Seattle Parks and Recreation Department has begun paying street performers to entertain in five downtown parks in hopes that with more people around, a park will be less hospitable to illegal activity, says Lynn Marshall in the L.A. Times (7/2/07). The parks are considered dangerous, noisy and sites for drug-dealing and prostitution.

"It's an experiment," said Victoria Schoenburg, one of the program organizers. She said that a concert may draw people to a park once, but the presence of performers everyday at lunchtime would more likely draw return visitors. "We've been trying all kinds of things in the parks over the past few years — free concerts, basic ambient improvements. We've discovered that low-cost, simple grass-roots ideas are the most effective," Schoenburg said.

So far, the city has signed up 20 street performers to work from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., Monday through Friday., paying them $30 for each lunchtime set. Tips are still accepted. Some artists are quoted as happy with the opportunity, but it has sparked controversy within the busker community, and a bit of boycotting by those who feel the city is "using us, trying to control us, and not paying enough."

(Thanks, Cultural Policy Listserv.)

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-parklife3jul03182417,0,7206825.story

   

Comments

Post a comment

Thanks for signing in, . Now you can comment. (sign out)

(If you haven't left a comment here before, you may need to be approved by the site owner before your comment will appear. Until then, it won't appear on the entry. Thanks for waiting.)

URL:
Remember me? YesNo

Comments: