A Labour-run council moved one step closer to cracking down on busking in Covent and Garden and Leicester Square tonight, as performers fear proposed restrictions could put them out of business and end the 400-year-old tradition.
Westminster Council is in the process of deciding whether to enforce a fee-based licensing system that could limit a performer’s space to just five metres, ban any sound amplification in some areas and disallows the use of ‘dangerous props’.
Such regulations would make it all but impossible for anyone but the live statues to continue performing, according to the Covent Garden Street Performers (CGSPA) association, whose members have been boycotting the new rules.
Speaking ahead of this evening’s meeting, Pete Kolofsky, the group’s elected representative, said Covent Garden was a ‘quintessentially British cultural institution’ that was renowned as ‘the most famous street performance venue around the world’.
He said celebrities who had once performed in the square included Eddie Izzard, Dynamo and even future James Bond Pierce Brosnan, who apparently once worked as a fire eater.
Locals living around vibrant tourist hubs in the capital complained to the council that buskers were not staying in their designated areas, accused performers of creating more noise pollution and said there had been a rise of unlicensed musicians.
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Covent Garden’s iconic street performers are worried they could be turfed out of Covent Garden as part of a council plan to reduce noise
One area the council will be cracking down on is Leicester Square. Pictured: A busker performing in Leicester Square
Juggling street performers put on a show for crowds in Covent Garden
Councillors are now looking to ban the use amplification by buskers completely in parts of Leicester Square to ensure no speakers are used or music is played loudly, following a public consultation that will run in the New Year.
The licensing system will also introduce further safeguarding rules to protect vulnerable adults and child buskers under the age of 14, if its backed by the public.
Police could also get involved to help tackle illegal busking in the city, after council workers were said to have faced backlash from some of those performing illegally, with some buskers ‘riling up the crowds’ turning them against officers.
The move forward comes as performers revealed their concerns about the councils crackdown – insisting self-regulation had been working.
Yann Elvis, said he had followed in the footsteps of both his parents – with his father teaching him how to vanish a coin at the age of eight.
‘I have this little fantasy that when I grow old and have a kid, and he gets into street performing, that I’d have the same thing, making it three generations of exchange,’ he told The Times.
‘But that of course would be rendered extremely unlikely if this were to get shut down.’
Michal, 36, a Czech former BMX racer, said street performing in his native Prague never recovered from a ban brought in by the Soviet authorities.
Pete Kolofsky (pictured) juggles knives and has a stunt called ‘The Sandwich of Death’ where he lies between two beds of nails and gets a member of the audience to stand on top
A street performer in Covent Garden (pictured). In April 2021 the Council clamped down on the public performances as it claimed it was its duty to ensure the ‘health, safety, and welfare’ of the performers and the public
‘It did come back after 1993, but it’s not as normal as it is here,’ he said. ‘People look at you more as a beggar than a performer. This is a really good spot for performers to meet from all around the world.’
Another of the affected performers is Chris Thomas, 31, a circus performer from Hackney.
He told : ‘It is absolutely shocking really isn’t it, this has been running longer than I have lived.
‘I truly believe a lot of the people that visit Covent Garden come and visit this pitch to watch street performers and for that to be removed would kill the essence of what Covent Garden is.
‘It is not something that I am prepared to live with, we are going to pursue the resistance to keep this pitch running. There is a very strong community of performers, and we are doing everything we can to keep this place alive.’
Mike Juggles, 27, is an axe juggling performer and says greater enforcement of the licence will leave him completely unable to work.
A street performer in Covent Garden (pictured). The Covent Garden Street Performers (CGSPA) association outright rejected the council its introduction and willingly criminalised themselves by continuing their shows as usual
Street performing had been renowned in Covent Garden since 1662 when Samuel Pepys’ wrote in his diary about a marionette show featuring a puppet call Punch, who would later become one half of the fighting duo Punch and Judy
Performers have entertained visitors to London’s shopping district for hundreds of years
Melvyn Altwarg (pictured) who has been a street performer in Covent Garden since the 1980s. He has extensive circus skills and is often credited as being ‘One of the earliest clowns to bless Covent Garden’
A street performer singing on James Street on the 21 November. The council insists it has no plans to ban buskers
He said: ‘It is a shame, we are managing ourselves very well making sure that everybody is following safety measures, not being too loud, not being rude to the audiences, we even said that we won’t perform past 9pm.’
He explained that the local street performers often raise money for charity and take care of their community.
Street performing in the renowned shopping hub is part of a tradition going back hundreds of years to 1662 when Samuel Pepys’ wrote in his diary about a marionette show featuring a puppet call Punch, who would later become one half of the fighting duo Punch and Judy.
The council, which insists it has no plans to ban busking in the borough, said in a report that previous enforcement efforts were met with fierce resistance.
‘All attempts from City Inspectors to engage with the Covent Garden Street Performers Association failed,’ the document read
‘Officers carrying out their roles attempted to act against buskers and street performers in this area. However, they were either ignored, or confrontation occurred, which resulted in Officers withdrawing.’
Performers in Covent Garden continue to attract a significant audience
A street performer singing on James Street in front of shoppers on the 21 November
Chris Thomas, 31, (pictured) a circus performer from Hackney who is completely shocked by the proposals
Crowds look on in amazement at street performers in Covent Garden
Cllr Aicha Less, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Communities, Public Protection and Licensing stressed ahead of the meeting: ‘There is no ban on busking in Westminster.
‘We are not looking to introduce a ban on street performers and never have done. Buskers and street entertainers are a vibrant part of our city’s culture and a popular attraction for visitors throughout the city.
‘The committee meeting on the 4th December will be an opportunity for the council to consider making small changes to the current Busking & Street Entertainment Policy.
‘It is important to strike a balance so that residents and businesses are not impacted with noisy performances or large crowds causing disruption.’
A spokesperson added that any proposed changes approved during the meeting will undergo formal consultation in the New Year.