STREET ARTISTS IN EUROPE - Fondazione Fitzcarraldo

Street Artists in Europe
Showcase or marketplace festivals also exist in some countries (they are very common in
Spain); there are also two in England. The principal behind these is that all artists are
performing especially for visiting programmers (though they nearly always take place as part of
a public event and the audience may not be aware that many programmers are there to see
work). Significant efforts are made by the festival organisation to attract programmersaccommodation
and even travel may be paid, sometimes food and social opportunities are
arranged. Detailed guides to all performances are supplied to all attending, along with
companies’ contact details. The largest of these festivals (Tàrrega in Spain) attracted nearly
1 000 programmers in its heyday, and regularly 2 – 300 programmers may be found at the larger
festivals in Europe. (NB Aurillac Festival in France is larger, but very avidly does not consider
itself a showcase festival)
"It's complicated to calculate the costs (apart from cachet) of foreign companies. Some events,
like our 'feria' works by covering the costs of companies so they are not out of pocket but
without a fee. What we do is to spend our money on promoting these companies, generating a
market so they can more easily get bookings n the future. But it is hard to know what is the
starting point for foreign companies, that is to say, to know whether it is worth it for them to
come to an event like ours and to what level they can lower their costs so as to be able to come."
Artists say that attendance at these is essential. All artists who have been, claim decisively that
an appearance at Chalon, Aurillac or Sotteville is essential in France. For getting work in other
parts of Europe, programmers and artists described Hasselt, Namur or Gent in Belgium, Oerol in
the Netherlands, xtrax (Manchester) or Brighton in the UK, Tàrrega, Valladolid and Lekoia in
Spain.
"Showcases play a big part for us creating new contacts, as well as meeting promoters on
‘normal’ festivals."
"There are a number of influential festivals in Europe to which promoters go to look for new
acts. Most European festivals will not book a show they have not seen.”
"Through showcasing at Chalon and Aurillac, occasionally we are approached at other
festivals."
The x.trax showcase in Manchester, England, undertakes comprehensive valuation of each
edition, requesting feedback from all artists taking part, about the amount of work (contracts or
interest only) that they have gained as a direct result of participating. They have recently
produced an Economic Impact Survey which shows:
“• there is a clear demand for the x.trax showcase from programmers and artists.
• it is successful at generating bookings for artists .
• it is economically valuable to the sector; each showcase generating circa £1 000 000 worth
of bookings for the artists.
• services to the sector in addition to the showcase are valued by artists and there is ongoing
demand for their continuation”.
These events (especially Aurillac) are so big that they can be unwieldy and confusing for
programmers, and difficult to access for artists who do not already know people. It is possible
that increased networks, especially local federations of artists, will make this an easier option for
people. French artists already work together to present a number of shows in one location at
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PE 375.307