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You can’t walk around in London without noticing the performances of street artists.
Their presence have already become an integral part of London’s cultural appeal. They entertain visitors from around the world in front of many of London’s most icomic landmarks, with their wide array of repertoires covering almost all the genres. Covent Garden is perhaps home to most street artists in London. There are magicians, acrobats and even smartly-dressed chamber music orchestras active here all year around.
Londoners love their street artists. They even coined a word for their profession: busking. In fact, “busking” is the newest addition to my English vocaculary since I came to London. I look it up in Oxford dictionary. Busking originally means going out selling things. But in mid-19th century, it gradually took on the meaning of “going about performing.” I guess the change must have something to do with the booming of street artists as a trade back then, as a result of quick urbanization in the UK.
But “busking” does carry another meaning. To be able to busk on London streets, you will have to get a license from the authorities. The application involves fees and sometimes an audition to determine the artistic standard. So street artists in London are respetable working class people. Their profession is strictly protected, although the police do ask them to demonstrate their legal approval from time to time if they feel the need.
The same thing is happening in China.
The first group of 8 street artists have obtained their license in Shanghai. They have actually become the pioneers of their profession in China. For the first time in Chinese history, street artists have won legitimate status to make a living with their artistic talents. For centuries, street performance has been regarded as an indecent job, almost the synonymous of beggars or vagabonds. But no longer so. At least in Shanghai now, street artists won’t have to pack up and rush away whenever they see policemen approaching.
Shanghai is quite determined to uplift itself to the ranks of international metropolis like New York, Paris or London. Authorities believe the presence of high-quality street artist performance would certainly boost Shanghai’s cultural appeal. The proposal of giving license to street artists in Shanghai first emerged in March 2008 during Shanghai’s Municipality People’s Congress session. That proposal was approved a month later during a standing committee plenum of the Shanghai People’s Congress. And it took the authorities 6 years to finally put that idea into practice.
Despite the delay, Shanghai still sets a good example to other Chinese cities in regulating the teams of street artists. Shanghai has even established a special committee governed by experts from Shanghai Drama Academy to guide the performances of street artists. The 8 recipients of license have all gone through pretty strict screening process and auditions to get the recognition. One of the acrobats are back from overseas. His crystal ball tricks have already won him a lot of faithful fans in the city.
More street artists are expected to get the license in the near future. And people have one more reason to visit Shanghai now.