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fuzzarelly
Joined: 12 Dec 2004
Posts: 27
Location: Aus
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 Posted: Mon Aug 22, 2005 3:04 am Post subject: Busking in Taiwan? |
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hello there!
Im thinking about busking in asia when i go travelling and teach in Taiwan... playing djembe and didgeridoo
Would a 'white guy' doing this be recieved and accepted? would the police give me troubles?
i heard they dig it in Japan and you can make some decent money....
anyone wantta share their thoughts and experiences?
peace
FuzzZzzz |
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markholmes
Joined: 21 Jun 2004
Posts: 661
Location: Wengehua
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| Posted: Mon Aug 22, 2005 6:09 am Post subject: |
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I remember a few foreign buskers in Japan, a couple were Peruvian or Bolivian pan pipe bands. I also saw a British guy do a one man band act in Kobe (a one man band act is a weird English thing where the guy plays guitar and harmonica, whilst similtaneously playing a drum and cymbals strapped to his back by pulling strings attached to his feet!!!!!!!).
So yes it seems ok in Japan, not sure about Taiwan. I can't remember any in Taiwan, although I seem to remember a guy on the TV show 'English Teachers' doing it. I can't remember what happened to him. |
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Aristotle
Joined: 16 Jan 2003
Posts: 1388
Location: Taiwan
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| Posted: Mon Aug 22, 2005 7:32 am Post subject: |
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Non Chinese artist with work permits and ARC's are routinely harassed and deported by the occupational government.
Artist are welcome on Taiwan by the occupational government but only if they are of the greater "Chinese race".
For those of us that are what the Taiwan government perceives as the lesser races, take your chances.
Taipei seems to be the most tolerant but even still there are crack downs on cultural pollution on Taiwan by the Foreign Affairs Police. All public performances by non Chinese on Taiwan must be pre approved by the Ministry of Education. If a non Chinese person on Taiwan makes any public political statements they will be fined, deported and/or arrested by the occupational government.
There was an artist recently deported for performing at a public function at the invitation of the occupational government(Scott Ezell) .
I would strongly recommend that you contact your elected Representative back home who installed this government and communicate to them how you and your culture is perceived by the occupational government on Taiwan.
Good luck, you are going to need it!
A. |
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clark.w.griswald
Joined: 06 Dec 2004
Posts: 2056
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| Posted: Tue Aug 23, 2005 1:46 am Post subject: |
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| Aristotle wrote: |
| Non Chinese artist with work permits and ARC's are routinely harassed and deported by the occupational government. |
Once again this is incorrect.
The fact is that many foreigners perform at bars and other venues during their time off and nothing is ever done about this - even though these foreigners are technically in breach of their working conditions here. Just go on a bar crawl almost any weekend in the bigger cities and you will see foreign performers hard at work and in the public view. They are not harassed nor are they deported.
Aristotle is once again exaggerating based upon a single case in which a foreigner was deported apparently based upon the fact that he was performing without a relevant permit. For more information about Scott Ezell's case please read this article.
Scott's is the only case of a deportation of a westerner based upon breach of his work permit by undertaking a public performance. I feel sorry for Scott and I feel that what happened to him was unfair and obviously based upon personal prejudice. It seems clear that Scott had managed to get a local foreign affairs police officer offside. It was suggested by one person who seems to have lived in the area, that Scott was one of a group of foreigners that were well known to the local police for other activities, and that the police took this opportunity to get rid of 'a thorn in their side.'
I don't know. I wasn't there. But what I do know is that Aristotle is wrong when he suggests that foreigners are routinely harassed and deported for this breach of labor conditions. They are not, and he is full of it.
| Aristotle wrote: |
| All public performances by non Chinese on Taiwan must be pre approved by the Ministry of Education. |
This statement is misleading.
The fact is that foreigners are only permitted to work for the employer stated on his or her ARC. It is possible to undertake work for other employers, either paid or unpaid, but you must first add the name of this employer to your ARC to ensure that you are working legally.
In the case of performances, it would not be practical to add this information to your ARC as the venues may change constantly. Therefore, performers are required to obtain a performance permit, which to the best of my knowledge is free of charge. Therefore the government doesn't approve the performance, they merely provide you with the paperwork to legally perform.
| Aristotle wrote: |
| If a non Chinese person on Taiwan makes any public political statements they will be fined, deported and/or arrested by the occupational government. |
I think Aristotle sometimes confuses China for Taiwan, and this is clearly one of those cases.
Within reason, foreigners can openly protest and make political statements free of any persecution from the government. Just look at the local TV news and you see that it is not uncommon for foreigners to take part in protests of a political or other natures.
The only thing that is likely to get you into hot water would be making public threats against the government, it's ministers, or the president. But that is no different than any other country.
| Aristotle wrote: |
| There was an artist recently deported for performing at a public function at the invitation of the occupational government(Scott Ezell) . |
This was one year ago, and as I mentioned above it does seem that there is clearly more to this story than what Aristotle read in the press. He has developed his opinion on less than the full facts of the case, and it certainly seems to me as if he is selectively using this case to attempt to further his agenda. |
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clark.w.griswald
Joined: 06 Dec 2004
Posts: 2056
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| Posted: Tue Aug 23, 2005 1:48 am Post subject: |
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| Double post |
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