|
CHRISTCHURCH, New Zealand — Shay Hory may have a difficult time explaining exactly what he does to earn a living. The same can be said for colleagues like Clarke “Mario, Queen of the Circus” McFarlane and Sam Wills. And it’s doubtful that their parents ever envisioned their offspring would make a career, let alone a living, from wrapping rubber bands around their faces, body surfing a crowd of strangers or squeezing their bodies through a tennis racquet. But that’s exactly what Hory, McFarlane and Wills do to earn their keep as “buskers” — street performers — throughout the world. And nowhere is there a gathering of more zany and entertaining street talent than at the World Buskers Festival held annually in Christchurch, the largest city on the South Island of New Zealand. Christchurch may be better known as “The Garden City” with its expansive public gardens and parks, for its English charm with visitors able to go punting on the Avon River, and as a jumping off point for New Zealand’s myriad outdoor activities ranging from adventure/extreme sports to tramping the Milford Track. But for nearly two weeks in January, the action takes to the streets and sidewalks of Christchurch when the buskers come to town. The 15th annual festival will be held Jan 17-27, 2008. For those in the northern hemisphere who have tired of the snow and cold, a trip to sunny Christchurch (in the southern hemisphere where it is summer) can help put an end to the winter doldrums. And the antics of the buskers are sure to bring an even bigger smile to their faces. The 2007 festival featured 44 acts from around the world; half of the buskers are street performers, the other half come from circuses or theater and adapted their shows for the street. Overall, 450 shows were performed. “It’s quality entertainment,” she said in explaining the event’s attraction. “Audiences are seeing some of the best street performers and circus performers in the world. It’s also easy to attend . . . You don’t have to line up at the box office. And it’s fun. It’s laughter. Who doesn’t like that?” The acts ranged from New Zealand's own Hory — who as the "Famous Rubberband Boy" claims the unofficial world's record for putting the most rubber bands on his face — to the popular crowd-surfing McFarlane from the U.S., who explains his "Queen of the Circus" title is due to his love of the music of the group Queen, which he plays during his performance. “Whatever they make in their hat in what they make,” Wright explained. “It’s all between them and the audience. That’s busking.” Wright started the Buskers festival 14 years ago after several years of running the Festival of Romance, an outdoor summer arts celebration in Christchurch. Today’s event has come a long way from the first one, which she describes as “really awful.” “I had hardly any money and the performers I was able to get here weren’t really the types of performers I wanted to present,” she recalled. “Some were a bit dodgy. As I became more and more educated about street performance styles and what this audience liked and what worked well with this festival, I became really good at quickly analyzing shows.” The success of the festival has not gone unnoticed among buskers. Wright now receives some 300 to 400 applications a year from people wanting to perform. She also spends about three months of the year attending various festivals. Wright tries to combine her visits to busker events with attendance at jazz fests, since for the past six years she has also been producing the Christchurch International Jazz Festival. It is, she says, the largest jazz gathering in New Zealand. “I’ll go to about 10 festivals, both jazz and buskers, from the end of May to mid-July in the northern hemisphere,” she said. “I’ll mix them up and wherever it’s easiest to get to. Sometimes I’m just looking at the way they put their program together.” Visitors to Christchurch should pick up a free program which lists the venues and times for the performances. It also profiles each of the performers. More information about the festival can be found on the Web at www.worldbuskersfestival.com. If you want to take a break from watching the performances, Christchurch is a city waiting to be explored. Many of the shows take place in Cathedral Square, the heart of the city with the Christ Church Cathedral serving as a backdrop. Another way to take in much of the city is to take a hot-air balloon ride or enjoy a gondola ride to the top of Christchurch’s extinct volcano. The gondola is a little way out of town but can be easily reached by car or bus. Other attractions outside the central city include the International Antarctic Center, where visitors can experience a snow and ice blizzard as well as ride on a Hagglund tracked snow cat, the Orana Wildlife Park (New Zealand’s largest conservation park), and the New Brighton Pier. Want more? How about whale watching, swimming with dolphins, taking a relaxing ride around the central city on the Christchurch Tramway or renting a bicycle and pedaling around the city. Within walking distance of Cathedral Square is Hagley Park, the Botanic Gardens, the Art Centre and Art Gallery, the Canterbury Museum, the Christchurch Casino and plenty of trendy cafes and eateries. Depending on when you visit, you might catch a rugby game or cricket match at nearby Jade Stadium. Plan your trip to coincide with the festival and you’ll likely find yourself planning activities around the schedules of your favorite performers. You’ll likely find yourself going back for repeat performances. Wright admits she still gets a kick out of the performances.
Back to TheTraveler.
|
