FAQ

FAQ image

What is busking?
Is it begging?
It’s all about the money, right?
So, what’s the plan?
Who are you?
In English…?
What’s this about the conscientious traveler?
Why are you doing this?
Why is it important?
What are you trying to achieve?
How can I get involved?
When are you going?
Where are you going?
Seriously?
So, what street art will you be looking at?
Why haven’t you answered my questions?

What is Busking?

“Busking” is an English word for “street performing”. In basic terms, they entertain passersby in return for voluntary donations. To some, this sounds like glorified begging, and it’s possible to make that argument. It is such an old profession that they’ve even found cave paintings documenting early street performers.

Is it begging?

That depends on how you look at it. Some people hate buskers, and see street performing as a form of aggressive begging. Others appreciate the benefits that buskers bring with them – culture, colour, beauty and entertainment – and see their act as free art. Like beggars, buskers rely on the kindness of others. But unlike beggars, many buskers are just trying to live doing what they love, hoping to get found by a passing producer (they often do), enjoy having a non-standard audience, and work very, very hard.

Is it all about the money?

It can be. All city dwellers need money to live. Some artists join the service industry, relying on tips to get by. Buskers bring their art to the streets. There are also some who produce street art for no financial gain – just think of Banksy, perhaps the world’s most mysterious street artist.

So, what’s the plan?

Nick, Chris and Belle are going to travel to over 40 cities in over 30 countries in under a year, spending 5 days in each place (see the map to see the route), trying to fly as little as possible in between venues (without risking our lives). The aim is to create the first document about street performance with a global perspective, producing a book, website and DVD of our travels.

Who are you?

See our [bios]. But in short, we are three writers with a good team that are fascinated by the world of buskers.

And all done in English…?

English is our first language, and although we do have a spattering of other languages under our belts, we’ll be using the skills of local performers and film students to help us out with translations.

What’s this about the conscientious traveler?

Carbon-conscious and responsible travel: it is important to us that this project has a positive impact, and maybe in some small way we can show that there are better ways to explore the world. Wherever possible, we will not fly; we will not buy plastic bottles; we will eat local foods; we will couch-surf; and we will spend money only where it can contribute to the local economy.

Why is this important?

Art is important.
Free art is fantastic.
Street art continues and promotes the world’s many cultures and traditions.
As a global phenomenon, how street artists are treated says a lot about the area in which they live. Examining them helps us examine how culture, politics, economics, climate and traditions affect how art is produced.
They provide free art for all. They educate and entertain children. They take us out of our daily commute. They’re accessible to the disabled. They make people feel safe (if someone’s leaving money on the floor, you’re probably safe).
Street artists struggle to make a living, and work very hard. We hope to help them out.
Everybody needs a lift.

What’s the end goal?

A book, a DVD, a webite, a community, and a comprehensive look at street performance worldwide.

How can I get involved?

Here are some of them:

Donate to us on paypal, IndiGOGO, sponsume, kickstarter or jumo. Your donations are tax-deductable
Sponsor us
Fan our Facebook and Twitter pages
Notify your local press – newspapers, magazines, bloggers and so on. (Press package here)
If you live in one of our planned venues (TBD), notify your local universities to tell them we’re coming!
Introduce us to your local street artists

When are you going?

March 8th, 2011. Yikes!

Where are you going?

Our plans will most likely change here and there, but here’s the current plan: Lisbon, Marrakech, Barcelona, Rome, Athens, Cairo, Istanbul, Mumbai, New Delhi, Calcutta, Jakarta, Singapore, Bangkok, Hong Kong, Tokyo, Seoul, Beijing, Moscow, St. Petersburg, Stockholm, Oslo, Prague, Paris, London, Louisiana, New York, Boston, Montreal, Toronto, Chicago, Vancouver, San Francisco, LA, Mexico City, Havana, Panama City, Quito, Santiago, Buenos Aires, and Rio de Janeiro – and all in ten months. Phew!

Seriously?

Yes.

So, what street art will you be looking at?

Anything that is open to all and free. Mimes, graffiti artists, circus acts and street musicians are common worldwide, among many others. But there are some peculiarities we’re excited to meet, like the tango dancers of Argentina, the monkey dances of Jakarta, the mariachi bands in Mexico, the painters of the favelas in Rio, the folk performers of Eastern Europe, dragon dances in Beijing, touch jugglers in Japan, and so on, and so on, and so on. And if our schedule coincides with any of the world’s major street art festivals, we’ll try to.