Reflections on Government Regulation of Street Artists

I came across the following news about street artists tonight.

It looks like a piece of ordinary entertainment news that just want to make you laugh at first sight. But after reading it, questions came into my mind: Why does government regulate street artists? How are the regulation mode and specific regulations? Is it legitimate for government to regulate street artists by issuing permits? Are government permits required for a street artist to perform at public spaces?

I checked out the regulations made by different city/county governments in Taiwan. As for the specific regulations, there are basically three types, typified respectively by regulations made by Taipei City Government, Taichung City Government and Kaohsiung City Government. I can not show those regulations of each city government due to some technical problems. This post is a reminder for me to think over this issue in the next few days.

想成街頭藝人 先考證照再圓夢想

更新日期:2007/05/26 22:10

不只創意市集，可以發揮想像力。這幾年，在台北街頭，也常常可以看到街頭藝人表演，他們可是得先考上證照，才能在街頭表演創意，完成自己的夢想。

民族舞蹈跳得熱情，一旁還有小丑折氣球，吸引小朋友注意。

這裡，宛如表演嘉年華會，想要秀自己，找舞台的人都可以來大展身手。

他，是聽障人士，用默劇表演跟觀眾溝通，來參加街頭藝人考證，希望透過藝術能帶給人們歡樂。

想要找到表演舞台的，還有這群剪紙媽媽，一支剪刀一張紙，只想推廣剪紙樂趣。

不分年女老少，想當街頭藝人的人真不少，有年輕人一人獨演。也有一群人一起來。

評審一攤一攤看，看得很入神，熱情民眾也參與評分，街頭藝人考照已經進入第三年，目前有四百多人拿到證照，主辦單位台北市文化局也鼓勵更多想秀敢秀的人來報名，讓台北街頭充滿多元的藝術氣息。