(SHARJAH) Get ready for the world's largest performing arts festival running from January 16 to February 1, 2020! Sharjah is a place known for it's arts and crafts and is the cultural capital of the UAE.For 17 days, the emirate's streets and theatres will come alive with buskers, circus pros, artists, clowns, mimes and world-class performers featuring over 600 shows and thousands of hours of pure entertainment. Over 50 international acts are to perform.

The first of it's kind in the arab world, it's being billed as a fringe festival to include as many performers as possible.

By hosting the festival in Sharjah, the event wants to send a message that Sharjah is 'a city of choice'. The city wants the 200 plus nationalities residing in the UAE to connect with the global language of arts. At the same time, Sharjah...

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What do buskers Crystal Bowersox, Philippe Petit, and Glen Hansard all have in common? These buskers have all made mucho dinero doing what naturally comes best.Crystal Bowersox was runner up on the ninth season of “American Idol”. She presently has made over half a million dollars in music sales and appearances.

Philip Petit, the famous Frenchman who tightrope walked between the now-extinct trade towers in Manhatten, has enjoyed a Hollywood movie remake of his feat in "The Walk" no doubt enjoying countless Francs in revenue and licensing fees.

Glen Hansard has made a bundle peddling the Indy movie "Once". Between touring and the play on Broadway, Hansard has made lots of money off the film that won a Oscar for best song. It was a stormy inheritance from street to sta...

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(BUSKING) It seems as little as ten years ago, the term "busker" or "street performer" was looked upon with disdain. Suddenly, now it's the "in" title to tell new-found friends and acquaintances. Strange as it may seem, public perception has shifted in favor of said buskers. The internet has seemed to have had a positive impact on the perception of street performers world-wide.

Wannabe buskers abound on the internet. Some sites have sections dedicated to busking. Unfortunately, once entered, one finds several performers that have only been thinking about busking but somehow never found the backbone to discard their day job to busk full-time. This may be a good thing, however, as some may not have what it takes to begin with. It would probably only add to the long lines at the unemployment office.

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(SHANGHAI) The magazine That's Shanghai has published a detailed account of a Laowai busker's adventures entitled "Streetside Serenade". Over the past few years, China has relaxed it's laws against any crowd forming in public.As Benjamin Lipschitz reveals, "I soon discovered the true beauty of sidewalks: all cities had them! I traveled to Shandong, Shaanxi, Fujian, Hong Kong and eventually Taiwan. I got more ambitious. I went to the United States and eventually to Mexico where I lived for a year and a half. Everywhere I went, I found that by seeking sustenance in the streets with my music, I could learn more about a place and its culture than by visiting tourist sites."

And that's just the beginning of a fascinating account of a true world-class...

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(SEATTLE) As far as Seattle is concerned, you're a star awaiting your new reserved pitch in Soundtransit's transport hubs. Their blog announces the Sounds of the Sound program expanding options for serious buskers.
Interestingly enough, the world of busking is making a comeback after the horrendous covid19 global shutdown from a few years back. This severely affected the shopping and hospitality industries not to mention the performing arts.

A big black and white star adorns the pitch where buskers are free to express themselves and accept tips without hassles.

“The buskers are great,” wrote one blog post. “They make the station feel more like a destination, not just a place to pass through. Keep on supporting them.”

For more information and locales, check out the link below.

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