Buskers and business can co-exist

St. Augustine Record Letter: Buskers and business can co-exist
Posted: December 19, 2015 - 8:08pm | Updated: December 19, 2015 - 11:43pm
By Joan Crutcher
West Melbourne
Buskers and business can co-exist

Editor: (An open letter to the St. Augusitne City Commission) I visit your fair city quite often and am deeply disturbed over your decision to ban street performers and artists from certain areas. Plein air artists, dancers, singers and poets (aka Buskers) add character to any area. Bringing the streets alive for the benefit of everyone through busking, has been a longstanding tradition in many large and small citites and towns across America. It is possible to foster a vibrant street culture that allows for spontaneity and, at the same time, make provision for constructively resolving any issues that may arise between business owners and buskers. There is no need for heavy-handed regulation nor over-zealous rules and regulations that stifle self-expression.

Downtown Melbourne to your south, had a similar issue with patrons’ and business owners’ complaints about the ill behavior of some of the performers. A proposal was considered to ban buskers all together. The city council had a meeting and a large community responded passionately in support of this issue. Rather than an outright ban, the “busking” community banded together as a coalition that took on the responsibility of forming some basic guidelines to follow that also clarifies the local laws to all buskers. I have attached a copy of a brochure the group disseminates to street performers and shares within the artist community. I hope you find the information helpful in choosing to reverse this suppressive decision and provide a broader area and ease in which buskers can provide music and other art forms on the streets to benefit the community.

I thank you all for reconsidering this ban, as a tourist who enjoys the diverse atmosphere of St. Augustine and one who appreciates the busker community there, and I’m sure others in the community thank you as well.

West Melbourne