There are no guarantees. Street performers are not licensed. They don’t have any expertise. They are often breaking the law, or they are performing acts that aren’t really allowed. The only thing a street performer can guarantee is that their act will go on as long as you’ll let it. If you let them leave, they’ll be on to the next place soon enough.
But you can raise your child to be respectful and ready for street performers, so with a bit of preparation and preparation for accidents, your child should be fine if something goes wrong and the performer leaves early.
It sounds silly, but it’s true– there are people out there who will attempt to entertain your children by running around in costumes and pretending to be an animal. It’s not a good idea.
Street performers have no set performance times, so they have no way to tell which kids are old enough to be entertained by them. The “animal” part of the act is essential, because if you’re looking at a street performer and you ask yourself “who is this person dressed like a monkey?” you’d have already decided the act isn’t for you.
The most important thing is that the street performer works on your child’s level. It doesn’t make sense for a 5-year-old to be watching someone juggle handkerchiefs; he needs something simpler. Rather than just being told “stop playing with that,” it’s best if the street performer has some kind of game with which your child can interact– like maybe saying one word and naming an animal or counting ants down from ten.
Street performers come in all shapes, sizes, and ages. Most are well-behaved, but some are not. Others will make children cry simply by being bad.
The most important thing you can do to help your child is to educate them about street performers. Find out what kind of performers your kid is most likely to encounter, and give them a chance to ask questions (ie, “Why do you have that scar?”) before they go out. Teach them what kinds of behavior is appropriate (ie, don’t ask for money), and what kinds isn’t (ie, don’t touch the performer).
In addition:
– Make sure the area where you’re going to allow your child to be entertained by street performers has good lighting. There’s nothing worse than taking kids into an area with no light at all and having them throw up because they think they have night blindness or something.
– If you’re going to let your kid interact with the performer in any way at all beyond “asking questions,” make sure the performer has been trained on how to deal with children and has a good understanding of the consequences of their actions. The usual indemnity clause doesn’t seem sufficient here–there should be an additional clause that says “If your kid makes my
These days, many street performers are doing more than just entertaining a crowd; they’re trying to make a living. Their instruments, singing and dancing are their primary skills. While their entertainer skills can be quite good, their business acumen is often lacking. The most important thing for child performers is to be able to recognize that their skills are only some of what it takes to make a living as a street performer. While there are plenty of opportunities for your child to learn how to sing, dance and play an instrument, the primary rule is that your child must be able to dance away from the stage (and off the stage if necessary) without fear. Of course there will be times when your child may have performances they want you to attend (such as recitals or performances at school), but these should not be scheduled too close together. Also, avoid the temptation to schedule performances just because you think it’s fun for them. It could discourage them from making something of themselves in this area and ultimately make your children less money when they do want to perform on the streets.
For children who do wish to try out on the streets as street performers, there are several things you can do before allowing them to perform: 1) always carry some cash with you so you can
Street performers may seem like harmless fun, but they can say things that can hurt your child. Street performers may try to make their message sound more important than it is, and some of their material may involve the occult or other controversial themes.
Fringe street performers are often people who are trying to sell something, or trying to recruit new members for a cult. The best way to protect your child from fringe street performers is to research what they do before bringing them over.
A good place to start is the Association of Children’s Museums’ website
The business of street performers is booming.
Arts and crafts, balloon twisting, juggling, singing, storytelling. All the things you would expect a street performer to do have begun to go out of style.
But it’s a mistake to assume that street performers are not in demand.
If you walk into a department store where they are on sale, they will often sell very briskly. They just have to be cuter than the real thing. Now that the real thing is so ugly, people will pay big money for it. The more popular the real thing is with parents and postal workers, the less likely people are to buy these fake things.**
Freak shows are all around us. We can see them in the circus, on television, at the sideshow and in some of the more modern museums, yet we rarely think of them as a serious art form.
There are three main reasons these acts are often not considered serious art. The first is that they usually use animals; the second is that they exploit the public’s fascination with freaks. The third is that their sole purpose is to entertain; if it were not, there would be no need for an artist or performers to come up with the act. But all three of these factors are independent of each other and can be used for good or for ill.
Animals in circuses have been used to entertain humans since before recorded history. They have been abused throughout history and even today by circuses and zoos alike. While they may be considered as entertainment to many people, they are still animals, who can still feel pain; some people may also consider them life forms, which makes it even harder to justify their treatment.
First of all, let’s define what we mean by freak show performer and how these people fit into our definition of a freak show. A freak show is defined as any type of entertainment where the main purpose is not to