Street performers: workers or beggars?

Abstract This paper presents the main features of the interaction between street performers and the audience at different times, locations, and types of art, using the observation method. The results enabled us to note relationships among the observed codes, such as the spectators’ social profile and the kind of art they appreciate and to which they contribute financially. Other aspects that influence the interaction with the artist are the age group of the audience and the geographical location of the performance. The research showed that these artists’ performance is a democratic phenomenon but, generally speaking, these professionals are still seen by the population as beggars, not as people whose artistic career is under construction.