Training in a public park.
Today I was training in a public park and a woman asked me if I had a bowl that she can give me 10 Euro. I replied that this is just a hobby and I do not need money.
A month ago I had a discussion with a juggler who critized me to train in a park, as I would diminish the the earnings of people doing circus art for a living. He argumented, that seeing somebody play 3 diabolos is not impressive for bypassers anymore if they saw somebody doing this already.
I do train in a park in an area where the situation mentioned above happened to me for the first time in 10 years. It is a very poor area and not very touristy. I could understand his point if I would do it in places where there are either many wealthy people or tourists.
I think that this is a discussion known in the circus scene. So what are your thoughts on this topic?
You are free to practice where you like! You shouldn't have to hide away just because you are good at your hobby!
I get the other juggler's logic but if you are a professional juggler it is literally your job to be a better performer than a hobby juggler in the park. I emphasize performer because you don't have to have better technical skills but you do need to be able to present your skills, engage the audience & be entertaining. No one is paid to juggle, they are paid to entertain.
yeah, the pro can lay out props for sale, offer lessons, wear a costume respectively have a well-chosen outfit, have some decoration pinned to the soil or tied to a tree, photos around, have a loudspeaker and wear a micro, ask people to assist, ... it's a bit too poor to just show your skill without being wrapped in a present-package to enrich it all.
Thank you for your perspective on the topic. I like your emphasis of the role of a performer. When I watch shows, I do enjoy them more when they tell a story rather than show hard tricks.
on the other hand, I don't need be told a story on top an absolute pro juggling 7 large balls unicycling [ hit me if I'm wrong, iirc Sergei Ignatov jun. does that ] or on top any other extreme, sensationally skilled or else outstakingly original act.
it's all open. unrestricted.
Little Paul - - Parent #
He might not be telling a story, but there’s more going on there than just the juggling.
The staging, blocking, costume, music, lighting, choice and order of the tricks, pacing, when to pause etc
Those are all part of the entertainment package that isn’t there in a hobby juggler practicing in a park.
hm ...it's a point, no doubt, but there's no right to claim a public area; should then go by mutual understanding - maybe stay out of sight or so, keep a reasonable notable distance to one another, a street or two or two corners away. who was there first may stay.
...but then again, there's more or less prominent pedestrian zones, with street artists of different kinds every one spit away, so ... .
I myself have been practising a lot in a park and never had the problem with only rarely musicians there laying out their cap. Just once witnessed a portrayer in pedestrian zone in Heidelberg getting angry at a colleague planting himself too close.
Of course anybody should be allowed to juggle in most public parks, if they allow any form of exercise. However you might consider accepting the 10 euro so as not to discourage people who want to give money to jugglers. You can share it with your local juggling club or any other people that can use it.
Subscribe to this forum via RSS
1 article per branch
1 article per post