Hi everyone,
I’m on holiday now, so I’ve lined up a few short emails in the meantime.
Note: at the bottom of the email is a pitch for a “Busking Lab”, by Outdoor Arts UK.
I’ll explain why I’m asking this below, but if you are living with some kind of physical or mental disability, however big or small, diagnosed or undiagnosed, please fill in this one-question, anonymous survey:
Okay. I’m deeply ashamed and very embarrassed to be admitting this to you all, but I used to make an awful argument in the early days of my busking advocacy.
It went something like: the best buskers can perform anywhere, so they’ll go wherever they feel welcome. This means that when cities pass heavy busking restrictions, the “only” people who keep busking are “just” street performers who are either homeless or living with disabilities.
I thought I was speaking language that lawmakers would understand and agree with, but in doing so I was being as classist and ableist as the laws I was hoping to prevent. I’m not proud, I regret it and I’m sorry for saying such things.
That argument was wrong for another reason. In doing research for my book I’ve discovered that both the blues and rock and roll were more-or-less invented and inspired by people who were either homeless, disabled or both.
Here are just a few legendary musicians who lived with various physical disabilities, and the year (in the right column) that they were inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame:
I was listening to the book Musicophilia, by Oliver Sacks, in which he mentions that people who are either born with problems with their vision, or develop them at a young age, are far more likely to have “absolute pitch”, the ability to tell exactly how much an instrument is out of tune. In fact, the degree of blindness someone has affects the likelihood that they will be good at playing and understanding music.
I would like to give one example of a street performer who is technically brilliant at what he does. I heard this music fifteen years ago, and was one of the artists who inspired me.
The fact that street performing can provide an income for people from all walks of life is one of its strengths, not a weakness. It’s also a fantastic source of entertainment and community for members of the audience experiencing hardships. Perhaps this is busking’s most wonderful quality.
The chapter of my book that I’m currently writing makes the argument above, but I’m missing data to support it. Thus the survey above.
I’ll end with this video of a man we filmed in Hong Kong back in 2011. We never interviewed the many people watching him, but if the rest of his audience was thinking as I was, then they were tipping him for three reasons.
There was sympathy for him, as he’d had both hands amputated. There was inspiration, in that he was creating something so beautiful and precise with his forearms. And there was a transaction at the end, as people essentially ‘bought’ the sculptures he made.
That’s it for this week. Thanks, and heavy hats,
Nick
The Busking Lab
What is The Busking Lab?
A 4-day intensive workshop
When
Monday 2nd – Friday 6th of March, 2026
Arriving Monday at 5pm, Finishing Friday at 6pm
(exact times may vary)
Where
At 101 Outdoor Arts, Thatcham, RG19 6HN
What you’ll learn:
Strengthen your street performance technique and master the craft of busking! Over four days, you’ll gain a toolkit of skills, frameworks, and principles to create and perform a circle show and confidently pass the hat.
~ How to build an edge (your front row)
~ Crafting a routine that captivates
~ Holding and growing a crowd
~ Hatting with confidence (earning from your audience)
~ Traditional techniques, tips, and tricks from seasoned performers
NASA UK are delighted to have Darryl J Carrington, Hazel Anderson, Rob Sim and Paschale Straiton co-leading The Busking Lab.
Apply Now!
Deadline the 6th of Feb, 2026.
For more info and to apply go to...