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Rules forcing buskers to give all their earnings to charity over Christmas are being evaluated as part of a bid to help bring more music into town.
Local entertainers and musicians have previously complained of roadblocks in the way of allowing them set St. Helier’s streets alive with music.
The newly-appointed Assistant Minister for Culture, Deputy Montfort Tadier, set about investigating those over summer, telling Express that he’d like to see the island adopt a similar culture of live performances to France.
Now, following a question from Deputy Robert Ward to the Minister for Culture, the three main routes being looked at to make that happen have been unveiled: amplification, fees, and Christmas charity obligations.
Pictured: Deputy Montfort Tadier, Assistant Minister for Culture.
The reply said the £30 fee for buskers' permits “might deter of be excessive for occasional buskers, as well as those who busk solely for charity”, adding that a reduction or waiving of the fee is likely to be introduced on a trial basis.
It added that those using electronic instruments are not permitted to use amplifiers – something which the Assistant Minister was said to have concluded is discriminatory against certain types of musicians.
“For example, it possible for a brass band, with full percussion to be able to play without amplification, whereas a musician with an electric guitar or keyboard would be unable to play at all,” the response to Deputy Ward’s question read.
Finally, the Minister said that the "fairness" of the obligation on buskers to give all their earnings to charity over the Christmas period was being examined and “may be open to a challenge.”
Video: Jersey's youngest ever busker, Seb Kirkby, who entertained town-goers in a bid to raise enough money for a laptop last summer.
The rule is the result of the Guidelines for Busking in Jersey, with which all buskers required to comply. They state that all money raised during the Christmas period must go to charity, including a minimum of 15% to the Joint Charities Appeal, and the rest to the busker's charity of choice.
"...For the Christmas Period all money raised must go to Charity, of which you must donate a minimum of 15% to the Joint Christmas Appeal, the remaining 85% can be to a charity of your choice. During this period the Jersey Arts Centre will control locations and times for Busking and will write to you later in the year," the guidelines read.
Deputy Tadier challenged the Attorney General on whether it was lawful to enforce this rule back in 2015, to which he responded that the requirement was "reasonable and human rights compliant", but could potentially be varied if a request was made illustrating circumstances "that would justify a departure from this long-standing arrangement."
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