1 | | Buskers will be made to appear in | | | | |
| | an X Factor-style audition before | | | | |
| | being allowed to perform in a city | | | | |
| | centre. | | | | |
2 | | Nottingham City Council has | | | | |
| | decided to introduce the | | | | |
| | elimination process in an attempt | | | | |
| | to improve the quality of street | | | | |
| | entertainment in the main square | | | | |
| | to the benefit of the general public. | | | | It is thought many beggars ignore |
| | Budding performers will have to | | | | vagrancy laws and avoid arrest by |
| | prove their talent to a panel of | | | | [id:56415] . |
| | judges before being issued special | | 5 | | Under the new scheme, |
| | permits which allow them to busk | | | | anyone caught performing in the |
| | in one of six designated spots. | | | | city centre without a permit, or |
3 | | Baljit Thandi, of the city centre | | | | outside of the designated |
| | management team, said: “We are | | | | performance areas, will be moved |
| | looking to introduce the scheme | | | | on by street wardens or police. |
| | from the end of January and we | | 6 | | “The audition panel will consist |
| | hope to attract street performers | | | | of city centre employees and |
| | with genuine talent who will | | | | members of the public so we get a |
| | [id:56414] .” | | | | good idea of what is appreciated |
4 | | The council came up with the idea | | | | and what isn’t,” Ms Thandi said. |
| | after complaints from retailers and | | | | “That way, rather than a nuisance, |
| | members of the public about pushy | | | | buskers can become a tourist |
| | beggars masquerading as buskers. | | | | attraction.” |