Calling all Street Performers

Your stage, our streets

The City of Stonnington’s Street Performers Program presents an opportunity for performers to turn our streets into their stage.

Every weekend for eight weeks, a unique group of musicians, artists and street performers will have the opportunity to showcase their talents across Stonnington’s busiest precincts, bringing our streets to life and supporting our arts community to recover from an incredibly difficult 2020.

City of Stonnington Mayor, Cr Kate Hely said this is a great way for artists to get some exposure after nearly a year of lockdown:

We have so many talented performers here in Stonnington, so I am thrilled to welcome this new and exciting program which will give them the exposure they need and provide a surprise and delight program right across our shopping precincts.

Stonnington has such a proud and long connection with the arts and performing community, in particular at our iconic Chapel off Chapel and the National Institute of Circus Arts.

In recent months we’ve seen our streets used for outdoor dining and I’m thrilled that we’re now opening up more space for entertainment. This isn’t just about music, I’m delighted that the team from the National Institute of Circus Arts will be joining us to help us choose performers.

Melbourne royalty, Marina Pryor, is pleased these opportunities are being created:

I was a university student studying music and drama when I became a busker in Melbourne’s Bourke Street Mall.

I was hungry for the opportunity to perform in front of an audience, and so I would set myself up outside the Myer double doors and sing a variety of songs from Kate Bush, to Elizabethan love songs, to Irving Berlin.

It taught me in an incredibly raw way how to keep an audience (and what lost them) and how to make them pay me after the show!

I loved the experience, and gained so much knowledge and confidence before being cast in my first big musical.

Buskers bring such life and joy to our city streets, and give wonderful opportunities to young ( and older) performers to live out their dreams of expressing themselves and transporting and capturing the crowd.

They are a joyous and informal expression of life and art.

Performers will be dotted throughout our shopping precincts every weekend for 8 weeks from 27 March until 16 May. They’ll receive a payment for their performance and passers-by will be encouraged to show their support as well.

If you’re a performer and you’re keen to entertain, excite and inspire the community, complete your application as soon as possible to be considered. To get involved visit our Street Performer Program webpage.

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