Stars back London’s quest to become top street performance city

Fatboy Slim, Corinne Bailey Rae, KT Tunstall and Jack Savoretti amongst stars backing London’s quest to become world's top street performance city.

· High profile support comes ahead of London leading International Busking Day this summer

· London busker heads to Paris today to showcase city’s busking talent

· Young musicians are urged to sign up to this year’s Gigs competition

Some of the music industry's top names have thrown their weight behind London's plans to become the most busker friendly city in the world.

Billy Bragg, Corinne Bailey Rae, CC Smugglers, Danny Goffey, Fatboy Slim, Hugh Cornwell, Jack Savoretti, Kiko BUN, King Charles, KT Tunstall, Andrew Patrick from STOMP, Todd Dorigo, The View, Whinnie Williams and 'Whispering' Bob Harris have all signed up as Ambassadors of the Busk in London scheme, which aims to make busking on London’s streets as easy as possible for performers.

This unprecedented show of support comes as one of London's freshest faces on the street performance circuit, Alex James Ellison made his way to Paris this morning to promote the busking talent in London after being awarded the Eurostar prize in last year's Gigs busking competition, organised by City Hall. He will play songs to passengers travelling to the French capital whilst on board the Eurostar train and is due to busk at a number of locations around the French capital.

Although great strides have been made in recent years, busking musicians and street performers continue to face obstacles in many cities as a result of confusing rules, unnecessary red tape and even the threat of arrest – despite it being popular with Londoners and tourists alike. This high-profile support for busking builds on the work being done by Busk in London to counter misconceptions, make street performance as easy and straightforward as possible in the capital and highlight its significance in the life of cities.

‎The Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has pledged to strengthen London’s position as the world’s artistic and cultural capital and, at the first ever International Busking Day on 23 July, the capital will lead fifty cities across the UK, along with major world cities including New York, Sydney, Barcelona, Hong Kong, Paris and Toronto for the most ambitious celebration of busking and street performance ever staged.

The Mayor of London Sadiq Khan said: ‘There are few places on earth that can rival our city for its arts and culture and I’m enormously proud that London will host the first ever International Busking Day. It’s vital that we back our street performers – every day they add colour and life to our streets, entertaining Londoners and the millions of people who visit from all over the world each year.’

This global showcase of exciting talent builds on the success of the Busk in London Festival and the Gigs busking competition. Over the last eight years, Gigs has attracted thousands of young musicians and been enjoyed by millions at Tube stations and other locations across the capital.

The Gigs busking competition for 2016 is now underway and organisers are urging young musicians aged 11-25 to sign up at http://buskinlondon.com/gigs. London's annual search for the country’s most talented young musicians gives aspiring artists the opportunity to hone their skills and gain valuable experience performing in front of the public and, if successful, perform at the Grand Final at Westfield Stratford City in September.

SUPPORT FOR BUSK IN LONDON

Corinne Bailey Rae:

‘I love seeing people busking. Walking down the street and hearing a busker playing can really change your day. And it's a great way for musicians to create an immediate connection with people.’

Fatboy Slim:

‘I started my career busking with Paul Heaton pre the Housemartins. We were called The Stomping Pond Frogs in the early 80’s, so I’m very proud to be a supporter of buskers nationwide. It's a story come full circle.’

Jack Savoretti:

‘Having toured Europe a lot these last couple of years, one thing I always recognise and say about the UK music scene is that, like no other place it gives new, up and coming artists a platform. That starts with busking and playing in small venues. Busk in London goes right to the heart of this and will continue to make this a unique music city.’

KT Tunstall:

‘Busking was a hugely significant part of how I discovered who I was as a musician. I remember the first time I ever tried it - I was SO nervous and felt SO stupid! It taught me to embrace a whole new level of confidence in my performance, how to to grab people’s attention and try to keep it, and see which songs made people stop and listen. It’s amazing training and a soulful, old-school transaction between your own creativity and a moving audience.’

Kyle Falconer from The View:

‘We're happy to support International Busking Day. Busking was essential for us as performers when we started our career, it's partly how we learned to craft our art and gives artists the opportunity to play to new audiences and a platform to be recognised. Our debut album was titled 'Hats Off To The Buskers' and so it's very apt that we can be part of this scheme to enable Busking in various cities worldwide and to encourage new talent to get involved and be heard.’

Billy Bragg:

‘Most of us in the music business are buskers at heart - what better place than the streets to try out your performing skills?’

Danny Goffey from Supergrass:

‘I believe that busking is a great way for young musicians to learn their craft. The music industry is tough, and busking provides a platform for anyone who wishes to showcase their talents. Imagine seeing a young Bob Dylan singing Blowin' in the wind on your way out of Piccadilly Circus!’

Andrew Patrick from STOMP:

‘There is no better place for training as a musician or performer than the street. I have a special place in my heart for pure, raw performance to a crowd of passers-by. Putting yourself out there to make yourself better, instilling some culture and opening people up to something that they may not have realised they would love.’

KEY DATES

Saturday 23 July International Busking Day

23 & 24 July Busk in London Festival

23 July – 7 August Gigs competition live performances

Sunday 4 September Gigs Grand Final at Westfield Stratford City

More details about International Busking Day and the Busk in London Festival can be found at www.buskinlondon.com.

MEDIA INFORMATION / ATTENDANCE

Media wishing to find out more should contact Sarah Dolly and Lauren Doherty. Please email [email protected] and [email protected]/ or call 020 7983 4066.