YES, i think we could help the councils create a system where by it enables street entertainers (buskers ect) to still
have a spontainous situation, eg. the introduction of “PLAY METERS”
PLAYMETERS, are just car parking meters, but used by entertainers to play> you pay eg £2.-2.50 per HR for a 2HR pitch
max no RTN within 2hrs THE MONEY from the meters go to say ” special needs groups” for music sessions so there would be a way of giveing back to the community, NO NEED TO A, book the pitich B, fillin forms, C, self regulating
you can see when the pitich is next avaible from the “DISPLAYED TICKET” and also the DISPLAYED NATIONAL LICENSE OF THE ENTERTAINER USING THE PITICH.

THE NATIONAL LICENSE. A ” NATIONAL LICENSE” requires an AUDITION LICENSE issued by one of the councils across the country who are part of the scheme they are free , on loan, and carrie an I.D. number and photo.
This adution license I.D. number is confirmed with the NATIONAL data BASE, to give you a national license which will also enable you to sell your own C.d.’s
IT COST eg £100.00 PER YEAR thats £25. PROSSEING TO BRITISH ARTS, and £75 TO THE COUNCIL who owns your license, Thats better than haveing to pay every council on a daily bases,which i feel would be kill off the street entertainment sean altogether, i feel this is what councils are going to introduce,THATS WHY they want to keep them SEPERATE and stop a National Licance from happening

This system shows It possible to have a national license, for entertainers, where its still spontainious,self regulating,
where it is a way puting something back in to the community, the COUNCIL’S GET MONEY PAID TO THEM PER YEAR
as long as you keep your license going, and “THE PUBLIC” GET BUTEER QUILITY ENTERTAINMENT BY COMPDENT PEOPLE

IT would be intresting to know what other people think, i hope you can see it would still give anybody axcess to becoming a street entertainer and still hold on to the troubador tradition
AND TO ANSWER YOUE’RE QUESTION “YES PLAY EVERY WHERE” totaly free sperit thinking

Brilliant idea. That way there would only be one audition and one license, national database to, presumably, play anywhere?

I’d favour that over turning up to play on an already booked, clearly marked, pitch, only to find six unlicensed ‘buskers’ in the vicinity and spending an hour of pitch time asking them to play (and I use the term loosely for some of them) somewhere else.

There is a clear dividing line between buskers and professional street entertainers, but I don’t think there should be. Everyone should have the same rules and the same opportunities. One audition, one license, play anywhere. As long as you have prior consent from the council you’re planning on visiting, and you can put on a good show, two hours should be plenty long enough.

Hopefully you won’t be the last troubador, jools. It’s a tradition that is worth saving.

Now i’ve had a chance to look at some of the other comments and your’s too i can see why councils are introducing
licenseing to our towns, its because people are unaware of the basic rules for street entertainment, these have been
passed on from other professionals 2hr pitches are what we call showes and you may do 2 shows a day if your lucky if no other entertainers are around, its polite to ask when the pitch is next avaible, its polite not to spoil someone else show by seting up withn hearing distance, unfortunatly shops are complaning to councils of constant noise, Because buskers are playing for far to long,or there are to many have-a go-types who do not have a show hence the introduction of licenseing, i can see you dont do street entertaining for you liveing if you did you would be encoruging those basic rules!
I have just sent an email to the Art’s Minister pointing out the introduction of Audition Licenseing and “Play Meters” with sponsord Stageing,for “Prime Pitches” so street entertainment can be taken to a pro level,
with the introduction of a national database for proffessional street entertainers so we could have a “NATIONAL LICENSENCE, bring all the Adution licensence’s together YES it means haveing to do an adution yes it means only 2HR “pitches” Yes it means you will “PAY TO PLAY” but at least the tradition of busking will continue, if the councils continue the with the line they are takeing Not only will THEY KILL OFF THE TRADITION OF THE TROUBADOR, BUSKING WILL STOP TOO.So bad is the state of our high street therewill be nobody left to entertain jools baker last of the troubadors THE ASCENDANCE.COM

What do I have to do to busk in camden/watford?
Also, do you kow if there are any specific requirements for opera singing or not? (I have a loud voice…)

Thanks

http://www.vocalist.org.uk/directory/category/Busking/location/UK/Scotland/Stirlingshire/

Apply directly to the town/county council where you intend to play before you busk. Hope that helps. Good luck

During these sessions we have had to put up with the ‘licensed’ buskers who hurl abuse at us for ‘taking their spot’ or ‘drowning out’ their ‘music’. You have to be a diplomat as well as a proficient player to busk. And even professional musicians resort to it through necessity. On the whole, though, your information is very useful.

The best advice I can offer is to get to your spot early. Set up well before the shops begin to open to give you time to sound check and tune your instrument. That way, you don’t annoy the public before you even start. Don’t use playback. It’s cheap and makes you look fake. Don’t wander off your spot or get in the way of people passing by. And involve the listener, take requests, and smile a lot.

Thanks for posting.