Save London Buskers
Donation protected
Westminster council are threatening to change busking and street performing as we know it which will have a detrimental affect on our industry. We need you help to hire a legal team and stand up to them. Please support us in our fight at this difficult time when we cannot afford to lose our art form and our livelihoods. If you have ever watched and enjoyed a busker or Covent Garden street performer - this is your time to support and give something back.
www.savelondonbuskers.com
•New proposals from Westminster Council will make it illegal to perform across virtually the whole of London’s West End
•Street entertainers will be criminalised, liable for arrest and confiscation of equipment.
•The proposed licensing scheme outlaws 100s of pitches, limits performance to a tiny handful of locations, and bans many tools of the trade. It will no longer be posible for performers to survive in London.
•Multiple arts organisations have united to condemn the new laws and the council’s refusal to work with them
• Leading licensing QC, Philip Kolvin, has advised there are grounds to challenge the scheme.
London street theatre artists are trying to raise £8,000 to pay for a legal challenge to Westminster Council’s plans to make street performance a crime. It is not the first time we have fought the council, we were successful the last time largely due to our ability to raise awareness and generate public support through large public gatherings. However it has been especially difficult for us to do our normal campaigning work during the pandemic so we are mounting a legal challenge. A firm of solicitors specialising in holding local authorities to account have agreed to represent us and they have advised us that the legal costs could be upwards of £8K We are confident that we can successfully thwart the councils designs to criminalise street performance if we can initiate the proceedings by December.
Street Theatre makes a huge difference to people’s lives and your contribution will make a huge difference to our campaign.
www.savelondonbuskers.com
•New proposals from Westminster Council will make it illegal to perform across virtually the whole of London’s West End
•Street entertainers will be criminalised, liable for arrest and confiscation of equipment.
•The proposed licensing scheme outlaws 100s of pitches, limits performance to a tiny handful of locations, and bans many tools of the trade. It will no longer be posible for performers to survive in London.
•Multiple arts organisations have united to condemn the new laws and the council’s refusal to work with them
• Leading licensing QC, Philip Kolvin, has advised there are grounds to challenge the scheme.
London street theatre artists are trying to raise £8,000 to pay for a legal challenge to Westminster Council’s plans to make street performance a crime. It is not the first time we have fought the council, we were successful the last time largely due to our ability to raise awareness and generate public support through large public gatherings. However it has been especially difficult for us to do our normal campaigning work during the pandemic so we are mounting a legal challenge. A firm of solicitors specialising in holding local authorities to account have agreed to represent us and they have advised us that the legal costs could be upwards of £8K We are confident that we can successfully thwart the councils designs to criminalise street performance if we can initiate the proceedings by December.
Street Theatre makes a huge difference to people’s lives and your contribution will make a huge difference to our campaign.
Fundraising team: London Buskers (2)
Rob Collins
Organizer
Nick Malinowski
Team member