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Busking and Street Entertainment OXFORD’S CODE OF PRACTICE FOR Busking and Street Entertainment Most cases can be resolved in a polite way BEFORE YOU PERFORM if they are dealt with before they escalate Whenever you set out to perform on a street, and a formal complaint avoided. Legal Oxford welcomes busking and you join a community of street traders, powers will only need to be used if there shops, businesses, residents, members of the are ongoing problems. street entertainers, who for many years have public and other buskers. Before setting up, The Code of Practice has been developed consider the impact that your act will have been entertaining those who live, work and visit by representatives from the busking and on other users of the space. business community, Oxford City Council Sharing public space and cooperating Oxford, and are an important part of the city’s and Thames Valley Police. with others is important and a willingness to vibrant and multicultural atmosphere. talk to each other and come to a friendly agreement will usually resolve any problems. Don’t remain on the same pitch for more Ask businesses to speak to you directly in the event that they have a problem, or need to than one hour. ask you to make any changes to your act. This should help create a good, cooperative relationship between you and the people If your act has over five members or is likely around you. It also makes it more likely that WHY DO WE NEED to last over one hour you will need to apply any future exchanges will be good natured. to the Events Team to book a space. Please A CODE OF PRACTICE? Always be polite to members of the public, note this will incur a cost and requires at members of the local business community Buskers and street entertainers share the least six weeks notice before the event date. streets and open spaces with everyone else and public officials in the event that who live, work, trades or who take time out Please refer to www.oxford.gov.uk/events someone needs to speak to you. Being in the city centre. Inevitably there is potential for more details. calm and polite will go a long way and help for conflict amongst all the different uses promote good relationships on the street. that people make of the city centre. WHERE TO BUSK WHAT IS BUSKING? These guidelines aim to support a culture Busking and street entertainment is allowed of consideration for others, compromise in a set number of fixed pitches in Oxford Busking or street entertainment is the and cooperation between buskers, local (see map) performance of music, dance or street businesses, council officers and members theatre in a public space for the main Each spot has its pros and cons and these of the public engaging in useful discussions. purpose of receiving donations of money will change according to the time of day from members of the public. Buskers or Complaints about busking tend to apply and the season. A limit of one hour per spot street entertainers are not paid or hired to a small number of performers and has been set to allow all buskers and street directly for their performance. usually relate to noise levels, repetitive entertainers to have the opportunity to play performances or obstruction. in pitches more suited to their act. SELECTING YOUR PITCH Pitches in Oxford are available between Don’t busk outside 9 a.m. and 9 p.m. the hours of 9 a.m. Take care not to block highways or shop and 9 p.m. entrances and to allow plenty of space for people to walk past. Be aware of the time of day and the type of the pitch you intend to perform in and change locations if your act Don’t use street is unsuitable for that pitch on a given day. furniture as part of your performance. Don’t cordon off any part of the pavement, for example with a rope, MANAGING YOUR PITCH to create a performance Repeating a limited number of songs/ area as your crowd is performance pieces is one of the main causes of complaints. more likely to cause an obstruction and someone So moving between pitches after finishing might get injured. your performance, even if it is within the allotted hour, helps to make complaints If you are ‘sitting’ on a pitch (i.e. not less likely. Don’t use animals as part performing) and another busker wishes to play there, you should let them know when of your performance. Always choose your pitch with consideration Using animals as part of your performance you intend to start performing and they for other buskers and be willing to make is not allowed as this can be dangerous to should be free to perform on the pitch changes to your act. Don’t use street the animal and members of the public. until you are ready to start. furniture, for example public seats, lamp The sharing and swapping of pitches with Due to the width of the streets in Oxford, posts, railings, or perform in a way that other buskers is strongly encouraged in there are limited opportunities to perform could be dangerous to you or a member Don’t repeat material on Oxford; regular changeovers are part of circular shows (a street performance where of the public. creating a lively busking atmosphere. the same pitch or return a crowd is expected to gather and stay You can wait for pitches to become to the pitch within two until the finale of the show), or other acts available or agree to come back at a hours of leaving it. that require a wider area of space for their given time, but don’t forward “book” performance, e.g. street dance. Be aware more than one pitch in advance. of your crowd blocking the highway and the You are entitled to play for your whole hour effect on the businesses around you. even if someone is waiting for your busking pitch. Never set up ‘on top’ of another performer or put them under pressure to give up the pitch they are on. Always show consideration with the sound Remember that the sound from amplifiers If your act requires Don’t leave your level of your performances and its impact and louder instruments can carry further upon other users of shared spaces, and potentially generate complaints. performance space apply belongings unattended or including other buskers. Turning up the This has a lot to do with the way in which to the Events Team on they may be removed. volume can sometimes cause the sound they are played so consider adapting 01865 249811. you make to be distorted and unpleasant, your equipment. For example, use brushes causing annoyance. Be prepared to adjust and dampen drums, and mutes with your volume if asked. brass instruments. HOW LOUD SHOULD If your performance draws a crowd it is PERFORMANCES BE? Think carefully about the equipment you Take regular breaks between performances. use. Instruments and amplifiers that are Non-stop noise, however pleasant, can be your responsibility to ensure that people As a guide your level should be just above suited to the stage are not necessarily suited experienced as intrusive. Problems can be are able to move past you freely and the level of background street noise, but not to busking. avoided by moving between locations and that the crowd can be quickly moved or intrusively so. broken up if necessary. In the event that deal respectfully with requests to adjust the police or other public officials need to Every pitch has a different acoustic performances. dynamic related to the location, type of give information on safety concerns to the Don’t use mains or Remember that the streets and nearby sounds, weather, etc. which will all have gathered public, you are in the best position generator power for buildings are often homes and working an effect on the sound quality, travel and to pass information on to your crowd and to amplification. Any noise environments for others who might not volume of your performance. ask them to cooperate as needed. must not be intrusive. be able to move around in the same Avoid putting yourself on a footway or Where possible, agree a reasonable level way that a busker can. If backing music highway in such a way that could be with the businesses around you. You should is part of your act it should be secondary thought of as begging by passers-by. not use mains or generator power for and modest. If you’re not actually amplification. performing, please do not leave a You must not leave any belongings backing track running. unattended at a busking pitch as these Although a busker needs to be heard above may be removed for safety reasons. the level of background street noise within a certain range for their performance to be effective, often complaints made about busking are about how intrusive a sound is. Don’t position yourself This is not just about its volume. on a footway or highway For example, performances that are in such a way that could repetitive in nature can seem louder than be thought of as begging they actually are and are more likely to by passers-by, council cause a disturbance. The location, time officers or the police. of day, duration of performances and crowd density are also important factors for consideration. If an agreement is not possible and if you are confident that you are abiding by these guidelines, politely inform the complainant RESOLVING ISSUES of this and that you are not able to make any further adjustment to your performance.
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