Buskers enrich our streets and laws don't have to hinder - they can help
- Written by The Conversation Contributor
Street performers have been part of cityscapes for centuries, yet buskers have often had an ambiguous relationship with the law. At various times they have been policed as “beggars in disguise,” or treated as an urban nuisance.
Recent decades have seen an about-face, with many city governments embracing buskers as a cultural and commercial asset, putting in place rules that both encourage and control busking.
This is a tricky balance. Some busking supporters believe it is impossible because busking and regulation are like “oil and water”. For example, when Campbelltown Council was considering a permit system in 2014 one reader of the Daily Telegraph said:
Busking is about a spontaneous musical experience. Pay? Booked in advance? That’s not busking!
Authors: The Conversation Contributor