talkmagic.co.uk

I just found this group on myspace and thought that some of you might be interested in helping out;

http://groups.myspace.com/SOSsaveourshows

SOS! Save Our Shows!

STREET PERFORMING IN LONDON’S COVENT GARDEN, AS WE KNOW IT, IS UNDER THREAT!!!

During a recent review of the licensing of outdoor entertainment in the Covent Garden area by Westminster City Council the street performers of Covent Garden won a historic victory. As a result of our representations to the council we have gained a voice in the day to day running of Street performing on the West Piazza, the large outdoor area where street performing in London has taken place regularly for 25 years.

The present owners of the market are Capital and Counties, a member of The Liberty International Group, (http://www.liberty-international.co.uk/). During a key meeting in the Westminster Council Chamber they unsuccessfully opposed our involvement in the running of this performance space and have now turned their attention to the other street performance area in Covent Garden known as The North Hall, a covered area that street performers use in all weathers. They aim to impose two things that would drastically effect street artistes of all types who work in the market.

1) A 50% reduction in the total time that we can use the space
2) A reduction in the length of each individual show from 40 mins to 30 mins.

We do not perform to passing trade, we gather an audience, produce a show and collect at the end, THESE TWO MEASURES TOGETHER WILL COST US BETWEEN 25% TO 50% OF OUR TOTAL AVERAGE INCOME, MAKING IT IMPOSSIBLE FOR US TO EARN A LIVING AND SO STREET PERFORMING IN COVENT GARDEN WILL DIE, AND DIE QUICKLY.

Why do such a thing? WE CAN ONLY CONCLUDE THAT THEIR REAL AGENDA IS THE REMOVAL OF STREET PERFORMING IN COVENT GARDEN.

AND THAT’S NOT ALL! The Management of the Market are proposing the same thing for the Covent Garden Classical Musicians area in the South Hall as well. These talented and dedicated artistes face the same fate as ourselves.

If you feel strongly about this please join this group and get a worldwide petition going. WE WANT TO GO VIRAL SO PLEASE ENCOURAGE YOUR FRIENDS TO JOIN AS WELL. You can take a few moments to sign our online petitions

North Hall petition:
http://www.petitiononline.com/soscovnt/petition.html

South Courtyard petition:
http://www.petitionOnline.com/cov2008/petition.html

We also urge you to voice your disagreement of this by joining our mass email campaign. Just cut and paste the below sentences and send them to beverley-churchill@capcount.com.


I am writing to express my opposition to the reducing of the street theatre performance times by 50% in The North Hall, and South Hall areas in Covent Garden.

I urge you to reconsider this direct attack on the livelihood of the famous Covent Garden Street Performers and Classical Musicians.

Yours,



Thanks for taking the time to read this.

nice one for posting.

I see there is no mention of "magic corner" though, which is positive.

I hope they are successful, its great to walk around and watch the various shows. They do a fantastic job

I wish you the best the luck but I also wish the street performance in Covent Garden was of a higher standard. Far too many people doing nothing but painting themselves some metallic colour and standing still or the same old tired acts that haven't changed in years. Compared to performances seen at Santa Monica beach in LA or Fisherman's Wharf in San Francisco the UK version is decidedly poor.

I have to agree with George on this one. As a regular walker through of covent garden I have rarely seen anything that, for me, passes as entertainment (please note I have a particular distaste of juggling).
This, however, does not mean I support getting rid of said performers as they obviously do entertain the majority of people who visit.

Although petitions rarely work I hope this one does.

I disagree with the last two posts. I love walking through convent garden, and seeing the jugglers, magicians and all the other bizarre acts.

Even the metal statues I find fascinating. It is easy to move on if I don't enjoy what they are doing, so they are never (imo) doing any harm.

Mostly it is purely free entertainment - although I do confess I do like to pay up if it is an act I have enjoyed.

there's a guy who performs around covent garden and westminster, he's genius...i'd love to slip him the nod about some mentalism principles cos what he does at the moment would just add to the surreal nature of it all..

its a gentleman wearing a suit, sitting down, but with no head, but wears a top hat...empty space between...he shakes hands and poses for photos...but he just does it really well....

he's good - and occasionally, the loud irish guy doing the old bunko booth patter of the cups and balls...he's good fun...

as for the people who stand still for a living, i've only given money to that lot once, purely cos one guy was so good, he had two or three pigeons sitting on him (not glued) and covered in real guano...

i saw a living statue in a pub once sitting amongst some builders, looking as miserable as sin...such an odd image...

the cups and balls guy i think is james james. Sure he's a scot, but yes he can be great fun to watch. There's another brazilian guy called sergio who also does a good show drawing very good crowds.

Do you not pay anything now to the people who own the garden?