STREET ARTISTS IN EUROPE - Fondazione Fitzcarraldo

Street Artists in Europe
usually difficult to reach makes its appearance here, attesting to the street artists’ capacity to call
upon and unite an entire population. Three factors determine the practice of street festivals and
shows.
5.3.1.1. Entertainment
The spectators at the Eunetstar network festivals queried on the party atmosphere state that they
especially liked it (70% in Sibiu, 76% in Ghent, 86% in Cognac and 95% in Oerol). It is
therefore throughout Europe that the festive, party factor is important in the practice of street
arts publics. The concentration over a short period of a large number of shows and a large
number of people acts as an attraction factor. Above and beyond a desire to party, the spectators
were won over by the relaxed and unsophisticated atmosphere surrounding the street shows.
5.3.1.2. Free admission and freedom of circulation
Even if free admission is not the miracle solution for winning over the “hard-to-reach audience”,
this principle as well as free circulation also becomes major factors. Free admission is perceived
as an effective democratisation vector. Moreover, the spectators are aware of the political
commitment that this free admission to the shows they attend represents. As proof, 90% of the
spectators queried in the framework of a study concerning the publics of English street arts
festivals (2003) think that this constitutes a good use of public funding 68 .
Street arts have a complex relationship with free admission. Whereas it is consubstantial to the
very philosophy of street arts for certain people, others believe that it depends on the form of the
show, which can justify paying admission. All festival operators and programmers do not hold
the same opinion on free admission and certain festivals apply it to all their programming while
others almost always charge admission. Today, most of the shows proposed in the European
public space are free of charge, as observed by respondents. The French philosopher Jean-Louis
Sagot-Duvaroux draws attention to the crucial stake that free admission constitutes, at a time
when society is largely based on mercantile values 69 .
5.3.1.3. A socialising outing
If the breakdowns between outings as a family and outings with friends vary considerably from
one country to another, the street show and festival are sociability spaces. The Coup de chauffe
festival in Cognac (France) is especially attended by families (32% state that they are
accompanied by their spouse and 23% by their children) while the Malta festival in Poznan
(Poland) is a meeting place for friends (37% came with a friend and 36% with several friends
while only 7% came with their spouse and 3% with their children). The presence of children is
extremely variable from one country to another and from one dissemination context to another.
The Eunetstar survey brought out their almost total absence from its festivals. On the other
Terschellings in Oerol (Netherlands); Coup de chauffe in Cognac (France); Malta in Poznan (Poland); Ana
Desetnica in Ljubljana (Slovenia); Sibiu International Theatre Festival in Sibiu (Romania).
68 National Street Arts Audience, Independent Street Arts Network (ISAN), Summer 2003, p. 4
(www.streetartsnetwork.org.uk). The study concerned the publics of seven English street arts festivals:
x.trax/Decibel Showcase (Manchester), Streets of Brighton (Brighton), The Big Weekend (part of Cardiff
Summer Festival), City of London Festival (London), Merseyside International Street Arts Festival (Liverpool),
Garden of Delights (Manchester), Slough Arts Alive (Slough).
69 Sagot-Duvauroux, J.-L., “Les valeurs de la gratuité”, Espace gratuit?, Mouvement n° 29 (June-July 2004):
‘Public commitment in the production of a free good is a political choice, a choice made by politicians faced
with society’s needs and proposals. The survival and development of street arts depend on these choices.’
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PE 375.307