Ok I am childish but seeing such an awesome forum without any posts calls me to action! Instead of just being like "FIRST!" again I thought I would ask a question and put up a bulleted list to get things rolling.

How many clowns here have street performed and what was your strategy for getting the audience to stick loot in your hat?

Also, I thought I would post some street performing etiquette for clowns to do with what they will!
When street performing choose a spot that is just off the main through way of the park, fair etc. Be sure you control a space big enough for your performance and hold on to that space in spite of encroaching picnickers. It helps to be far enough away from the main path so that your audience can come off the main path to watch you.
If there are vendors (as there are at fairs and markets) be sure that your growing audience does not block off the path to their booth. If your show is encroaching on their business they will be unhappy with you and that can cause a lot of friction. If your audience starts growing and some are watching from the main path or blocking booth entry/path ways gesture them up closer. This will win you a lot of points with the artisans and will allow people to move freely through the grounds without your audience hampering them.
Do not let children approach you and start playing with your props (unless you ask them to), pulling on your costume or rough housing near you. Not only can the child get hurt but if they start to feel that it is ok for them to yank on your costuming or dig around in your prop box they will continue to disrupt your performance. Be firm but polite to these kids. Use your best judgement in how to talk to them but you must have enough conviction in your voice so that they will cease what they are doing.
You are not a babysitter. Please do not allow parents to leave their child in front of you as they wander through other parts of the event. It is not fair to you and you should not be expected to look after other's children while doing performances. This happens A LOT.
Make eye contact with your audience. With as many as possible. Involve them in your performance.
Leaving a hat out during your show may invite people to drop small change inside it. This is fine if you don't mind the pennies. But if you do this, take out all the coins in your hat before you do your actual passing. No reason to inspire others to drop their linty pennies into your hat too.
Make eye contact with anyone who puts money in your hat and thank them. Also make sure people are not removing money from your hat.
If someone is going to put a bunch of change in your hat offer your hand out instead of your hat. Pocket the change quickly. Again, you don't want to inspire others to drop coins in the hat. We aren't looking a gift horse in the mouth but a hat full of change leads to more change in your hat.
Think of some great lines that are funny to use when passing your hat. One of my favorites is stating: "I also take thank you notes. Take out a 20 dollar bill and write thank you on it!" You can also play this card: "If you can't afford to put money in the hat, please don't worry about it, think of this performance as my gift to you." People like this sort of sentiment and you can feel good about doing the show for everyone's enjoyment, not just those who are willing to pay you for it.
Most clowns wont have this problem but never sit down on the ground or wear clothes that people might mistake you for a mundane pedestrian or beggar. You want people to be very sure of your identity as a performer. Not only does it help you land tips from people who don't like to give money to beggars but the audience will be sure that you are there to perform.Have any tips of your own!?

I saw a mime in Balboa Park (San Deigo) once and he was doing this kind act...
I was throughly amazed and he drew quite the crowd!!!! We really loved the atmosphere.

I have never street performed and I think it takes a special talent to do so.:)

My only offical clowning as been street performing. No money invloved but since I wasn't really looking for money at the time, that was ok. People laughed and not even being sure I was going to get that much, I was satisfied.

Now I am thinking about working something up to busk in Seoul this summer. That would be fun...

Bubbles and I were hired (at the very last minute) to do the Plano Balloon Festival. They hired us for general walk-around duty, which includes juggling, fun interaction and thumb art. For those that don't know, thumb art is like facepainting "lite". Get yourself a washable ink pad, then use fingerprints for the basis of little drawings. Add details with washable markers or Detailz paints and you're done. (Klutz Press has several books on Thumb Art)

We were doing the walkaround thing most of the day, dragging a plastic wagon filled with our props and juggling stuff. If we ever stopped in a spot, we would do thumb art for kids nearby. Near the end of the night, we started doing thumb art and got overwhelmed. We had a huge crowd of kids and parents, and people were basically throwing money at us. It was very hectic and confused, but we made the best of it. We've been asked back this year, and we definitely plan on doing things differently.

The most important thing is to be comfortable in who you are and what you are doing. Bubbles and I were both very green last year and didn't want to be too domineering or controlling, but that worked against us. We both know more about clowning now, so we'll be able to control the situation in an appropriately clowny way so we can still be in charge, but won't alienate our customers.

Wow! We appreciate all the excellant tips! We have not done much busking in the past but were thinking about trying this summer.

~Cuddles~

Most street performances is build up in 3 parts. ALL PARTS are very imporant:

Cathering a crowd: A good way is noise not only from you but also from them. This is just the start of your build up. Let your audience know its just your start up and you're going to show much more wow.
Keeping the crowd: The actual show. Keep them occupied and interested. BUt let them kno the highlight is still to come. When people start walking away it is certainly time for part 3.
Get them to pay you: Have your hatlines ready. I think you should already start with them before you show your highlight. People want to see the highlight so therefor they want to stay but they also know that after that the hat will go round and it would be very iompolite to walk away at that time. Let them know your a professional, this is your way to make a living so if you gave them a great time you did a good job and a good job should be payed well.

Back in my pre-clown days, when I was just a baby yama-magician,Itook a trip to Europe. One of our stops was in Paris for several days. Well, if you've ever been to Paris, it's a street performer's/Busker's paradise. I only say that because they're everywhere hehe. Every street we went down, every park, every subway seemed to have someone hopping on at the last minute with a guitar, saxophone or something. The type of magic that I specialized in was sleight of hand, coin tricks, all things that could be carried around in my pockets easily, so I had all sorts of tricks on me, all the time. Getting on with my story, we found our way to an area in Paris called Mont Martre. I think I'm getting the spelling correct on that. The street performers were there too, as were lots and lots of people. My brother and I found ourselves on the edge of all this talking to several people, as usual, I was rolling a half dollar between my fingers. That drew the attention of a kid or two and the tricks began. I knew better than to perform too close to anyone else who was earning a living, and I was just there to please the kiddoes. However, before I knew it, I'd a crowd of about 10 or so people around me, all enjoying the show. And omigosh, some of them gave me money!?!? It was one of the best days of my life hehehe, I'll never forget it.

I had a problem with number ten (not clearly identifying myself as a performer) when doing a street act for the Philly Fringe Festival. I was a priest of Cthulhu. I vastly overestimated how many people knew about Cthulhu. Rather than seeing a man performing satire, most people assumed I was a genuine lunatic preaching a bizarre religion I truly believed in.

If I had it to do over again, I would have gone as a priest of Sauron. The LOTR movies were in theaters at the time and people would have gotten the joke.

I actually did street performing twice, once back in London a lot of years ago (I think I was 14), all I did back then was stand on a stage at Clissold Park with my clowny/raver gear on and did poi stunts, it wasn't that amazing.

The second time was back in 2006, my fiance had a job interview in the city centre of Bristol, so my friend and I were sitting about near the canal, I got out my juggling balls and starting practising, a few people started to watch so I did some clowning instead, I wasn't even IN clown gear at that stage. It was pretty neat... though generally I am incredibly shy so the situation has to be just right before I have the confidence to do that often...

It's so much fun though!

maybe your able to turn your lumpy on & off I find it quite hard to just become my clowns I find i have to have something clowny or something & i still find it a bit hard except with napkins & balloons I love balloon Twisting & MAkeing napkin roses

Well I often feel more like Lumpy the clown than myself, so if I have something circus related like poi or juggling balls I can easily set myself off for some clown fun :)

I'm Encredably shy around people even talking to them on the phone i find it hard to talk at first its easy on here cuz i dont have to actuly say anything or look at anyone

I actually find it harder to talk on the phone than in person, I absolutely loathe using phones, even if it's talking to friends etc... I am also painfully shy unless I am cought in the correct circumstance, generally unless I get to know somebody, I tend to clam up and sit quietly and boringly to one side until I am sure I can say something without sounding stupid.:applause:

well I think your cool mainly for your a cool person you seem to like things people would call morbid or horror like i do but still have the heart to be a real clown

Thanks Willace :)

I do tend to like alot of spooky things... it's just been my personality since very early childhood (I blame falling inlove with Beetlejuice when I was 4) but yeah I still have a clowny spirit inside :)

I watched Horror since i was 2 I wanted to be Beetejuice when i was a kid

Yeah I was introduced to horror at a stupidly young age, my mother has always been into horror and monsters and she watched alot of creepy crap when I was a toddler, I have real memories of being intrigued by monsters on the TV.

I don't think there has been a point in my life where I wasn't writing about, reading about or watching something eerie and horror related, other than when I am indulging myself in cartoons :)

I didn't want to be Beetlejuice but I definitely wanted him back then, he was my first crush and it lasted a good 12 years before it finally faded into non-romantic admiration.

I have had many cartoon character crushes since, but my current big obsession is the Joker (TDK)... I find myself completely mesmerized by his perfection as a character and a villain... I wouldn’t even be able to begin to describe my feelings for him without making people blush LOL!

its ok i dont blush

Nither does the Joker ;P

I actually did street performing twice, once back in London a lot of years ago (I think I was 14), all I did back then was stand on a stage at Clissold Park with my clowny/raver gear on and did poi stunts, it wasn't that amazing.


Oooh, you do poi? How long have you been doing that for?

Barry Daft as a charachter was born and honed on the streets. The streets are his home and I love to take him back at least once a month. Street-work forces you to be adaptive, versatile and fluid. You have to sense what your audience is receptive to and zero in on that. Also as a forumn there is no better place to test out new material. I have done street work for nearly ten years now and I really really enjoy it. I love the randomness and haphazard nature of it all. You can do one show and earn lots of money, try out the exact same material the next day and you get jeered and have things thrown at you. It really forces you to consider the needs and nature of your audience.

I thought I would like to post in red my opinions and ideas alongside Chance Marmalade's. Not to debunk his excelant post, I like his ideas it is rather to show and give you my ideas and insights into the same issuses. Remember, these are not rules, only the way I choose to play.

1: When street performing choose a spot that is just off the main through way of the park, fair etc. Be sure you control a space big enough for your performance and hold on to that space in spite of encroaching picnickers. It helps to be far enough away from the main path so that your audience can come off the main path to watch you.
My first thoughts when considering where to busk are where is the money going to come from. Crowds of people rushing to and from work are no good, nor are people out on lunch breaks. You need to find the tourists and those on holiday. People who are out and at leisure, people looking for entertainment, who are going to be receptive to my show. My next consideration will be the space. It needs to be open to allow me to perform and provide an area where my audience can gather, without danger or causing obstructions. I am looking for parks, plazas, beaches, squares, lake fronts and gardens, places where people congregate at leisure. Thirdly I will consider tolerance. In most countries and places that I have worked in, busking is illegal. But most cities recognise the need for such entertainment and so do allow a certain amount of leeway where they are prepared to tolerate such behaviour. There is nothing worse than having put effort into drawing together a crowd and being midway through some nonsense to have the police turn up, move you on with their usual threats and dissipate your crowd.

2: If there are vendors (as there are at fairs and markets) be sure that your growing audience does not block off the path to their booth. If your show is encroaching on their business they will be unhappy with you and that can cause a lot of friction. If your audience starts growing and some are watching from the main path or blocking booth entry/path ways gesture them up closer. This will win you a lot of points with the artisans and will allow people to move freely through the grounds without your audience hampering them.
This is generally not an issue to me, my performance is mobile. I move around, my audience forms little clusters who will follow me around for a while before dispersing. It is all pretty random and ephemeral. Making friends with your fellow "streeties", is a very good idea. They will look after you, watch your back from thieves and police, provide shelter behind or under their stalls for your possessions and you, if the weather gets bad. For the price of a few old jokes, they will offer to give you some of their "genuine made in the third world "products or a feed you.

3: Do not let children approach you and start playing with your props (unless you ask them to), pulling on your costume or rough housing near you. Not only can the child get hurt but if they start to feel that it is ok for them to yank on your costuming or dig around in your prop box they will continue to disrupt your performance. Be firm but polite to these kids. Use your best judgement in how to talk to them but you must have enough conviction in your voice so that they will cease what they are doing.
When i first hit the streets, I found crowd control to be the hardest skill to acquire. At the one time, I am presenting an anarchic figure to whom normal rules of propriety don't apply and at the same time I expect and demand people give me my space and respect. Learning how to talk to people and have them listen and understand, only comes through practice and experience. I also have other less PC techniques. It is quite hard to show off, picking peoples pockets and then expect kids are going to respect yours. Barry is naughty and likes to promote a volatile and unpredictable sense of danger I employ methods, the PC brigade frown upon. You get too close to Barry, adverse things might happen to you. For me, squirtty toys, shocking devices and exploding gizmo's are all very useful toys/weapons that can and are regularly deployed as crowd counter measures. Again these are techniques I have had to put time and effort into learning. If you are a balloon twister or a face painter you probably will never ever have to go there. But your worlds are nothing at all like my worlds.

4: You are not a babysitter. Please do not allow parents to leave their child in front of you as they wander through other parts of the event. It is not fair to you and you should not be expected to look after other's children while doing performances. This happens A LOT.
This never ever happens to me. Barry is never mistaken for a child minder. He moves around too much and likes naughty and dangerous things too much. I am pretty sure the parents, are much more curious than the kids, in seeing whats going to happen next.

5: Make eye contact with your audience. With as many as possible. Involve them in your performance.
I never make eye contact with my audience. I always wear a heavy pair of sun glasses, sometimes two pairs. Often girls will ask me to remove them or let them see my eyes. I may, I may not. It depends on how I feel. This is my show I shall dress and behave as I see fit. As far as I'm concerned, you want to see my eyes, you have to pay for the privilege.

6: Leaving a hat out during your show may invite people to drop small change inside it. This is fine if you don't mind the pennies. But if you do this, take out all the coins in your hat before you do your actual passing. No reason to inspire others to drop their linty pennies into your hat too.
Because of the nature of how I perform, always on the move, there is no grand finale. My show doesn't build up to some spectacular event upon where it is obvious you are now expected to give money. I talk continually through out my show, to my audience leaving them in no doubt about what I am going to do for them and what I would like in return from them. After any particular high points, where there is lots of laughter, I show them my hat and remind them why I am there. After the hat has done a round, I immediately remove and pocket their offerings, replace the hat on my head and swiftly move on to the next piece of business. People will often put in more than once as they follow me around.

7: Make eye contact with anyone who puts money in your hat and thank them. Also make sure people are not removing money from your hat.
If you still need advice and guidance on how to say thank you, learning how to busk is the least of your worries and probably beyond your abilities anyhow.

8: If someone is going to put a bunch of change in your hat offer your hand out instead of your hat. Pocket the change quickly. Again, you don't want to inspire others to drop coins in the hat. We aren't looking a gift horse in the mouth but a hat full of change leads to more change in your hat.
Often people do not have change to pay you. Do not let this be an obstacle in preventing you from being paid. Tell them you are willing to accept paper or offer them change. It used to surprise me how often people would, after having made some excuse about not having change, then give me a twenty pound note. I am not surprised any longer, I know I deserve it.

9: Think of some great lines that are funny to use when passing your hat. One of my favorites is stating: "I also take thank you notes. Take out a 20 dollar bill and write thank you on it!" You can also play this card: "If you can't afford to put money in the hat, please don't worry about it, think of this performance as my gift to you." People like this sort of sentiment and you can feel good about doing the show for every one's enjoyment, not just those who are willing to pay you for it.
There are plenty of nice lines out there with time, you will also create your own. Be charming, polite and grateful. It cost you nothing and people like you for it.

10: Most clowns wont have this problem but never sit down on the ground or wear clothes that people might mistake you for a mundane pedestrian or beggar. You want people to be very sure of your identity as a performer. Not only does it help you land tips from people who don't like to give money to beggars but the audience will be sure that you are there to perform.
I go to a great deal of effort to be Barry Daft. I work hard and put a huge amount of the very best and most positive energy into it. I am very proud of him. I want everyone else to like him too. There is no way people are ever going to be allowed to think of Barry in the same way they might consider a beggar.

Playing out on the streets brings you into direct contact with the public. Never be without your business cards, a pen and some paper. Every single time I go out to play, I get job offers. Did you all hear me? I shall say it again in a slightly different way so there is little chance of you all missing it. Here it comes. There has never ever been an occasion, where I have gone out on the streets to play and I have not received an invitation to work. I can think of no better way for drumming up business than by getting out there in public and being funny.

Personally I choose not to accept 98% of the offers I receive. They are for the kind of party that I find dull and limiting but every now and again something juicy turned up. I met some very wealthy people who did not think of money as a barrier, for them getting what they wanted. Also I met the butler of some Saudi Princess, who I did do a job for and through that contact went on to the gardens of Clarence House, Prince Charles' official London residence.

I know many of you are closed to the idea of street work and think of it as little more than begging. I know a lot more about it than you do though.

DUH! I guess my brain is froze today...because when I saw a post from Mr. Marmalade titled "COOL!" I was just sure it had to do with the weather up there!

I have had all of you norther folks on my mind the past few days and I really do pitty all of you who live up north, cuz it's in the high 20's here today and I am FRRRRRRREEZING! I can't imagine living where the temps get down below zero, brrrr :( Anyway, if I don't see some of you on here for a few days then I'll know it's cuz you're bundled up in bed under your electric blankets!

.....By the way, what is the temp in WA today?

verrryyyy collldddd......

Freazeing here in fla

It's 50 degrees warmer in Alaska than in Chicago today. Damn Sarah Palin!

it's 54 here

That's balmy. It's -45 windchill here.

It's 50 degrees warmer in Alaska than in Chicago today. Damn Sarah Palin!

Many people said she was one Hot Lady.

Many people said she was one Hot Lady.I think they were mistaking her for Tina Fey! ;)

.....By the way, what is the temp in WA today?It's currently 35 degrees out! I would guess low 40s earlier this evening. We are praying for rain! :o

I'm very sorry please excuse me, I don't know what I was thinking about when I started writting on this thread. It was almost like I thought it had something to do with street performance. I should probably delete my posts and get down to some more serious conversations about the weather.

Did you know 90% of people would struggle to start a conversation if it wasn't for the weather? I got my self a job as a weather forcaster once because I love talking about wind, its a breaze. I used to say and now for the extended forcast "Foooorrrrcccccaaaassssstttt" But all my forcasts were wrong, it was obvious the climate didn't agree with me.

I live in North Yorkshire, over here we are blessed with a fairly constant climate. We are rather fortunate in that we dont have to deal with all those weird and exotic weather patterns like , sunny spells, bright preiods, blue skys etc. One day, I thought I saw a heat wave, so I waved back. To tell what the weather is like, I just look out of my window. If I can't see the church spire, I know its rainning. If I can see the church spire, I know its about to start rainning.

When I am out on the streets, I always take a couple of umbrellas in my luggage. Because of the weather they are as much a part of my costume as my red nose. I am not really much of a juggler but I do like umbrella manipulations and ballancing stunts. I have an umbrella with a hole cut in it so I can see whether its stopped rainning or not.

Ohh! I started talking about performing again didn't I? Sorry. right back to the thread. Whats the weather like where you are?

Are the stars out tonight?
I don't know if it's cloudy or bright

we are at 5 degrees tonite

It's 50 degrees warmer in Alaska than in Chicago today. Damn Sarah Palin!

Hey Tim...are you implying that you think Sarah Palin is HOT? Uh-oh, sounds like a crush to me! :)

we are at 5 degrees tonite

Oh WOW...bless your heart! Try to stay warm

That's balmy. It's -45 windchill here.

OH My...that is C O L D!!!! And they don't call Chicago the windy city for nothin'!! I hate Chicago (nothing personal to you, Tim) I lived in Palatine in during the summer of 2000 and it was ok, but when Fall hit it was COLD! Besides that, there is apparently something in the water there, because I starting getting fatter and fatter each day I was there. (actually it was because I was pregnant w/ my 1st son) We visited Navy Pier in October and it was so windy that I could barely walk down the sidewalk without blowing over...but it was good memories and made nice keepsake photos. Very Pretty there...just too cold!!!

By Thanksgiving week we decided that it was too cold for us and we were homesick anyway, so we packed up everything we had spur of the moment in my little Cavalier and the back end of Hubby's truck and headed cross country looking like the Beverly Hillbillies!! My car was so full that I couldn't scoot my seat back or even recline it, so my big fat belly was practically sitting on the steering wheel the entire way. I was terrified because 1) I had never driven in snow at all before moving to IL and then it was just a few blocks away to get to work and 2) I had never driven long distances before and was scared that I would miss an exit and get seperated from my hubby and be lost as heck! It snowed really hard ALL the way from Chicago to Oklahoma...then right as the snow started to ease up, RAIN hit!! It poured down rain all the way from Ok to Texas. This is one trip that I will never forget...but I do have to admit, the snow wasn't really as bad as I had expected, the rain was actually much worse. Kuddos to all of you people up North who actually know how to keep the roads sanded, it makes traveling much easier. :0)

It's currently 35 degrees out! I would guess low 40s earlier this evening. We are praying for rain! :o

Am I confused on my geography? I thought WA was one of them states were it gets really cold? hmmm, wheres my map?? I should ask my 7 yr old where WA, he probably knows more about geography than I do.

WA is on the west coast above California and Oregon. Seattle is three hours south of British Columbia. It can get pretty cold out here but it's mild compared to the Midwest.

Umbrellas are fantastic props. I have a few ideas for umbrella related acts and I keep coming back to one. It's difficult finding old fashioned umbrellas around here though. Still, there is something classy about an umbrella act.

DUH! I guess my brain is froze today...because when I saw a post from Mr. Marmalade titled "COOL!" I was just sure it had to do with the weather up there!

I have had all of you norther folks on my mind the past few days and I really do pitty all of you who live up north, cuz it's in the high 20's here today and I am FRRRRRRREEZING! I can't imagine living where the temps get down below zero, brrrr :( Anyway, if I don't see some of you on here for a few days then I'll know it's cuz you're bundled up in bed under your electric blankets!

Or have frozen to death. Clownsicle, anyone?

Ice cream pie!:pie:

I'm very sorry please excuse me, I don't know what I was thinking about when I started writting on this thread. It was almost like I thought it had something to do with street performance. I should probably delete my posts and get down to some more serious conversations about the weather.

Did you know 90% of people would struggle to start a conversation if it wasn't for the weather? I got my self a job as a weather forcaster once because I love talking about wind, its a breaze. I used to say and now for the extended forcast "Foooorrrrcccccaaaassssstttt" But all my forcasts were wrong, it was obvious the climate didn't agree with me.

I live in North Yorkshire, over here we are blessed with a fairly constant climate. We are rather fortunate in that we dont have to deal with all those weird and exotic weather patterns like , sunny spells, bright preiods, blue skys etc. One day, I thought I saw a heat wave, so I waved back. To tell what the weather is like, I just look out of my window. If I can't see the church spire, I know its rainning. If I can see the church spire, I know its about to start rainning.

When I am out on the streets, I always take a couple of umbrellas in my luggage. Because of the weather they are as much a part of my costume as my red nose. I am not really much of a juggler but I do like umbrella manipulations and ballancing stunts. I have an umbrella with a hole cut in it so I can see whether its stopped rainning or not.

Ohh! I started talking about performing again didn't I? Sorry. right back to the thread. Whats the weather like where you are?



Idon't know about you, but I don't wanna be street performing in the cold!

Thanks all!