Cool!

[Chance Marmalade]

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!

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.
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.
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.
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.
5. Make eye contact with your audience. With as many as possible. Involve them in your performance.
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.
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.
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.
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 everyone's enjoyment, not just those who are willing to pay 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.

Have any tips of your own!?

[Sassy Frass]

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.

[Snugglesnort]

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...

[Wowza]

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.

[Cubby T. Clown & Cuddles]

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

~Cuddles~

[OkiDoki]

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.

[axedaclown]

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.

[TheSillyMan]

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.