are bringing in a highly restrictive new policy around street entertainment that will prohibit street performance or busking of any kind, unless performers sign up to a compulsory and highly restrictive licencing scheme. According to Ged Gibbons, CEO of the Business Improvement District (who is one of the major driving forces behind the new policy, and looks after the high-rent paying major retailers in the city centre):

The new policy places a large number of restrictions on street performing, many of them arbitrary and crushingly strict. For instance, any posters must be A4 or smaller, performers cannot occupy a radius greater thean 1.5 metres, no under 18s allowed. The list goes on.

The policy stipulates where, when and whether performances can happen. It states how long they can happen for, and that even approved performances can be stopped for any reason at the whim of a council offficial or police officer. It removes all spontaneity from street life, and, in our view, represents a clear attempt to empty the major streets of all but a few, officially sanctioned performers. It will make it much harder to earn a living from street performance in Liverpool and will discourage good acts from performing in the city.

Currently, visiting acts from all over the world head out onto the streets to perform ahead of their gigs in the city. Often they are only in the city for a day or two and would not meet the onerous criteria required for a licence such as passport photos, proof of address, public liability insurance (Typically £100 per annum and requiring UK residency), proof of age and eligibility to work in the UK and a £20 annual fee. Instead, they will simply be stopped from performing and visitors to Liverpool deprived of cultural enrichment by a self-defeating maze of red tape.

Keep Spontaneous Street Performance Alive!

How much more pathetic can things get?

I spend a lot of time between Southampton and Leeds, and the street performers are such a huge part of the city life. From the best artists who should be signed, to the child who wants to earn a few pennies with a tuneless strum, these people put smiles on the faces of shoppers the length and breadth of the country.

The spontaneity of busking is one of the best things about it. Being able to just get a guitar out, or just your voice and entertain people on a whim is a talent that should not be regulated.

This is just another example of greed from those running the country. To be honest, i don't want what they perceive to be "Only the best performers" playing on the streets. Some of the best performers i've seen are never heard of, and a thousand times better than the likes of what we here on the MSM.

Just the "No under 18's" gets me angry enough. Let's discourage young talent while we can eh....hopefully they'll forget about fun and music, and turn into government robots.

If this gets the go ahead in Liverpool, it will happen elsewhere.

The link contains the full story, but also a petition against this. I can't remember the rules on ATS about this, so if a mod could tell me if i have to find another link without a petition i'd be most grateful.

CX.

reply to post by CX


S + F for bring this to my attentions.

I am actually all for this. It is something that York introduced over a decade ago. At the time, i thought it was a terrible idea and an infringement on civil liberties, etc. However, the way it has worked here is that the street performance / busking has shot up astronomically. It is actually a pleasure to see most of the street performance here nowadays whereas in the past it was fingers in the ears to stop the pain!

Mind you, i miss the one man band and his dog that barked in all the right places....

Have to add, it does seem a fair bit more Draconian (what is being proposed in Liverpool) than simply licensing for street performance.

reply to post by CX


This is disappointing to say the least. I live in Leeds and quite often find myself walking through the streets in town and the buskers, while not always the best, always give it their best shot to be original and entertaining. Wednesday there was a woman playing a violin - who doesn't want to see/hear that?
There are obvious students trying to make a couple of extra quid - cant argue with that.
And then there are actual artist's trying to get noticed.

Its ridiculous!

Just a quick update.....the city council have backed down on this stupid idea....

LIVERPOOL CITY Council is to scrap its controversial new busking policy, Liverpool Confidential can reveal today. The decision comes three weeks after campaigners applied for a High Court injunction, barring its enforcement, saying it was unlawful, unreasonable and irrational.

Then the council suspended the policy while it held a review. Today it has gone one further and thrown it out all together, with one councillor admitting it was “never enforceable”. A whole raft of new rules to “benefit buskers” sparked an outcry when they were introduced in July.

They required acts to obtain £20 work permits, compulsory public liability insurance costing over £100, a ban on under-18 performers and the Simon Cowell clause which would allow any civic or police official the power to pull the plug on a performance if they judged it not to be good enough.

Liverpool busking policy thrown out

Common sense prevails. So nice to see it go the public's way for a change. Imagine giving the police or public official the power to stop a performance they didn't deem good enough, that's just laughable.

Just a shame this didn't happen for the more serious issues in our countries.

Keep busking alive...without it the world is a much darker place.....



CX.

Good to see common sense prevail - busking and street performing is an age old tradition and provides enjoyment for many and an extra few quid for lots of people who need it.

It has also been the learning ground for many performers who have gone on to more recognised success.

I know quite a few people who have at one time or another busked all around the UK and Europe.

Originally posted by Freeborn

It has also been the learning ground for many performers who have gone on to more recognised success.

Very true.

I've been travelling back and forth from Leeds for many years now, i love the buskers up there. lots of them and plenty of talent. One of the well know guys there got signed the other day, nice to see after many years busking for pennies.

CX.