The South Street Seaport, New York City

[mnozzolio]

Anyone hear that performers at South Street Seaport in NYC will be charged a $500 fee this year? That seems pretty steep, if it's true. Will they still have the auditions or will they open it to anyone who pays the fee?

[Magic Brian]

That seems ridiculous. Where did you hear this rumor? I can't imagine they would charge people to work down there because if they did I'd be surprised if you'd see anyone working.

[mnozzolio]

A NYC magician on the Yahoo busker group posted that he had received the folowing letter. Here is the quote.

To: South Street Seaport Street Performers:

I hope you all had a great holiday and winter season. As we are counting
down the days to our summer season, we are starting to make
arrangements for our 2004 Street Performer Program.

This year, due to rising costs to sustain the street performing program,
we are incorporating a $500.00 registration fee for all street performers.
This fee will cover all costs associated with personnel to run the program
including administration costs.

Payment must be received by Monday, March 15, 2004 and no "2004"
I.D. badges will be issued until payment is received.

Thanks, and we look forward to another exciting street performing
season."


I'm not identifying the magician because I didn't get his permission. Also, SS Seaport is by audition. Does the permit carry over for more than one year?

[martin ewen]

Solidarity is the only thing that will impress a corp.
(and bad publicity, and anything that threatens profitability)
Unfortunately it only takes one non participant to nix the situation.
Does anyone get substantial income from this place? ie majority of their income?
e-mail them collectively and inform them that due to rising costs in sustaining your lifestyles as performers you will be incorporating a $500 fee per month to cover expenses related to the service you provide them and the added value you bring to their commercial enterprise.
Remind them that your first amendment rights allow you to work in any public place and after consideration you have agreed that an incentive on their part is required to sustain your participation in their business which has until this point been built on a foundation of mutual benefit and goodwill.
Ask them whether they have formulated any commercial alternative to having performers work their property and suggest that perhaps now might be a time to do that. (give them a list of agencies)
Ask them also whether their media/marketing depts have preplanned responses to media inquiries regarding the dramatic increase in their admin costs and the subsequent decline in the entertainment and atmosphere at their venue.
Suggest to them that perhaps the corporate dildo who's brainwave this was should dip his/her toe into the bracing waters of reality before suggesting a textbook form of 'income stream maximization'
that amounts to little more than extortion.
Bid them fairwell.
Contact media, do your own press releases, wait for publication, wait for their 'reassesment'
Or simply look for alternatives and don't work there any more.

[pablo]

I have never paid a fee to perform anywhere, and as long as I'm not a "vendor" I would not consider it.

I would send SS Seaport a brief "f#@k you" letter and find another venue. If every performer did this to venues that expect a "fee", these venues would wake up & smell the coffee in a New York minute.

[Magic Brian]

I got the letter from the Seaport just yesterday after I read and responded to the post.
It is absolutely crazy what they are asking!
I cannot believe they need $500 per performer to cover the costs "associated with personel to run the program including administration costs"!?!
Even at $50 per performer I think it's ridiculous. It's not like it's a goldmine to work down there.
I will be writing a letter to the director, Joan Cooney, explaining that she will not be getting a check for $500 from me. I did not plan on auditioning this year anyway but cannot let her letter go unanswered.
I encourage any other Seaport performers to do the same, sending them a message. They are destroying street entertainment in one of the greatest cities in the world.

[Jim]

I believe S.S.S. is a Rouse company... the same people that own/manage Faneuil Hall/Quincy Market in Boston. I have not heard anything from The Faneuil Hall management yet, but I would not be surprised if they pull something like this.

For the last few years, FH management has been jacking up rents of the merchants and the performers have always feared that we would be the next "revenue stream" they would exploit, er, I mean, explore.

If anyone has more details about South St. Seaport, please share. I'll keep tabs on the Boston situation.

Jim

[martin ewen]

whats joans e-mail
(don't post it here, thats spambait)
drop me a note.
for additional info
how many performers 'work' there
how often, weekends? or weekdays as well.
what are the current rules & regulations (scan the permit and send it me)
I'd enjoy arriving in her world from left field.

[worldwidese]

Before some idiot actually pays the $500 the thing to do is get the media involved. This is something they can use and it will get a lot of reaction from readers/viewers. But first make sure the $500 wasn't a typo- $50 maybe?

Get off your butts and write the facts, headline it something catchy (post your suggestions here?) Label it For Instant Release and email it to all local media.

Anyone anywhere who is against paying fees should act now before the cancer takes hold. Especially with the Rouse Company as they own 50 shopping Centers and 125 mixed use facilities all around the country. Once the fee deal is entrenched, it will be very difficult to roll back. Others will follow.

If there is a lot of media attention, they will be forced to scrap the idea, or at least bring the amount down to something reasonable.

Bring it on!

[martin ewen]

perhaps also, if all these places are in fact linked by the same umbrella corp, use the network that has already had success in modifying heavy handed changes in the status quo.
The muso's union, wasn't it? in Boston who took on the subway guys with some success. Get a liason going with them and see if you can get acces to their media contacts. That story made the new york times and was sympathetic.

[Stretch]

Sell timeshares! :laugh:

[Magic Brian]

Just so you all know, the $500 fee is confirmed, not a typo.

[jugglerjosh]

To Whom it May Concern,

Hi, my name is Josh and I have been a street performer at the South Street Seaport in New York City since 1992. The South Street Seaport is one of the largest tourist attractions in the city, and the street performing program is similar to the ones at Fanieul Hall, Pier 39, Harborplace and other cities in the United States.

The performers in the program have recieved a letter from the administration asking for a fee in order to return as a performer this year. This is an unprecedented request, and no such policy exists at any other street performing program in the country. The management, the Rouse Corporation, sent the letter without meeting with the performers beforehand and requested the fee by the 15th of March.

For most of the performers this is a financial burden that they cannot afford. The street performers, after passing the audition to work at the South Street Seaport, are not paid and earn money only passing the hat. Many, myself included, depend on this income for our livelyhood.

Several of the performers have already made phone calls, sent emails, written letters and gone to the offices in person to protest this fee.

I called the AFLCIO local 802 musicians union in New York City, and one of their representatives, Mr. Joe Eisman, spoke with thier lawyers. After doing so, they graciously wrote a letter of support for the performers to the South Street Seaport, and did so pro bono, without requesting a fee.

The lastest news is that the South Street Seaport has extend the deadline and also has begun a negotiation over the requested fee.

I also spoke Mr. Stephen Baird at Communityartsadvocates.org, who after mentioning a administrative case at Fanieul Hall in Boston last year, mentioned several courses of action such as contacting the ACLU, CCR, local media and politicians.

On monday, March 15th, the date of the original deadline, I'm also going in to speak with the South Street Seaport management.

My stance, and that of several of the other performers in the program is that the requested fee be recinded.

It would set a precedent for the Rouse corporation, and the program, that has been highlighted in South Street Seaport Advertising as the premier acts in the country, would be asking the performer to pay in order to pass the hat. The performers do not recieve wages from the South Street Seaport.

Many well known variety acts began their career as Street Performers, which I regard as one of the Hallmarks of a Free Society.

Letters of support can be written to:

South Street Seaport Management
19 Fulton Street
New York City, New York

I'll continue posting about the South Street Seaport Street Performing program as the event unfolds.

Best Regards, Josh Weiner

[jugglerjosh]

To Whom it May Concern,

The South Street Seaport Management, the Rouse Company, has requested a $500 fee for all returning performers for the 2004 season.

This fee is unaffordable to most of the performers in the program, myself included.

According to another peformer in the program, the Seaport also intends to downsize the performers in the program from it's roster of 40-50 acts to 20-30.

Mr. Stephen Baird at communityartsadvocates.org mentioned concern that the performers keep a cohesiveness. He stated that if one performer pays the $500 fee than it would make it very difficult for the rest of the performers.

The dialogue is now of a reduced fee between $50 and $200 per performer.

My stance is that the performers must not pay $1 because it would set a precedent that could be increased in future years.

We must not be shortsighted in what the fee would mean to Street Performers in the future at the South Street Seaport as well as on the other Rouse company properties.

There has never been such a policy at the South Street Seaport in the history of the program. I have been in the Street Performer Program since 1992.

There will be a support meeting on Friday, March 19th, 2004:

South Street Seaport Support Meeting
Meet at 19 Fulton Street
South Street Seaport, New York City
1:00pm

Letters of Support can be written to:

Joan Cooney
Michael Piazzola
Jay Pearly
Andrea Friedland
South Street Seaport Management
19 Fulton Street
New York City, NY 10038


Best Regards, Josh

[Magic Brian]

I've been on the other side of the world in Australia for the last month - what happened with the meeting?

[jugglerjosh]

To Whom It May Concern,

I had a meeting with Joan Cooney, Andrea Friedland and Michael PIazzola on Monday March 15th . We talked for about a hour about the requested $500 fee for street performers at the South Street Seaport.

The fee is unprecedented an the program at the seaport and is unaffordable to many who work there, myself included.

The only common ground we had was the idea of a Street Perfromers Festival as a fundraiser for the program. Then sposorship for the program whould be for the event and administrative costs.

I said that I'd volunteer for getting an event together, Several performers have already responded that they would work on the project of a festival also.

I recieved info for Mr. Robert Nelson that I'm passing along to the management.
My stance is still that the requested fee must be withdrawn.


I contacted the AFLCIO local 802 who sent a support letter pro bono. After recieving the letter , there was talk of a negotiated fee.

The NYCLU also asked for info that I sent to a lawyer there who said that the issue is if the thoroughfare is a public or private space.

The letter was sent without a meeting with the performers beforehead and without a meeting about the fee since.

Performers are responding individually and are contacting performers that they know.

Support letters can be written to :
South Street Seaport Management
19 Fulton Streeet, 2nd Floor
NYC,NY 10038

Best Regards, Josh Weiner

[Irina]

Wow! I've been painting faces in Seaport since 1993, and a couple of years ago a Tatto-You or something Co rented vending spot there, so first they started doing this little temp-tattoos, next thing - they kicked out all face-painters out of the main circle near the stage, and from what I heard -they will not allow it anymore....Next thing you know - it will be a juggling Co and clowning Co, balloon-vendors, magicians working for magic-kit-selling Co etc etc...Capitalizm Rules! What are we gonna do about it?

[jugglerjosh]

Dear Irina,

Face painter Nancy Lyon mentioned the same. Apparently, the tattoo/henna folk pay rent for the cart that they have at the Seaport. So, they then requested that their competition be moved elsewhere.

The other locations on the peir apron or entrance away from the cart and did not interfere during their business hours could be requested for scheduling.

The South Street Seaport Street Performer program is still in limbo about the $500 fee requested from returning performers.

The Seaport is now talking of possible downsizing of the number of acts on their roster.

I contacted the AFLCIO Local 802 who sent a support letter. The ACLU said that the legal issue is whether or no the performing is on Public or Private property.

Letters or support and objection to the $500 requested fee can be written to:
South Street Seaport Management
19 Fulton Street , 2nd Floor
New York , NY 10038

The common ground of having a Street Performing festival to fundraise for the program is in the works.

Best Regards, Josh

[Irina]

What we should do, I guess, is to write an opened letter the the administration if the Seaport with carbon copies to all NYC major papers and TV/radio stations. Robert Lederman, the leader of the ARTIST group may have a list of them all, addresses, e-mails etc - he have been fighting for the rights of the street artists in NYC for a long time...The link to his web-site is on the openairmarkets - either .org or .net - I can try to get in touch with him, but i am on the road and don't have net-access all the time - and English is my second language...so if somebody living in NYC and having computer at home could catalyse this situation - it would be much easier. Look, the same happened with Pier 39 in San Fran, now they don't even let you work at Pier 41 anymore. Of course. Seaport is a private property, but they advertise it as public space and may want good PR.

I wonder - can we use this billboard as a way to collect signatures from street performers all over under any kind of petitions? It may be a step to Buskers Trade Union...

[jugglerjosh]

Dear Irina,

The more support the better.

In my last conversation with AFLCIO Local 802 with Mr. Eisman , he suggested that we protest with the big inflateable rat that they have for union disputes. Had out flyers about the situation and contact local media.

The Seaport has NOT been established as either public or private property, and that is exactly the issue. The NYCLU mentioned that the legal stance, and the performers rights to perform there are whether the thoroughfare is public or public property.

There is a Seaport Street Performers Festival and fundraiser for the program, that has now been approved by administration.

The deadline for the requested fee has been extended. If it is not resolved, then contacting local media and other performers is what the performers need to do next.

I'll write a group support letter to e-mail and have sent around the internet.

Best Regards, Josh

p.s. Communitysadvocates.org

[Butterfly Man]

Sanbon no Ya


Once upon a time in ancient feudal Japan there was a famous daimyo named Motonari Mothouri who had three sons. He was very frail and knew that his death was near. After his death, Motonari Mothouri knew his sons would probably decide to go their separate ways. He knew that one of his sons, named Magimoche, loved the beautiful mountains near Brookoma. Another son, named Juggjoshi had always spoken of the gorgeous rivers surrounding Mattahatanna. He knew, however, that his third and eldest son, named Jimshowagawa, would be the smart one and remain home to eventually replace him as head of the Mothouri estates.

Before they left for their respective journeys, the decrepit father gathered all three of his sons together and handed each one of them an arrow. “Break this”, said Mothouri. All three sons easily broke the single arrow with one snap. Then Mothouri handed each one of his sons a bundle of three arrows. Again, crippled, old Mothouri said, “Break this”. But no matter how hard each one of his sons tried, no one of them was able to break all three arrows at once.

Then the ancient and pathetic Mothouri said to them, “Each of you represents a single arrow. No matter how difficult the problem of downsizing you face, no matter how seemingly impossible the task of coming up with five hundred koban, no matter how much you might despair when confronted with insurmountable autocratic adversity, you will always have your brothers.”

The frail and feeble old man then added, “If you act alone, you can easily be defeated. But, if you stick together you will become strong and you will eventually succeed at whatever it is that you desire or like me, you will die a slow and painful death on Veniciku Beach.

This is the famous teaching of the three arrows.

[jugglerjosh]

To Whom it May Concern,

I spoke with Andrea Friedland at the South Street Seaport who has told me that management has agreed to drop the $500 fee.

Additionally, the South Street Seaport is going have a Street Performing Festival this August for the program.

Thanks to all who have voiced their concerns and support for the performers here in New York City.

Best Regards, Josh

[jugglerjosh]

Please read and support this cause with a signature at the bottom of this letter:


To The South Street Seaport Administration,

We are writing this letter felt to voice our concerns regarding the recent policy changes that are being considered to with the South Street Seaport Street Performing Program.

To begin with, the Seaport Management had no meeting with the street performers in the program before sending out the letter requesting this unprecedented fee. The performers had to individually respond to the request, and many who cannot afford the fee were unable to do so. We respectfully consider ourselves part of the South Street Seaport organization and many of us care about its well-being, and therefore feel it appropriate to have a meeting of all concerned when issues of major importance are being considered. The initial March 15th fee deadline has been extended, due to communications and meetings from performers in the program and due to support pro bono by the AFL-CIO Local 802.

We feel that the $500 requested fee is inappropriate. No such policy exists at any other street performing program in the country. It would set a precedent for the Rouse corporation, and the program, that has been highlighted in South Street Seaport Advertising as being the premier acts in the country, would be asking the performers to pay in order to pass the hat. This precedent would then allow implementation in other cities. The Rouse Corporation benefits greatly from the free performances given by all variety of buskers which contribute to the vitality of the marketplace and Seaport experience.

Many well known variety acts began their career as Street Performers, which is one of the Hallmarks of a Free Society. It is a tradition in the United States that dates to colonial times, and in recorded history
throughout the world. Many great performers began their careers on the street, and certainly quite a few were not very good when they started. For some it has been a place to develop their act, and for others it is their way of life by choice. We hope that the Seaport remains the supportive atmosphere which allows performers to grow.

We urge you to drop the requested fee and allow the program to continue as it has been since it's inception at the South Street Seaport.

Signed,

Josh Weiner, Seaport Performer
Jeff Mosche, Seaport Performer
Steven Maginnis, Supporter
Ray Hoffman, Former Seaport Performer
Hal Weiner, Attorney, Photographer
Carol Miyamoto, Retired Teacher
Anthony Francis, The Hermitage of St. John of the Cross
Jennifer Dinoia, Performer
Joe Castine, Seaport Performer
Dorothea Murray, Lincoln University, Supporter
Carol Drazen, Supporter
Irina Filatova, Seaport Performer
Mega Flash, Seaport Performer
Emily Eng, Principal, Transfiguration Kindergarten Church
Andy Eisner, Attorney
Tylerfyre, Performer
Cindy Marvell, Lazer Vaudeville, Performer

* We would like to acknowledge Stephen Baird of Community Arts Advocates, AFLCIO Local 802, and Music Under New York for their support and efforts on our behalf.

[Funny Lady Las Veg]

I am new here, but not to ROuse. i have a 21 year history with them and they trip me out !!! I also perform as Honeybunch the Clown. I don;t even kow where to start with this ... my battles with them are so long and so annoying ! I have worked at 4 of their properties. On of them for almost a year every week four days running for pay. That deal was the biggest, most unethical thing i have ever experienced as an entertainer, but I was very green then and didn't know any better. The story is WAY too long. But trust me, it was bad. AS a street performer, I worked at Underground Atlanta, from it's inception, for about 2 years. I didn;t know Rouse then, and the way things were going, you'd have that thought this place was trying to work out bugs of a new business. The only valid question we had as street performers was a legal issue with the city, where they were trying to make us licensed. That failed. But th way we were handled, or mishandled by mgmt was excuseless !!!! Lord, for all the crp they put us thru !!! One day they just walked in and put us all out. Don;t reallyknow why, except thy had pissed off all the vendors with the balloon people and tarot card readers. We got back in after some discussion, but it was always a fight. They caused major in-fighting between performers because of a poorly handled scheduling system, that was easily rectifiable, but they rejected our input and suggestions, lest the lunarics begin running the asylum ! This is very important for you all to note, charging for performing IS NOT new, with Rouse. It was tried and done at Underground. I don't know all the specifics, and one of their malls. I know someone personally, who paid the damned fee. I am going to try contacting them today and find out the deals on it for you all. If you think their handling of us is rotten, try being a vendor. I ave a personal connection to oneat Underground, to whom sell jewelry that I hand make. i have been a craftsperson for years and one of the kiosk carts at Underground sells my stuff. Don't feel like the lone ranger, folks, Rouse is Rouse. When I worked at one of their malls, I was completely ill treated by mgmt. withso many games and unethical ractices, that you;d think i'd learn to avoid them. Well, I do have one "in" to them, a mgr., I have worked with at all the properties. Privately he sides with perfromers but wears a "game face" as a company man ! There was a mall I couldn;t get in to here as a performer, I didn't know it was Rouse affiliated. It doesn't show the Rouse name on the mgmt ofc door and I didn;t check it out before I pitched them. Like a dumbell. I went right in there and promoted myself, only to get a NASTY email from some heifer in their organization ! Bottom line with Rouse is money, real revenue. They don;t see the value in promotions, per se, and they don't see people, not even shoppers or clients, just how much money every thing is worth. Dollar signs, and nothing else. They care only so far as if they can get sued over something and if there is one more nickel they can get. I feel so bad for everyone at Seaport. I know this isn't going to end well. I just have a feeling they won't let it go. When I was at Underground, one of the managers said in a meeting once that the performers made too much money and that the street performer's program was really only for people "like us" to make "extra" money. It was never intended to be a substansial income or support us totally. Extra over what ... eating ad living indoors ? This isn't a vanity job for me, meaning I do not do this to attract attention to a nacissistic me, I do it to live. So why did you attract us to the venue, if not to work ? And then when we all were going out to work at other places, threaten to ban us off the property if we didn't support them. And so many other games. I wil heck in to this pay for space thing oday ad if and when I get answers i will send them along. Honeybunch aka Funny Lady Las Vegas

[jugglerjosh]

Dear Friends,

The South Street Seaport had dropped the $500 fee requested by the performers.

Additionally there will be a Street Festival in August.

The other news is that of "streamlining" the program to 25 people this year, which is half of what it has been in previous years.

This is something I was concerned about, especially for the face painters and balloon artists who are in competition with the vendors on the pier who pay rent for their carts.

Has this happened in other cities?

Best Regards, Josh

[Funny Lady Las Veg]

Ditto, buddy ... same stuff at all the properties I've worked at. At Underground, there were a variety of games to cull the pack of us. And they seriously limited our time and there were the problems with vendors, exactly like I have read up here. One particular manager was particularly rude and nasty. The worse thing they ever did was to make it so we had to go in on Monday morning and sign the schedule book, and it was first come first served. We were arriving at 7am to wait for the office to open, so we could get in to do it early and get a spot. Without warning, we were informed, after we had been going early for 3 months, that we were tresspassing, and if we didn't leave we would be arrested. We protested and wereassured delaing leaving would get us put in jail. We did leave, and the security guard helped us out, by showing us where we could wait out of eyeshot if the cameras on the property. 5 minutes before the office opened, he came and got us and we were still first. They could have issued a memo telling us not to be on the property until right before the office opened. After that we would wait just outside and sprint to the schedule book. They had every one of us at each other's throats. They finally figured out a system, but by the time they did, they had made us all bad friends. Personally, if it was the only place to work or the only game in town, I'd find something else. I don't know how you stand it. Honeybunch

[jugglerjosh]

Dear Funny Lady Las Veg,

It's good that it worked out in the end in Las Vegas.

The South Street Seaport is by audition and then scheduling by the performers is requested each month. There are scheduled spots and times for each performer.

Is there a reduction of the number of performers, a streamlining, of the buskers in other cities?

Best Regards, Josh

[Funny Lady Las Veg]

Underground was by auditiion and there was a schedule request plan, but we had to bid and no guarantees. Pretty much the same as Seaport. Last time I spoke to anyone who works there at Underground Atlanta, it was same stuff, different day. I am laughing as I right this part, they pretty mch held auditions to make sure you didn't have lice. They allowed people access, who didn;t need to be there ! And they strongly wanted to ditch the saw player ... quaint old man about 80, played the saw. I don't remember his name anymore, but when ( And I am still ROTFLMAO ) we started having trouble ith the vendors, it was almost like providence stepping in to show 'em ! Lord that man was noisy, He could even play Stairway To Heaven and Free Bird and as that was back in the day, it would absolutely rain money on him ! Gee, if i close my eyes, I can almost hear him ! He had a tape he sold so you could annoy your friends. He was a nutty old dude and he loved coming down to play with us. I know he was still there when I left to come and live in Las Vegas, but he surely is deceased now. Just the thought of the vendors being cruel to the performers, being paid back by him makes me giggle. Mgmt just let him rock ! I am chuckling fondly at the thought ... You think they were trying to get rid of some of the vendors ? Giggle giggle hee hee hee ! Honeybunch

[Stretch]

I'd buy the tape! What a hoot!