Cathedral Village Arts Festival Busking Rules and Regulations

BUSKING is the practice of performing in public places for tips and gratuities.

People engaging in this practice are called ‘Buskers’. Busking performances are widely varied, and can include acrobatics, balloon modeling, card tricks, clowning, comedy, contortions & escapes, dance, fortune-telling, juggling, magic, mime and a mime variation where the artist performs as a living statue, perform various solo or group musical performance acts (vocal, or instrumental), puppeteering, storytelling or recite poetry or prose as a bard, street art (sketching and painting, etc., street theatre, or present a flea circus.

Some of the most famous groups and superstars started their careers as buskers. Examples include Joan Baez, Edith Piaf, Roni Benise, The Blue Man Group, Pierce Brosnan, Jimmy Buffett, George Burns, Cirque du Soleil, Eric Clapton, Judy Collins, Bob Dylan, Joe Strummer, Stephane Grappelli, Bob Hope, Jewel, Steve Martin, Joni Mitchell, Jimmy Page, Dolly Parton, Penn & Teller, Gerry Rafferty, Carlos Santana, Simon and Garfunkel, Rod Stewart, Stomp, and Robin Williams. Many other buskers have also found fame and fortune.

TIME AND PLACE during the Saturday Street Fair for the Cathedral Village Arts Festival, Saturday May 29, 2010, 10:00 am to 5:00 pm.

There will be several “official” busking locations along 13th Avenue between Rae and Garnet Street and on the West side of Safeway entrance at Robinson St. Check the Map for Official busking sites. You can book a location by sending your information to the contact listed below.

Official sites:

1. Must be pre-booked prior to noon on Friday, May 28, or you must write your name in on the schedule on the sign at the busking area if open spaces still exist. We will include information on the tradition of donations to buskers on these signs. See attached Map for busking areas which are marked as


2. First come-first serve at the spots, and please indicate your top two preferences. Space allocated based on availability.


3. Performances must be limited to 60 minutes in any two hour period.


4. Sidewalks and paths must not be blocked by either performers or their audiences.


5. The comfort or safety of others must not be jeopardized. The wishes of nearby residents and visitors must be respected particularly in regards to loudness of performance.


6. In the interest of public safety, the use of sharp or dangerous objects is prohibited. This includes juggling knives, hatchets, chainsaws or flaming objects.


7. Performers must co-operate immediately with the request of designate Street Fair Monitors.


8. Musicians are permitted to sell recordings of their original work during their performance. No other sales are permitted.


9. Amplification is not permitted in parks without the written permission of the Festival Executive Coordinator.
10. You are responsible for your own busking donations container.

Non-official spaces are open with the following ‘rules’.

1. Performers must cooperate with fellow performers.
2. You may not set up where your sound will overshadow a booked busking space
3. The same rules that apply to official busking spots also apply

Send your information to Deb at cathedralfestival@sasktel.net