STREET ARTISTS IN EUROPE - Fondazione Fitzcarraldo

Street Artists in Europe
‘The temptations of technology therefore have to be qualified. Many of the shows are still fairly
physical, with live performers. Cie Off, Ilotopie and Générik Vapeur remind us that real human
beings are there with their instruments. There are always living statues at tourist sites in capital
cities. Live performance will always have its place, even though artificial techniques are
becoming more common.’ 108
5.3. Breakdown of disciplines
Analysis of the table of figures from the HorsLesMurs European database, January 2002 to
January 2007.
5.3.1. Overall figures
Of 8 772 shows in the survey, 80% did not mention one main discipline. Street arts shows are
largely multidisciplinary.
The most common discipline was still street theatre, with 3 382 shows. After that were circus
arts with 1 681 shows, then music with 1 303. The figure for urban plastic arts was 727 shows,
and for puppets and object theatre 452. That was followed by dance, with 364 shows, town
parades with 360, and pyrotechnics with 242. Although they were often mentioned because of
their impressiveness, the figure for giant structures was 160.
Apart from that distinction, of the 20% of shows with a main discipline, theatre was first, with
842 shows (9.6%), followed by street music with 235 (2.68%) and circus acts with 218 (2.49%).
There were 143 puppet and object theatre shows (1.63 %), very close to the figure for street
dance, which was 116 (1.32 %). Other categories were urban visual arts with 74 shows, parades
with 57, pyrotechnics with 40, and magic with 12. For giant structures, a less common but
impressive form, the figure was 8 shows, whilst for street opera, a tiny but still significant
category, there were 2 shows.
5.3.2. Refined data
To refine this initial approach it is necessary to consider which disciplines are involved in the
shows within each category and to what extent the performers saw those specific disciplines as
the primary artistic source for their shows.
5.3.2.1. Theatre: the main discipline in 842 out of 3 382 shows
Street theatre (text) was at the top with 1 072 shows, in 403 of which it was the main discipline.
Many of the artists were clowns, with 490 shows, in 91 of which that was the main discipline,
followed by gestural theatre with 476 shows, in 76 of which that was the main discipline.
Musical theatre was significant with 371 shows, in 68 of which that was the main discipline,
whilst theatre in general accounted for 228 shows, in 55 of which that was the main discipline.
Many companies work in mime (193 shows, in 16 of which it was the main discipline),
travelling theatre (178 shows, in 56 of which that was the main discipline) and storytelling (153
shows, 38 of which that was the main discipline).
108 Songy, Jean-Marie, in ‘Théâtre de rue, un théâtre de l’échange’, Etudes Théâtrales, 2007.
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PE 375.307