Martin Li

    Martin.mouse@163.com

    STREET performers in Futian District are expected to see their guerrilla-style evasions of urban management officers end before September, as the district government unrolls a program to certify public artists of many varieties.

    Government-issued certificates will allow musicians, dancers, singers, painters, craftsmen and others to perform and display their skills in the heart of Futian’s central cultural area, the public square bordered by Shenzhen Library, Shenzhen Concert Hall and Shenzhen Book City CBD store.

    The district hasn’t yet set specific standards or procedures for the certificates or their issuance.

    District officials are planning a cultural development project to turn the public space into an “art ecology square,” providing a legal space for street artists who make a living with their skills.

    The square will be divided into four sections, one each for music, dance, handicraft and painting. The district will provide necessary services and facilities for performances.

    In addition, the district will establish an association for street artists, to put them under unified management.

    The district’s first carnival of street artists is scheduled to be held on the square at the beginning of December, in what could become an annual cultural event. Certified street artists will be joined by well-known street artists from home and abroad for carnival performances, the district’s publicity department said.

    Street artists occupy the public square at Shenzhen Book City CBD store every evening, creating a cultural highlight for Shenzhen. But their performances are illegal and basically half-tolerated by government. Urban management officers occasionally show up and drive illegal performers away.

    “Many street artists are grass-roots people whose music, songs and artwork can reflect a panorama of the masses,” said a resident surnamed Liu. “Street artists are a special symbol of Shenzhen’s culture, and the government should issue related regulations to encourage and guide them.”

    An erhu player from Shaanxi Province, whose surname is also Liu, has made needed cash by playing at the square on weekends for the past seven years. Liu said a certificate and legality would stabilize his income source.

    “Although I can sometimes earn more than 200 yuan (US$32) each day, it is not stable because urban management officers show up and drive me away,” Liu said. “Street singers in the square are popular with local residents, because their professional skills are at a high level.”