View of Burrard Bridge from Granville Island
In September The Busking Project filmed on Granville Island in Vancouver, Canada. Traditionally, buskers go to Granville Island to perform because of the general support for buskers there as well as for the convenience of the regulated busking system, which is managed by The Granville Island Buskers Program and the Granville Island Cultural Society. Before we arrived on the island we contacted Busker Coordinator Heather Johnston and applied for permission to film. At nine thirty AM a few days later, the weather cold and wet, we witnessed performers straggling in to the draw wearing expressions that resembled any other obligatory worker’s morning expression.
Nick Filming on Granville Island
We pulled out our camera equipment and turned on our audio to sideways glances and frowns from the performers. Anxious shuffling and an awkward exchange of glances between The Busking Project film crew and performers ensued. I put a camera to my face and Heather instantly stopped me. “Sorry,” she said. “We’ve just been burned before by people showing up and filming without asking.” It was an old, familiar story: exploitation and the resulting sensitivities. Even though we’d filled out the necessary forms giving us permission to film on the island, we hadn’t asked the buskers themselves if they minded our filming the draw. So they took a vote. And they were opposed.
Belle and Chris Filming Eden Cheung on Granville Island
The Granville Island Buskers didn’t want us to film the draw, but we were given permission to ask them individually after the draw if they minded our filming their shows for the documentary. We cleared our throats, our faces reddened and we apologized, admitting our insensitivity. We watched the draw with our cameras at our sides and when it was over only two or three of the performers were willing to have their shows filmed.
Luckily, one of these performers was Eden Cheung, an Asian Canadian who gave us an unforgettable, hour-long interview despite the uncomfortable weather. (One of the unforgettable elements of his interview included a story about an audience member who confronted him after a performance and very honestly asked if he would be willing to father her child! We did later film Eden’s show and it wasn’t difficult to understand why any witness to his skill and charisma would want to procreate with him. (Eden, if you’re still single…?))
Eden’s performance made up for our uncomfortable introduction to Granville Island. But, to be honest, I expected more from the place. Perhaps it was the weather, and the fact that we’d just missed the Summer Entertainment program, when buskers are required to audition for the highly competitive SEGI (Summer Entertainment on Granville Island) pass. Reportedly, this time of year is especially lucrative for buskers, and the performances are rumoured to be highly professional, including some of the best talent in the world.
Eden Cheung Performing on Granville Island
Unfortunately Buskers on the island have to pay for permits to perform even at low season and one-year passes range from 35 dollars to 55 dollars for individuals and 125 dollars for performance groups. Even the registration fee alone is 15 dollars.
There are mixed feelings about SEGI and about busking on the island in general. In the past there’s been some contention between performers and management of Granville Island Buskers. Some believe having to pay to be allowed to perform on the island isn’t fair, that bringing entertainment and boosting tourism should be enough incentive for buskers’ presence. Others argue that the amount of tips that can be made is well worth the registration and pass fees and that the fees can be earned back in a half day’s work.
Audience Watching Busker on Granville Island
The Checkerboard Guy, a former Granville Island performer, explains in his blog that a lot has changed about Granville busking since the 90’s when he was able to gain most of his income performing for tips there. Even Checkerboard Guy agrees that the licensing system is a bit annoying. (http://www.checkerhead.com/blog/?p=500) But he notes that even if it “seems counterintuitive to regulate a tradition of performance art originally based on nonconformity and spontaneity, there is a certain luxury to having your pitch scheduled for you, to know you don’t have to fight anyone for it.”
According to the Granville Island Busker’s Program official guidelines for Buskers, buskers must wear passes at all times. In addition, performers must demonstrate a “reasonable degree of proficiencey in performance. And the Granville Island Cultural Society reserves their right to determine the standard of proficiency. Permits can be rebuked if standards are not maintained.
Here are some of the requirements:
Buskers must have a neat and clean appearance.
Performances must also be of good taste, excluding profanity or lewd acts. They are not allowed to “aggressively or persistently solicit tips.”
Face painters, portrait artists painter, and crafts people are not included under the definition of buskers.
Buskers who sign up for a pitch and do not show up risk losing their spot.
Outdoor performances must start on the hour and be a maximum of 45 minutes in length.
Buskers wishing to sell recordings must complete the Sale of Musical Recordings form.
The application to perform on the island is downloadable here: http://www.giculturalsociety.org/Buskers/buskerhome.htm
For an interesting personal experience of busking at Granville Island see http://cafesaxophone.com/showthread.php?1172-Busking-in-Vancouver-Lessons-from-Granville-
(Thank you Amy Jefferies for joining The Busking Project Team on Granville Island and for contributing your lovely photos!)