Last month we were shocked and disappointed to have to report about a ban on amplified busking currently in place in Melbourne. The ban extends down a stretch of Melbourne’s iconic Swanston Street, a mecca for buskers from around Australia.
The ban could potentially become permanent as Lord Mayor Robert Doyle, who considers loud buskers a personal pet hate, has taken it upon himself to see to it that Melbourne’s popular Swanston Street buskers are silenced.
It was saddening news not only for buskers but for the Melbourne community at large, as buskers are an important part of Melbourne’s artistic and cultural fabric, and well, most people aren’t aware of just what buskers go through.
For one thing, did you know that busking isn’t as simple as just turning up on a street corner and playing? You need a permit to do that and there’s even an audition process buskers must go through in order to obtain such a permit.
A new video series from Mashup Pictures hopes to shine a light on the busking profession, as well as profiling several of Melbourne’s most loved (and in some cases successful) buskers, including prominent names like Tash Sultana.
Busker Stories provides a surprisingly intimate look at what is a very public profession and will open your eyes to the struggles that our street performers endure. It’s an entirely independent production, self-funded with volunteer crew.
Check out episode one below or watch the whole five-part series via YouTube.
