Sidewalk performers, sprouting at subway exits and along the streets in Taiwan's cities, are adding color to concrete stretches and giving artists a way to support themselves while sharing their talents with the public.
When Wang Heng-yi sets up for a concert, nothing about the routine is conventional. His ensemble of instruments--drum, two-stringed er-hu, and harmonica--blend the twang of bluegrass with the weepy melancholy of traditional Chinese music. Players for the quirky ensemble are in short supply (Wang plays the instruments simultaneously by himself), and nothing is so odd as his choice of venue--the street.
Wang is one of a growing number of street performers who add color to the busy streets of Taipei. The one-man band is licensed and often plays outside the Tamsui Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) station, where weekend pleasure seekers disembark for road stall snacks and coastal scenery.
Wang is among the 300-odd performers and groups licensed by the Taipei Rapid Transit Corporation (TRTC) to entertain the public at MRT stations. The TRTC began to issue licenses for street performers in late 1998 after the artists were invited to participate in an arts festival and received a warm response from the public. "Although our main mission is to provide passengers with quick, safe, and comfortable service, we hope to do more than that by adding something fun," says Shirley Huang of the TRTC's Planning Department. "We hope we are not merely a tool of transportation, but also a venue for artistic and cultural exhibitions and performances that enrich the lives of local residents."
Huang points out that in many foreign countries street performances have long been a fixture, and the organization hopes to make them a permanent part of the boisterous activity on Taiwan's thoroughfares.
Taichung, a city in central Taiwan, was the first major metropolis on the island to issue licenses to street performers, starting last December. The city government has selected over a dozen public places with bustling pedestrian traffic for artists and performers. It has also set up a website to introduce licensed buskers, and the site provides information on performances.
Chiang A-pi, chief of Tourism and Leisure Division under the city government's Bureau of Transportation, believes the performers will attract tourists. She also hopes Taiwanese performers will attract foreign tourists, and thinks foreign jugglers, musicians, and artists can wow Taiwanese audiences. "By providing venues for cultural performances and exchanges," she says, "we hope to utilize the beauty and richness of cultural diversity to enrich our city."
But the arrival of buskers has also triggered debates. For one, they are noisy. They are also another obstacle for pedestrians trying to navigate the urban labyrinth that authorities have been working hard to improve. The Taipei City Government, before it decided to allow performers to apply for permits, had reservations about allowing street performers to set up around the city. City officials were worried that the performers would disturb the public, would prove unmanageable, and, most of all, might charge unreasonable fees for their services. Performers often claim that they are fined or driven away by the police, and residents sometimes complain about the noise. "As a matter of fact, Taiwan has never set restrictions on outdoor performances," explains Liao Hsien-hao, commissioner of the Taipei City Government's Cultural Affairs Bureau.
The bureau spent nearly three years studying foreign examples and negotiating with concerned agencies governing venues, figuring out how to reduce noise complaints, regulating performers' fees, and other details. It finally ratified a provisional measure this August that formally legalized street performances.
Beginning in September, licensed artists and performers were given a green light to perform in 26 designated public areas, including the 228 Peace Park, the Taipei Water Park, the Taipei Fine Arts Museum, the Modern Arts Museum, the Children Recreational Center, the Taipei Social Education Hall, and underground malls.
The regulations stipulate that only painters can set prices for their art works, and only if they are created on the spot. All other performers can only accept tips or donations. "In principle, we adopt a lax approach on the issuance of permits, but exercise strict monitoring on whether the licensed artists comply with the rules," Liao says. "We do think street performances should be opened up, ideally, to any venue. However, in the initial period, rules need to be established."
To enforce those rules, the bureau sends out six auditors regularly to the designated places to see if buskers carry permits, keep the noise-level down, and perform according to time regulations. "Although we regulate street performances, local residents are the real auditors," Liao says, "because their feedback is the major factor that will affect the survival of these performers."
Up to now, few applications have been rejected, and then generally because the performers are too young (under 18) or because of safety considerations. The performance categories cover painting, singing, dancing, drama, magic, juggling, paper cutting, and of course musical performances like Wang's one-man-band show.
Tseng Ming-lung, a university student, thinks that street performances help slow the pace of life and shorten the distance between people. She says that when time permits she stops for a while to appreciate such events. "Nowadays, when I'm walking down the street, I can find a pleasant surprise in the form of a peculiarly entertaining performance," she says. "It provides me with a short escape from reality and makes me feel good about sharing something with the people around me."
Bureau chief Liao Hsien-hao hopes that by opening up the streets to performers, the city government can help return public spaces to local citizens. "It enables people to feel that these spaces belong to them," he says. "The staging of lively art and cultural events in public places will make Taiwan's cities more attractive."
The performers, for their part, hope that the streets will also become a profitable venue. It requires only the price of a permit, and if citizens get used to donating to the performers, other performers will join in, and the public will be graced by more accomplished artists. Liao points out that Taiwan's art scene is still finding its legs, and a cheap venue could help the artists make ends meet. "We hope through the promotion of street performances, we can help struggling individuals and groups obtain space and opportunities to present their talents and be capable of supporting themselves," he says. "At the same time, such promotion will help enrich city life in the nation's capital and make the city more lively." Street performances, the CAB commissioner thinks, could help narrow the distance between pedestrians and their environment.
Street performers like Wang Hsi-wen, a band leader, are just happy to get hold of a permit. He and the other band members would like to share their love for music with an audience.
Some of the street performers, including painter Pao Chien-hua, were included in the three-year negotiations that led to the bureau's final approval of street performances. "For artists and performers, such legalization is a great encouragement as well as a form of respect," he says. "And I think it's a win-win situation for us and the general public." Pao hopes to see venues further expanded to include some popular tourist sites, such as the Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall, the National Palace Museum, and Yangmingshan National Park.
He says that he can make a living with his street shows since the public has been willing to pay for his paintings. His location affects how much money he can make on any given day. One solution, he believes, is to designate an open area where different artists can perform their crafts.
For accordion player Liu Mao-chang, street performances not only serve to entertain others but give him a satisfying way to interact with the public. The blind musician once lived an isolated life, but after obtaining a permit from the city government, he is now able to perform in public. "In the beginning, I was very shy and afraid of coming across friends, since street performers were once likened to beggars asking for money," he says. "But I've gradually overcome that psychological barrier, especially after hearing the encouragement of people who stop to listen."
Liu says society still holds a low opinion of street performers, but that such views are slowly changing. He hopes the Taipei City Government's legalization measures and promotional campaigns can help improve the impression and acceptance of the general public toward these colorful sidewalk flowers, just starting to bloom. "Art is something that entails vitality," says Li Te-tai, who has been painting for some two decades. "For me, I find the crowds inspirational."