Vienna

I am a Street artist from Vienna.

As we all know, Vienna and Austria are less progressive than the rest of the world. We are always behind the ball for everything political, and so it continues this way in the street art scene. But, never the less, our cities are about to wake up.

In the last few years, some groups and solo artists have started to work as street artists; musicians and circle shows. People have start sharing training rooms and knowledge and we start to build more networks and associations.

One of a new associations is:

Street Artists from Vienna: www.streetartistsfromvienna.com

We are a self-managed, nonprofit, cross-marketing platform of professional street artists. On the one hand it is a marketing platform, on the other, it displays the talent and the variety of local artists work and people who perform as buskers in Vienna.

The further aim will be to work on advocacy for street artists in Vienna regarding the local rules. To perform on the streets in Vienna is still miserable. Many rules make it unattractive and impossible to perform in the capital city of Austria.

To really complicate the matter for circle shows, it is forbidden to use amplifiers. All kind of amplifiers are banned; for music, instrument and voice. Artists are not free to select their pitch, each slot will be assigned. So, I have never performed in my hometown on the street, except for Busking festivals.

Monthly permits are issued on the last Monday of the preceding month, so you have to be there in person at this day. It is not possible to show up and get your permit when you need it.

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Here is the link to the official Webpage of the city Vienna.

Please keep in mind: Each city in Austria has different rules about street performing licenses. Perhaps this article does not make it very enticing to come to Vienna to work on the street, but we are working on it. Keep your fingers crossed!

Sabine Maringer has been working as a street artist since 2004, starting as a member of Antagon Theatre Action. Founding Belle Etage in 2010 and Compania Tétaté in 2016, performing on national and international Busking festivals. Founding the Street Artist association Street Artists from Vienna in 2016. Educated drama teacher and cultural manager and lightning technician as Street Artists focusing on acting, acrobatic and body theatre.

For everybody who understands German here is an article she wrote about street theatre, in a German magazine for new circus arts in Vienna, published in December.

Visit her web pages here:

Belle Etage : www.belleetage-stelzentheater.com

Compania Tétaté : www.strassentheater.jimdo.com

Streetartists from Vienna: www.streetartistsfromvienna.com

www.facebook.com/BelleEtageVienna