Application Information
Welcome!
Berkshire Busk! is a summer event in Great Barrington, MA, where street performers (you!) will perform in designated areas in the early evenings of Friday and Saturday.
We schedule a wide range of performers, diverse in age, race, skill, and genre -- from bands to jazz and classical music, spoken word, dance, jugglers and more. We welcome your participation!
You are welcome to apply to the 2024 season at any time. The majority of our summer season is already booked; however, we frequently pull from our list of new applicants in the event of cancellations or other new opportunities.
Thanks!
Busker Rules of the Road
Dear Busker,
As a busker/performer at Berkshire Busk!, you (and the members of your group) will be a guest of the Town of Great Barrington and Berkshire Busk! The following are our “rules of the road” which are meant to create a wonderful experience for all performers and the audience.
Amplification: You will bring your own battery powered amplifier as electric outlets will not be available. Please use your judgment about volume levels, but since there will be other performers nearby, please be mindful. If you are
asked by a Berkshire Busk! staff to lower the volume, you will do so (with a smile.)
Props: You may bring/use props, instruments, signs and costumes. However no weapons or anything that could appear to be a weapon of any type are allowed. You may not use fireworks or fire of any kind in your performance, nor include any potentially dangerous audience participation.
Location: We will assign you to a specific location to perform, which will be marked by traffic cones and other elements, identifying where you will set up.
Non-appearance: If you do not show up for a date or time when you have been confirmed to perform, you will forfeit any future performing slots you have been assigned. If you cannot appear, you will make the best effort to let us know at least 72 hours in advance, so we have time to find a replacement.
Signage: We will not have a whiteboard at the busker station for you to write on. You are expected to prepare a sign in advance with your name, your PayPal, Venmo account or a QR code.
Publicity, Social Media and Live-Streaming: You give consent for us to use descriptive information you have provided us, or that we have obtained from your website/Facebook or Instagram site about your group, and any photos or artwork you provided us, to promote Berkshire Busk! and your participation in it, as well as the right to broadcast and/or live-stream your performance on the radio, television or the Internet.
Manners/COVID: You agree to refrain from using profanity, slander or obscene language in your act or towards other participants and will be courteous to spectators, and fellow performers. You agree to abide by
whatever State of Massachusetts guidelines that are in effect, which can be found at https://www.mass.gov/info-details/covid-19-updates-and-information.
Alcoholic Beverages/Legal Drugs: Drinking alcoholic beverages or using legal or illegal drugs during your performance isn’t allowed.
Don’t leave a trace: You will be performing in front of stores, churches and public buildings. As such, you agree to clean up your space when you leave, throw any garbage in the nearest town garbage can, and return the space to the condition it was when you arrived.