Pull of laughter = record crowds
Christchurch's street layout and the generosity of its audiences are key reasons for the growing success of the City Council-supported World Buskers Festival, organiser Jodi Wright says.
This January's event set new benchmarks for crowds and sponsorship and attracted several festival directors from other cities wanting to examine its success. At some events, Ms Wright's team was having to turn away latecomers.
The festival fits with several of the Council's key goals and this year it was awarded $125,000 from the CCC. Alan Bywater, the Council's Recreation and Community Policy Leader, says the foremost reason is that it's a great ever-changing attraction for the people of Christchurch, helping make the city a great place to live.
As well, it helps draw people into the city centre and its vibrancy and colour give people in other centres a good impression of the city. Surveys done of busker crowds in past years suggest about a third of the audience are from outside Christchurch, and about half of those out-of-towners are from overseas.
"Often the colourful entertainers in the festival are photographed with the city's heritage buildings and special environment as a backdrop," Mr Bywater says.
"Together they provide a really great flavour of Christchurch and something that cannot be offered elsewhere in the world. It's the kind of positive exposure nationally and internationally that we probably couldn't buy."
More info about World Buskers Festival is on-line at www.worldbuskersfestival.com
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