(NEW ZEALAND) Often it's happenstance. Every now and then, though, you've become part of something more organised. Invercargill this weekend has a welcome taste of that, with the inaugural Southland Buskers Festival, a satellite event from the recently concluded World Buskers Festival in Christchurch.

In Queens Park, Wachner Place, and a raft of other venues, world-class performers, are disporting themselves in a host of implausible entertainments.

We have a contortionists and escapologists, acrobats, a strong-woman, a slackrope master, a guy who torments his face with rubber bands, a living angel statue, and we shudder to think what else.

Check it out

(COLORADO) The Denver Union Station Buskerfest is back for it's fifth year after being cancelled due to COVID-19 concerns. Located in the heart of downtown Denver, Union Station is the newly revamped light rail and bus station complete with restaurants, ice cream shops, watering holes, and boutiques.Busker Central video journalists have covered many a buskerfest at the current site as well a previous fourteen year run as the nations largest buskerfest.

This year's international buskers features Tennis the Menace, Cate Great, the USA Breakdancers, Pogo Fred, just Felice, the Pear Performance Act, Rudi Monterroso, Annie Frazier, Kateie Mesmerie and Jeff Paley, and Rose.

Just like every buskerfest, these professional buskers are guaranteed to entertain the masses with amazing displays of feats - some quite...

[ Continued ]

(WWW) From his first card trick at age 6 through his tightrope walk between Manhatten's Twin Trade Towers, high-wire artist Philippe Petit takes you on an intimate journey as a death-defying magician.Petit has reportedly been arrested over 500 times. Surprisingly, a majority of those 500 arrests occurred while he was juggling on the street in Paris, according to the performer himself. Many of his larger stunts have been done within the confines of the law, however, including a tightrope walk over the Seine from the Palais de Chaillot to the Eiffel Tower.

His first documentary "Man on Wire" has recently been reprised with Hollywood's movie version "The Walk". In both, he is introduced to his love interest because of his dedication to wire walking. Petit still practices walking the wire for hours...

[ Continued ]

(FILMRISE) A fascinating documentary by Penn and Teller reveals some ancient history when it comes to street magic. Starting from their base in Las Vegas which is home to over 400 magicians, the Magic & Mystery tour heads to India, China, and Egypt.The duo first travel to India to examine the famous Indian rope trick. Upon ariving, they note that Indian magicians like the use of "blood" in their cutting and restoring performances. P & T then take a grueling 4 hour bus ride to the Taj Mahal where the Indian rope trick is to be performed. This version has a rope come straight out of a basket which a little boy then climbs to the top.

Penn & Teller continue traveling to China where the original linking rings were born. They encounter a magician who informs them that the secret to the...

[ Continued ]

(WWW) Some job searches have started including busking and street performing as a viable means of employment. On an updated career page, an article by Brett Helling discusses definitions, salary, qualifications, responsibilities, skills, working conditions, experience, and employers.Walk-by acts: buskers perform their act continuously for a long time. This happens mostly with musicians and mimers who perform their repertoire while people walk by them. Occasional passers-by stop to hear a song or two but no defined audience forms.

Circle acts: these acts work more like a “show” and have a distinct beginning, middle, and a grand finale ending. The performers first attract a crowd that will stand in a circle around them to watch the show. Circle acts are well suited for theatre, dance, acrobatics, magic, etc...

[ Continued ]