Expats: safer environment for street performance

Syed Israr Ali Shan (R) speaks at a forum on street performance in Futian yesterday. (photo by Zhang Qian)

A group representing buskers, performance associations and expatriate performers were invited to give their opinions at a forum on street performance in Shenzhen yesterday afternoon, and the expats proposed a safer environment for street performance.

It's been over a year since the Futian District Government, for the first time in Shenzhen, began issuing permits to 68 individual or group street buskers to perform at the Civic Center Square with set venues and times.

"Through the past year, we managed to get the street performers with various kinds of talents to make their livings by performing in front of the public while fulfilling their obligations to follow the regulations," said Zhou Zhenyu, the deputy director of a performance association that assists the Futian government in managing buskers.

Putting on shows in public spaces is one of the most common ways in Western countries for artists to make their livings or simply perform. Yet, it is still a new form for Chinese buskers. The Futian government has pioneered the management method of granting performance permits to artists who go through rounds of competition to get the approval. In order to receive more advice from expatriate residents who have rich experiences in performing, the district government organized a forum where representatives could contribute their various perspectives.

Syed Israr Ali Shan, from Dubai, stressed the importance that government departments make sure the street performances are taking place in a safe environment. Shan has been living in Shenzhen for over seven years and he has already opened seven martial arts clubs in the city. The mixed martial artist from Dubai has performed in Shenzhen many times and found some performances had really dangerous crowd environments. Shan said that one time he saw three children being pushed hard by adults who were attempting to get free samples of products or gifts from the street performers in Huaqiangbei.

"It was very dangerous for the crowd to suddenly squeeze together to get gifts because accidents can happen easily under such circumstances," said Shan, who acknowledged that the government had done well to organize street performance by issuing permits based on talent level and promises to obey rules.

"My suggestion is that the performances or shows should one hundred percent safe for all the people, so the government should keep its good work with better management measures," said Shan.

According to Zhou, his performance association has been learning from the management system of buskers in many places including Taiwan, Hong Kong and some Western countries over the past three years.

"Finally we have come up with this management system of allowing those with real talents to perform on the streets while following rules set by the association as well as government departments," said Zhou.

A representative of street performers who received permits last year, Zhu Shisheng, said that street performances in Futian District were much improved in terms of order compared to previous years.

"I felt the market was really chaotic when I first started to paint at the Civic Center Square in 2011," said Zhou. "To get a better place for the business, we sometimes had to stay overnight to line up to use the venue."

"Now with the performance permits, people who are really gifted can have fixed times and venues to show their talents," said Zhu.

The association's deputy director also told the Shenzhen Daily yesterday that though many expatriate artists had consulted them about applying for the permits, they were not officially allowed to perform at the Civic Center Square, because only those with residence permits are allowed to do so. Zhou said that the association was working to help expats apply for performance permits and hope to make it possible in the following year.