Photo Credit: Leif Norman – The Forks Market Place, Winnipeg

Where in the world am I today?: North Vancouver, BC, Canada

Almost with out exception major urban centres have some sort of Festival Market or Farmer’s Market and for the enterprising street performer these venues make an idea venue to set up and ply one’s trade.

I grew up in the Ottawa area, so for me the venue was “The Byward Market.” Initially I took my show down to the market during the day to play for the day time shopping crowd. This seemed to work particularly well during the spring and fall when the weather was a bit brisk, but sunny days brought droves of people out. At the time I didn’t have any competition for spots and I don’t recall ever being hassled about finding a corner of the market, setting up and doing my shows. I actually credit these early shows for my training as a performer or a sort of apprenticeship and I was extremely lucky to have the opportunity to learn by doing and doing and doing. The fact that there weren’t any other variety acts busking the market at the time meant that I had the chance to earn my chops and develop  my show and my stage character in a really organic sort of way. Awesome!

As my show developed and improved I also started performing in the Market in the evening as, not only was it the farmer’s market during the day, it was also a popular area for bars and restaurants in the evening. The ton of the space changed dramatically as evening set in and the street lights provided enough lighting to make evenings shows not only possible, but much more atmospheric. In the evenings people were also out to spend money in a different sort of way and I quickly learned that I could make substantially more money with evening shows than with shows during the day provided the weather was warm enough to entice people out side. For a few years, this represented the bulk of my summer employment.

At the beginning of this post I mentioned that most urban centres have some sort of Festival Market or Farmer’s Market.  The Byward Market was the place I got my start, but it’s by no means the only venue of this type that I’ve had the opportunity to play in. Here’s a short list of just some of the different venues I’ve gotten to play at or visit over the years that all sort of fall into this category of space (there are lots and lots more) –

• Byward Market – Ottawa, ON, Canada
• Church Street Station – Orlando, FL, USA
• Covent Garden – London, England
• Dilli Haat – New Delhi, India
• Eau-Claire Market – Calgary, AB, Canada
• Faneuil Hall – Boston, MA, USA
• The Forks Market – Winnipeg, MB, Canada
• Granville Island – Vancouver, BC, Canada
• Harbour Front – Toronto, ON, Canada
• Harborplace – Baltimore, MD, USA
• Market Square – Victoria, BC, Canada
• Pike’s Place Market – Seattle, WA, USA
• Pier 39 – San Francisco, CA, USA
• South Street Sea Port – New York City, NY, USA

Many of the places listed above are well know, well developed tourist areas and as a result are often governed by corporate bodies who fear the worst from or litigious society and place all sorts of restrictions on what performers can and can’t do. On one hand this protects the public, but on the other hand, it’s a shame that it’s needed. Typically these venues are all well known for the street performances that take place as part of the daily chemistry of the space, and this vibrant performance dynamic often becomes a draw for crowds to the destination. Some administrator’s get this, some don’t, and even though these places are know for street shows which may help attract a crowd, the hoops you need to jump through to do your shows can at times be a bit restrictive.

The trick would be to fine a venue like this that wasn’t either overly developed and over regulated or already teaming with acts all competing to do shows. Not sure where that might be, and if it does exist then there’s a good chance there’s a street performer already there doing their utmost to keep it a secret so they can work the pitch much the way I worked the Byward Market back in the 80’s.

Where in the world am I today?: Winnipeg, MB, Canada

Though it’s not a market I proactively seek out, working at shopping malls can be a goldmine of opportunity. I was reminded of this again while in Winnipeg as I got to do a couple of days at the Portage Place Shopping Centre here in Winnipeg. In this instance, the performances were set up in association with the Winnipeg International Children’s Festival as a sort of extension to the C.A.M.P. program and all of the leg work had been taken care of before I even showed up for the gig. This was fantastic! I was one step removed from dealing with the mall authority on this one because I answered to the production company who was handling all of the details, not the mall itself.

I have done gigs in the past where I worked directly for the mall authority of what ever shopping complex I happened to be working at. In fact, in one instance, I had a great client in a huge shopping complex called Canal City in Fukuoka, Japan that ended up being one of my best clients through the mid t0 late 1990s. Now this was a bit of an exception to the rule as the performance space at this particular mall was a treat to perform in and this ‘mall’ looked at entertainment and their entertainment program in a way that I’d never encountered before. They ‘got it’ in terms of realizing that a good performance program would help make their complex and entertainment destination as well as a great shopping experience.

I’m sure Canal City isn’t the only shopping mall in the world that ‘Gets It,’ but I’ve encountered far more malls where you’re asked to perform in an environment which is less than idea in terms of it’s focus.

My experience at Portage Place Mall actually ended up being better than many others I’ve experienced in the past, but it did come with it’s share of challenges. In the picture that accompanies this post (photo by: Leif Norman) you can see that there are a bunch of people leaning against a fence like barricade and there are a bunch of people sitting on the floor in front of this barricade. On Friday when I performed in the space I worked on the stage that was set a long way back in the space. Because people naturally wanted to gather behind the fence, it was a big challenge to get them to come into the courtyard and fill in the space closer to the stage. Because the audience was behind a barricade, this had both a physical as well as psychological effect on how much the crowd seemed willing to commit to the show. I did my best given the scenario, but made some tweaks for my show on Saturday.

1. I moved off the stage and moved closer to the barricade so I could more successfully engage the audience.
2. I opted for the non-verbal version of my show that I usually do when I perform in the Piazza on Princess Ships. For some reason this non-verbal version of my show seems to work better in this sort of situation because it forces me to be more physical in my actions and play a big space with broader strokes.

These tweaks had an enormous effect on the show which felt much stronger than it had the day before. The fact that it was a weekend may also have contributed to larger crowds in the mall which no doubt helped as well.

A couple of other things to keep in mind when working with shopping centres.

Insurance – The mall will likely ask you to carry some sort of third part liability insurance. If you don’t have any already, get it. It’s a good idea in this litigious society.

Material – Because of the diverse cliental that form the customer base for most shopping complexes, the people who organize special events are very sensitive to complaints. When ever possible make sure you’re material plays well to kids, teenagers, adults and grandparents. Keep it clean, keep it family appropriate.

Audiences – Sometimes they’re big, sometimes their small, but every time you go out make the effort to give those people who are watching the best show you possibly can. Not only will the audience appreciate it, but the mall manager will recognize the extra effort which could mean repeat bookings.

Mixing art with commerce is at times a tenuous mix at best, but if you can successfully mix your performance into the shopping mall environment it could mean a very lucrative merger.

Where in the world am I today?: North Vancouver, BC, Canada

Since 2005 I’ve consulted with Patrick Roberge, the creative director for the Pacific National Exhibition, on the PNE’s Street Stars Program. Over the year’s we’ve had some of the best artists on the street in the program and as we gear up for the 100th anniversary of the Fair August 21 and September 6th 2010, I’m hoping to maintain the tradition of excellence when it comes to the Street Stars Program.

I’ve always assumed the role of “Man Friday” for the program because although I go out and do most of the leg work when it comes to tracking down the acts that I think should be involved in the program, it’s Patrick who has the final say in who comes in to perform. This isn’t the worst scenario in the world and it has certainly allowed me to learn and grow my knowledge of how to create a world-class street program and include it in a bigger event such as the PNE which has been great. One of the biggest challenges involved comes to co-ordinating the decision making process around each other’s schedules.

Along with being the creative director for the PNE, Patrick also runs a special events company called Patrick Roberge Productions (PRP). This company does everything from help organized and run awards shows to creating new stage productions for the PNE to managing and producing the opening and closing ceremonies for the upcoming Paralympic Games. This year has been a huge year with the Olympics and Paralympics in Vancouver and related events have meant A LOT more work for Patrick and his company.

The result of all of these additional events is that decisions about the 2010 PNE and the Street Stars Program, which have traditionally be sorted out by this point in the year, have been put off. I had an initial meeting with Patrick a few weeks ago, but it was very clear at that point that other projects were taking priority. I was trying to set up a meeting this week to start moving forward with things, but the scope of the Opening and Closing of the Paralympic Games is such that all other projects are being put on the side-line for the time begin.

The Paralympics wrap up on March 21st and Patrick and I won’t really get into the programming of this year’s Street Stars Program until after that, so, to those of you who’ve expressed interest in the program. Thanks for your patients, If you end up getting other offers for work at the same time and need to make decisions my advice would be to take the guaranteed gigs, but please do keep me in the loop as to your availability. For those of you who haven’t contacted me yet but who are interested in the gig, please get me the following information so I can add you to the ranks of those being considered for the 2010 fair –

• Act Name:
• Real Name(s):
• Web Site:
• Web Video :
• Email:
• Mailing Address:
• Phone Number(s):
• Bio/Program Blurb (40 – 60 words max):
• Photo (4 x 6, 300 dpi, jpg):

If you haven’t heard anything more about this by the end of March feel free to contact me to see where things are at. That’s the update for today!

Where in the world am I today?: North Vancouver, BC, Canada

Prep for the BC Street Jam Program at Robson Square started for me shortly after I wrapped up work at the 2009 PNE back in September, before it wrapped up actually as I had the initial conversation about helping co-ordinate the street performers on Robson Square before the PNE even finished. The BC Street Jam and all of the activities at Robson Square are being funded by the British Columbia provincial government and terms like ‘cultural diversity,’ ‘transparency’ and ‘accountability’ were being tossed around so much that the red tape and bureaucracy leading up to this event was likely the most intense that I’ve ever encountered.

So… Six months of jumping through hoops and cutting through red tape and being accountable and during this entire lead up to the Olympics no one really knew what the crowds were going to be like once The Games actually started. Well… Robson Square is becoming THE spot to meet, congregate and enjoy the Olympic Atmosphere and the programming has almost become too successful. The original stage that was set up for the BC Street Jam that I featured in a post a while back ended up getting scrapped. Crowds on Robson Street have been so huge that after the first weekend of shows in that original venue, the organizers were asked by the police to find an alternative location for the program. The result? The north end of the skating rink at Robson Square right in front of a huge staircase that turns the pitch into a natural amphitheatre. It’s Awesome!

The vibe in the air is incredible as well! People from all corners of the globe have descended on Vancouver for the common goal of witnessing excellence in sport. Yes there’s a flood of red maple-leave clad folks on the streets and it’s very clear who the home town crowd is cheering for, but no matter what country people are from, they’re all in a good mood and this translates to huge happy crowds which are a pleasure to perform for. The energy sort of reminds me of the feeling I get every time I get to Ottawa for Canada Day. People have become hugely patriotic and enthusiastic. The difference this time around is that Canada Day is a one day event and the Olympics is running for 17-days straight.

Beyond just the BC Street Jam Program that I helped co-ordinate, there’s been a huge influx of performers from all over the place who have come in to work the streets and apparently the hats are huge. I’ve got my hands full enough with what I’m doing to not really be all that fussed about pursuing additional street shows during the run, but many of the other performers are cranking it out and doing very well.

I’ve never seen Vancouver look better and it’s really cool to have been a part of helping create the excitement both leading up to the opening with the co-ordinating of performers and during the run with my own shows. If you get the chance and are anywhere near Vancouver, you really should get down and check it out. Like the slogan for the Provincial Government states –

“You Gotta Be Here!”

Where in the world am I today?: New Delhi, India

I got an unexpected treat on a visit to Dilli Haat where I encountered three Indian ‘Street Performers’ who were obviously brought in to entertain for a group of VIP visitors – a sort of ‘mini’ corporate event. Wikipedia does a pretty good job of describing Dilli Haat as:

“Dilli Haat is a combination food plaza and craft bazaar located in the heart of Delhi…There are also stalls of crafts from all over India, and from a variety of cultural traditions of India.”

It’s a great spot to find decent quality crafts from all over india which makes it a perfect stop for visiting dignitaries.

It was pretty clear that these three performers were waiting to deliver a quick hit of Indian Colour so I stuck around the gate to see what was going to happen. I’ve done my share of this sort of gig in Canada, quite a few in Whistler actually where you’re brought in for a corporate event to amuse and entertain guests as they enter the banquet hall, then provide close up table performances and or a full performance for the evening so I totally ‘got’ what was going on.

Sure enough, about five minutes later the performers get the signal that the VIPs had arrived, the drummer kicks it up a notch, the horse guy starts galloping around (no El Gleno mind you) and the lady starts dancing around. The VIPs are ushered through the main gates and receive a flower garland around their neck and a bindi on their foreheads… Boom, instant color and photo-op! The street performers then scrambled into the bazar and raced ahead to the next performance location.

This next location was where the ‘Fire Breathing‘ Performance took place and judging from the smell of the flame and residual fuel that didn’t burn off the guy was using kerosene for the blowing… I always wonder about the long term side effect of putting that stuff into your body and this guy wasn’t skimping on the flames…

As I walked around the venue I ran into that group of performers a couple of other times and it certainly seemed like the India equivalent to gigs I’ve done in North America. Pretty cool to fly all the way around the world and run into a very similar event to those I’ve done at home and rather fun to be able to sit back and not have to panic about being out there shaking it for the client as I preferred being the spectator as opposed to the performer on that particular evening.

Where in the world am I today?: Vancouver, BC, Canada

Welcome to Experience BC at Robson Square a celebration of what makes BC Great that’s being hosted by the Province of British Columbia during the seventeen days that the lower mainland will play host to the world during the 2010 Winter Olympics. Earlier this week I did a site walk specifically to check out the staging that’s being set up for the BC STREET JAM program that I’ve helped co-ordinate. My role in this program was much the same as it is for the PNE Street Stars Program, so it was familiar territory, but there was significantly more bureaucracy involved as this project was a Provincial Government hosted event.

Given some of the more elaborate stages that are being set up to help host performances during the Olympics the STREET JAM Stage (pictured above) is quite modest, but this space will play host to a great line-up of performers:

Aaron Gregg – http://www.stuntsuperstar.com

Actor’s Unlmited – http://www.actorsunlimited.ca

Byron Bertram – http://www.byronbertram.com

The Chairmen – http://www.chairmen.ca

The Checkerboard Guy – http://www.checkerhead.com

dubD300 and Miss C  – http://www.diannadavid.net

Junkyard Symphony – http://www.junkyardsymphony.org

James Johnson the Bigger Balloon Guy – http://www.biggerballoon.com

Mike Battie – http://www.mikebattie.com

The daily schedule can be downloaded via the You Gotta Be Here British Columbia Website here –

http://www.yougottabehere.com/media/RSQ_Schedule.pdf

Many thanks to all of those who contacted me who were interested in being a part of the festivities during the Olympics, but the criteria for this program required performers to have a pretty specific connection to the Province of British Columbia given that the event is being hosted by the Provincial Government.

It’s still a bit of a mystery as to how many people are actually going to flood the downtown core during the two and a bit weeks of Olympic Festivities, but the excitement in the city is really gearing up for The Games! Should be a hoot!

Where in the world am I today?: St. Maarten, The Caribbean aboard the Emerald Princess.

OK… I have to admit that I’m both a fan and a bit leery of Cirque du Soleil… I attended La Fete Foraine du Baie St. Paul in 1984 and got to see Cirque in it’s infancy when it really was a bunch of Street Performers from Quebec who got a big ass grant to buy a tent and put on a show and those shows were electric in a way that’s much different than the slick polish that the shows have become. At the time, it really did feel like a group of twenty acts all of whom easily had enough material for their own show, so every night the shows I saw at the Festival were completely different as though the shows had been thought out the day of the show and thrown together from people’s best bits. It was a ton of fun. Gritty, spontaneous, surprising and human on a much different scale. The shows I’ve seen in recent years (some 26 years later) have given up the grit for polish and although the shows are beautiful eye-candy, I find that I’ve left these recent shows with a sense that something was lost when they opted for the polish and I find myself pining for some of what I remember from the companies origins…

Man, listen to me I’m sounding like an old man… Yikes!

I’ve always had a sense that I’d end up working for Cirque at some point too. I remember doing street shows in Old Montreal near where Cirque was set up doing shows and seeing a group of performers walk by the pitch where I was working. We looked at each other as they past and their eyes lingered in a sort of acknowledgement of a shared ideology and sensibility…

Over the years I’ve known lots of friends who’ve gotten jobs with Cirque, in fact, I was just talking to one of the Dancers here aboard the Emerald Princess the other day about his experiences working in ‘O’ in Las Vegas. The comment that resonated with me from our conversation went something like –

It was great, but they work you hard!

The overwhelming sense I get is that you either love it or hate it once you start working for Cirque and I’ve always been a bit tentative about pursuing a performance position with the company. I think in my own arrogant way I figured that when the time was right they might come and ask me if I wanted a job with out putting in much of an effort to make that happen myself. I had some sort of weird sense of entitlement about the whole thing which I know is completely absurd, but I was quite content taking other gigs and just watching the growth of the Cirque Monster from the sidelines…

For those of you with more ambition and a less perverse sense of ego than I’ve had for years, you should check out the casting page for auditions in your area.

http://www.cirquedusoleil.com/en/jobs/casting/home.aspx

I had the chance to visit Cirque’s headquarters in Montreal two years ago and was really impressed. They have an amazing facility in Montreal dedicated to building amazing shows and have departments capable of building a show from the ground up – the costuming department alone blew me away with a section specifically dedicated to making just shoes or just hats, or just this or just that… AMAZING!!!

Through an odd set of circumstances it looks like I might given an opportunity to participate in the auditions that are coming to Vancouver in April and I’ll admit it’s got me feeling a little excited. I have no real ambition to give up what I’m doing and pursue a career with Cirque at the moment, but being asked to be involved was a nice feather in my cap (finally someone woke up and smelled the  coffee and realized that I should be asked) and I look forward to seeing what the opportunity may bring.