MICRO-EVENTS IN THE PUBLIC SPACE The art of street performances
MICRO-EVENTS IN THE PUBLIC SPACE The art of street performances

Summary/Abstract: The purpose of this work is to investigate the significance of the public space as a stage for art performances and spontaneous street events. How do these events shape public spaces and how do they contribute to the urban life? Street performers have drawn large crowds for as long as public spaces have existed. They are known as “buskers” and they can be found all over the world. The streets are fundamentally unpredictable, and the presence of buskers can provide an unexpected experience for passers-by, breaking the monotony of everyday life. Buskers are able to turn a public space into their own stage, and they frequently attract both tourists and locals. They are not, however, universally liked.They constantly deal with the authorities, who are confronted with problems caused by mass tourism, damages to the public space, noise pollution etc. Buskers must follow regulations in order to generate quality content that improves the quality of the public space. What happens to these artists when humanity faces a pandemic that restricts interaction with the public space and demands social distancing? As a result, the goal of this work is to understand how these art performances shape public spaces and what challenges both performers and authorities face in creating quality urban spaces. The paper investigates the regulations on street performances in various cities, and the findings indicate that stringent guidelines hinder performers. However, as long as they are allowed to express their artistic freedom, street buskers can follow codes of conduct and, in the long run, contribute to a place’s identity.

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