Busk Off

Andrew So—better known as his street performer persona “Mr. Funny”—has been a street entertainer for five years. Every weekend, he puts on his costume, prepares his props and juggles for passersby in pedestrian zones. “A street performer has to bring happiness to the audience and this is my mission,” says So. During every performance, large crowds gather around to watch his tricks. There’s no doubt the audience enjoys the show—clapping, cheering and laughter can always be heard from the crowd. But sadly, the life of Mr. Funny is no fun at all. He is frequently interrupted by the police and has even faced court charges. Fortunately, he was recently acquitted of charges of public obstruction—a small victory for So and his fellow buskers. Yet there are still many obstacles that street performers must overcome, owing to our government’s incoherent art and culture policies, and its disregard for street art.

“During a two-hour performance, the police will come up to me several times and tell me that they have to do something if they receive complaints. The police have a lot of ways to drive buskers away. Sometimes they will ask us nicely, but sometimes they threaten us with prosecutions. Most of the time they just give us verbal warnings, but you never know when they will really prosecute,” says So. Over the past five years, So has been charged twice. In 2006, he was charged with loitering in a public space while performing in Mong Kok. The charge was eventully dropped. Four years later, So had to go to court again—this time he was charged with obstructing public space. “This court case is humiliating to me. The government uses this law, which likens busking to begging and hawking,” So complains.
These frustrations aren’t just felt by the city’s buskers. Civic Party legislator Alan Leong also believes the government could do more to support street arts. “The case is a joke. Hong Kong is promoting the creative industries by constructing the West Kowloon Cultural District (WKCD). But at the same time, the government suppresses a platform of art that allows the most direct form of interaction between artists and audiences. There is incoherence between policies,” says Leong, who is also a member of the Joint Subcommittee to Monitor the Implementation of the West Kowloon Cultural District Project.

Even though the government is now implementing the ambitious plan of turning the WKCD into a cultural hub, it has done very little for the “software” of the arts and cultural development of the city. This year, the government launched an “Open Stage” trial scheme. The Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD) marked out three areas for street performers—the piazzas of the Hong Kong Cultural Center, Sha Tin Town Hall and Kwai Tsing Theatre—which can be used from July to December. Street performers may register for a two-hour performance session from 10am to 10pm on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays on a first-come, first-serve basis. However, artists have to go through an audition conducted by a panel so as to “ensure a certain level of artistic standards.” A spokeswoman of the LCSD says that the panel consists of representatives from the venue management, the cultural sector and the relevant District Council.

“The venues are not satisfactory at all because they are very enclosed areas with very low pedestrian flow. Performers need audiences—what is the point of street performance if the government only offers these deserted venues?” asks So, who has not applied for the scheme. Chief Executive of Hong Kong Institute of Contemporary Culture, Ada Wong, also agrees with So that the Open Stage project is a “ridiculous” scheme. “Hong Kong should at least follow the process initiated by cities such as Taipei, which has designated hundreds of spaces where street art of all forms is permitted. Artists can apply for these spaces and perform there regularly,” she adds. In Taipei, the Department of Cultural Affairs of Taipei City Government accepts applications from buskers and grants them licenses after they pass a review by a panel and the public. The panel consists of academics, government officials, the public spaces management team and representatives of street performer groups. After a successful application, street artists are classified into three categories: performance arts, creative crafts and visual arts. Then, artists can choose where to perform. However, some public spaces may only entertain certain types of performances, and artists have to comply with the regulations accordingly.
Hong Kong’s own incomprehensive policy regarding street artists goes to show that the government does not respect street art and fails to see the importance of street art as an integral aspect of cultural development in Hong Kong. “In the eyes of the government, only 'western' art forms—such as ballads and philharmonic orchestras—can be proclaimed as art,” says Mathias Woo, Creative Director of art group Zuni Icosacheon. “The government has been very ignorant of Hong Kong’s local art and performance culture and the officials are heavily biased,” he adds. Woo thinks that the government ought to provide more open spaces for street musicians and artists—or even set up spaces for artists in every district. “Not all art has to be performed in formal venues, and many exciting things can happen on the streets. People gain exposure when they are able to watch street performances. The problem with Hong Kong is that there is only shopping to do. In fact, a lot of interesting things can happen with the street life of Hong Kong.”