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World Buskers Festival rated one of the best


World Buskers Festival rated one of the best of its kind


The World Buskers Festival starting in Christchurch tomorrow is rated one of the best of its kind anywhere, according to the international performers.

One of the festival’s star attractions Tamara Campbell, who is part of the Shirlee Sunflower Show, said the Christchurch was one of the best in the world.

More than 180,000 people—more than double the numbers who watched the 1999 Rugby World Cup final in Cardiff – are expected to attend the 10th annual festival.

``Christchurch is a wonderful festival and the audience are generous, and very supportive,’’ Australian-based Campbell said.

``For this type of festival it would pretty much be one of the best and the acts are world class.’’

A record crowd is expected to attend the festival from tomorrow through to January 26. The Christchurch City Council core-funded festival is a leading event of its kind in Australasia. Each year the organisers get more than 100 applications from international acts hoping to secure one of the spots.

Twenty-four clever and funny acts by 34 artists from around the world will provide the festival’s 300 street and stage shows.

It will be a major drawcard for overseas tourists and New Zealand holidaymakers.

One of the most unusual acts will be Planet Banana- a comedy duo from Brazil and the USA.

Other feature performances will come from the Dutch acrobatic balancing duo Amar, the Russian circus-trained acrobatic comedians Coexistence and the juggling comedy duo The Individuals and the American dancing duo Blackstreet Boyz.

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Also attracting major attention will be : Sublimit (Japan), Hotnuts and Popcorn (Canada), Dan the One man Band and the human statue Jean D'Arc, British duo Skatenaked, Fraser Hooper, mobile muralist Jon Hicks, Peter Mielniczek, the American yo yo guy John Higby, the graceful German mime artist Ulrich Gottlieb, Aussie acrobat Judith Lanigan, The Rhonda Movement with their Drumhead show, the Shirlee Sunflower show, the dancing feet of Andy Zap, the intriguing Rumpelstiltskin, statue act Mathew Flinders and New Zealanders Patrick Duffy's Gargoyle and Nick Nickolas.

Festival director Jodi Wright said last year’s crowd of 180,000 people was up 20 percent on 2001.

The growth in the event has been staggering after only 8000 people saw the first festival in 1994.

Christchurch City Council’s annual resident survey in March found the Buskers event one of the most popular among the city’s people.

A post festival education expo featuring tutors and performers from the Christchurch Polytechnic Institute and Technology’s school of circo arts and the festival will be staged at the Christchurch Town Hall on January 28.

© Scoop Media

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