Anyone who has wandered through Covent Garden’s famous central London Piazza will be familiar with the sights and sounds of street performers who can always be found performing for the crowd, delighting tourists and regulars alike.
Street performing in the square has been a tradition for 100s of years, dating all the way back to 1662, when Samuel Pepys’ wrote in his diary about a marionette show featuring the character Punch (later to become Punch & Judy). More modern day artists who cut their teeth as street performers in Covent Garden include Eddie (Suzy) Izzard, Alfred Molina, STOMP and Dynamo. And performers who begin in the hallowed square have gone on to perform in global extravaganzas including La Clique, La Soiree and Cirque Du Soleil.
Normally Christmas is an especially popular time for crowds of tourists and visitors watching street performers in a busy Covent Garden. But if plans by Westminster Council are to go ahead, from next month (4th December) Covent Garden performances as we currently know them, could be no more.
When Westminster Council introduced licensing for street performance in April 2021, the band of 30-or-so regular performers who are members of the Covent Garden Street Performers Association; made up of magicians, jugglers, clowns and other performing artists, found that the numerous restrictions listed within the licence would make it impossible to perform. These include.
The highly restrictive size of the pitch in the St Paul’s Church piazza - the licence states that “performances must not be more than 5 metres in space (including the space used by the audience) which renders most current performances (juggling, acrobatics and other physical performances) impossible.
The complete ban on any sound amplification in James Street which will mean the much-loved magicians will no longer be able to amplify their voices, which will make it impossible for them to perform.
A ban on dangerous props which would mean any performances that involve anything perceived to be dangerous (even if they can in fact be proven to be totally safe) such as fire or knife juggling, bullwhips or beds of nails, would not be able to be performed.
So essentially if you’re not pushed out by one rule, you are pushed out by another.
Westminster Council first introduced licensing for street performance in April 2021. When this happened, the band of 30-or-so regular performers who are members of the Covent Garden Street Performers Association (CGSPA); made up of magicians, jugglers, clowns and other performing artists, found that the numerous restrictions listed within the licence would make it impossible to perform. These include:
The highly restrictive size of the pitch in the St Paul’s Church piazza - the licence states that performances must not be more than 5 metres in space (this includes the space used by the audience) which renders most current performances (juggling, acrobatics and other physical performances) impossible.
The complete ban on any sound amplification in James Street which will mean the much-loved magicians will no longer be able to amplify their voices, which will make it impossible for them to perform.
A ban on “dangerous props” which would mean any performances that involve anything perceived to be dangerous (even if they can in fact be proven to be totally safe) such as fire or knife juggling, bullwhips or beds of nails, would not be able to be performed.
Back in 2021 the performers at Covent Garden made the decision to refuse the licence - essentially having no option but to criminalise themselves when performing. Since then, the issue has remained a grey area, with the council largely leaving Covent Garden alone, but leaving performers in limbo – not knowing if the licence will one day be enforced.
Now, a vote has been scheduled for 4th December where the members of the voting committee will be given three options. They can either vote to discontinue the scheme, vary the scope of the scheme (i.e. limit it to fewer parts of London), or continue with the current scheme and prioritise resources (i.e. enlist more staff and the help of the police) to enforce the scheme.
All recent communication with the council has lead the CGSPA to believe that the vote will rule that the licences should continue and will support a plan for efforts to be ramped up to enforce these rules.
If, as expected the council vote to approve new resources and powers to enforce the licence, most performers could be pushed out of their beloved home before Christmas.
Today, members of the Covent Garden Street Performers Association (CGSPA) – which has overseen the area since 1980 - are making an impassioned plea for Westminster Council to reconsider the restrictions ahead of their planned meeting and vote.
Recently Equity also issued a petition to urge the council to reconsider their position. Gareth Forest of Equity stated in the petition: “A vote for licensing will see the colour and vibrancy of magicians, musicians, jugglers, clowns, artists and players swept away and replaced by empty gentrified, sanitised high streets in Covent Garden. The reality is that most performers will be pushed out of the city centre as a result of licensing”. Link to petition
here - it will be delivered to Westminster Council on 24th November and the CGSPA urge anyone who supports the cause to sign it before then.
