No image

Street Activity Policy 2011

Definition of busking

A busker is considered to be an entertainer who is

actively providing a performance in the public place in

exchange for a donation. Busking is defined as sounding

or playing a musical instrument, singing, giving a recitation

or performing, conjuring, juggling, puppetry, miming,

dancing, entertaining or doing any of these things

concurrently. Busking also includes the activity of drawing

any message, picture or representation on a pavement,

paper or canvas surface.

Busking

Busking Permit types

1. General Area busking – applies to buskers who do not

use any dangerous goods in their performance and may

generally busk anywhere in the municipality except for

the Bourke Street Mall, designated Circle Act sites and

other restricted areas as specified.

2. Bourke Street Mall busking – applies to professional

buskers who perform in the Bourke Street Mall.

3. Pavement Art busking – applies to artists who are

actively engaged in an artistic medium such as chalk

art or painting.

4. Circle Act with or without dangerous goods –

applies to performers who have a structured

performance that requires an audience to stop,

watch and participate in a performance.

General conditions applicable to all busking permits

• All applicants must complete a written application form

and pass a Safety, Amenity and Performance Review

(Review).

• All buskers will be assessed against safety and amenity

criteria.

• Busking performance must be an ‘act’ and defined in

accordance with the definition of busking under the

Street Activity Policy and Busking Guidelines 2011.

• Permits are generally issued for a 12 month term.

A three month permit is also available.

• General area buskers are allowed to perform for

a maximum of two hours per day at each location.

At the completion of the two hour maximum for that

location, the busker is required to move to another

busking location (at least more than four building

frontages away).

• Amplified busking at Flinders Street Station, Southern

Cross Station, Southgate Precinct (promenade only)

and the City Square* is strictly not permitted

(*Circle Act Performances are exempt).

• Busking is not permitted

outside memorial/religious

sites, hospitals, churches,

Government buildings, parks

and gardens (except Birrarung Mar),

against the building line, and other

designated ‘no-go zones’.

• Group acts are limited to four performers in

General Area Busking areas, and larger groups would

be assessed on a case-by-case basis.

• Amplified busking in permitted areas would be permitted

only from 8am to 10pm Sunday to Thursday, 8am to 11pm

Friday and Saturday, and the eve of public holidays.

• Sound performances must be situated at least 30

metres away from another sound performance.

• Buskers are required to comply with all provisions set

out in the ‘Busking Guidelines 2011’ including the public

interaction and etiquette requirements.

Additional conditions applicable to Bourke Street Mall buskers:

• Professional buskers are eligible to apply to busk in the

Bourke Street Mall.

• A professional busker is a performer who busks as

their main source of income, has a repertoire that

would enable them to perform for at least 30 minutes

without repeating a song, and has a website, YouTube,

Facebook or other profile.

• To qualify for a Bourke Street Mall permit, the applicant

must have held a general area busking permit for a

minimum of 6 months.

• Bourke Street Mall Buskers must pass a Safety,

Amenity and Performance Review (includes audition)

which involves the assessment of qualitative

selection criteria, i.e. performance, proficiency,

uniqueness, professionalism.

• A member of the busking community will be included

on the audition assessment panel.

• Sites are allocated on a weekly basis by a Bourke

Street Mall busking representative in the presence of

all Bourke Street Mall buskers via a ballot draw system

to ensure equity and diversity of performances in the

Bourke Street Mall.

• Bourke Street Mall buskers are permitted to perform

for 30 minutes with a 30 minute break for the duration

of the day in the site allocated via the draw.

• Group Acts consisting of no more than five members

are permitted in the Bourke Street Mall subject to

specific conditions.

• Groups larger than five would be assessed on a

case-by-case basis for the Bourke Street Mall.

• Bourke Street Mall performances are permitted in

specific locations in Bourke Street Mall as outlined in

the ‘Busking Guidelines 2011’.

Additional conditions applicable to Circle Act performers

• A peer assessor will be involved in the safety

assessment of circle act performers.

• Circle act buskers are not subject to qualitative

assessment on application (i.e. no audition).

• Sites and pitch times are allocated via a draw system

and queue system to ensure equity and diversity

of performances.

• Specific safety requirements apply for acts involving

dangerous goods (flammable liquids, dangerous

objects, etc).

• Circle act performances are only permitted in

locations designated to accommodate large crowds

(set out in ‘Busking Guidelines 2011’).

• Circle Act performers who use dangerous goods or

perform dangerous acts must have current Public

Liability Insurance cover.

Additional conditions applicable to pavement art buskers

• Chalk artists are permitted to remain

in one location for a day.

• Portrait and other pavement artists may

remain in the same location for a 4 hour period

and then must move to a new location at least 4

building frontages away.

• Pavement art buskers will not be assessed against

qualitative criteria (i.e. no audition).

• Pavement art busking locations are generally permitted

in locations as outlined in the ‘Busking Guidelines 2011’.

Permit fees

• application fee $20 per annum

• re-application fee $10 per annum

• temporary permit (3 month duration) $10

• A fee of $50 per year applies if a busker wishes to

sell their own work (e.g. CDs) in association with

busking performance.

For more information or details of all terms and

conditions, please visit melbourne.vic.gov.au or

call 03 9658 9658 email busking@melbourne.vic.gov.au

or refer to the Busking Guidelines 2011.