100 signatures reached
To: City of Westminster Council
Westminster Council: Back Your Buskers!
We call on Westminster Council to find new viable and accessible busking pitches in the borough to replace those lost in Leicester Square.
Why is this important?
The ruling effectively banned busking in the area – and sets a dangerous precedent in London and across the UK.
Busking in Leicester Square is not a “nuisance” and not “torture.” It’s a form of creative work and should be respected.
Busking in Leicester Square is not a “nuisance” and not “torture.” It’s a form of creative work and should be respected.
Buskers are part of the cultural fabric of our cities and towns. Leicester Square is one of the capital’s most iconic cultural spaces.
Buskers help to bring and keep people who then shop in local businesses and spend time in local restaurants and cafes. In fact, businesses in Leicester Square have reported a drop in footfall since the court ruling effectively banned busking in the area.
Busking is also regulated by local authorities. People who busk are licensed and have to adhere to strict noise limits. Buskers working within the law should not be punished for simply doing their job.
To replace lost income and support local businesses, it is important that new pitches provided are viable and accessible. They need to have good footfall, with space for people to safely engage or pass by. They need to be safe and easy to reach for buskers with instruments and equipment permitted by the regulations. They must also be safe and accessible for disabled buskers, ensuring that every musician and performer can take on busking work.
What do buskers say?
"Busking opened doors for me as a working-class musician, when the music industry barely opens any. At the same time, it brings life to streets that would otherwise entice no-one to stop by and enjoy themselves, basically for free" - Serena, busker
"Ever since I started busking, it has given me so much - from building confidence and learning from experienced performers to receiving support from kind people from all over the world. It has allowed me to balance studying music, writing my album, and pursuing my dream of becoming a full time musician” - L.S., busker
"Without any venues or record deals or popularity, busking in London has offered me a place to make big shows out of nothing for people from all around the world, it has offered me to unite strangers with songs and have them sing together without knowing each other. I’m scared for any new young person who wants to come to London with the same dream and who will be refused the opportunity to perform because of Westminster Council rules" - Roman, busker
This campaign is backed by Equity and the Westminster Street Performers Association (WSPA).
Full image description: photo of buskers and street performers in Leicester Square on the last day of legal busking there. They are holding a range of union flags and signs and homemade signs that say, clockwise from top left, "Profiting off musicians while silencing them," "Keep music live," "Street performance is not a crime," "Musicians' Union says keep music live," "Keep music live," "Opportunities banned for musicians," "Global Radio is killing music culture," "Global Radio calls music psychological torture," "Street music is not a crime!" and "Equity"
Full image description: photo of buskers and street performers in Leicester Square on the last day of legal busking there. They are holding a range of union flags and signs and homemade signs that say, clockwise from top left, "Profiting off musicians while silencing them," "Keep music live," "Street performance is not a crime," "Musicians' Union says keep music live," "Keep music live," "Opportunities banned for musicians," "Global Radio is killing music culture," "Global Radio calls music psychological torture," "Street music is not a crime!" and "Equity"