Street performers have long been treated as vagrants and bums. But what if street performers were viewed as an ideal model of engagement? In the new economy, we need to enhance our innovative capabilities, and the ability to convert breakdown, disruption, and discord into new ideas and positive outcomes.

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Engagement and the new economy

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Top Performer
The New Rules of Radical Engagement™

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1. The importance of focused energy
2. Shared enthusiasm
3. The fuel of
breakdowns
The Power Of Engagement

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Engage
“to attach by pleasing
qualities...to entangle,
involve, mix up”

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Radical
“going to the root, or
origin; touching or
acting upon what is
essential”

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The cultivation of radical
engagement.

7. Conditions
For
Engagement
Respect
Freedom
Commitment
Trust

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Classic Theater

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Linear. Scripted. Predictable.

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Street Performer

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“Busker”

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“..performing in public spaces for
tips and gratuities..”

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“walk about”

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“cafe performer”

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“circle performer”

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Creative Arts
Good Money
Open Schedule
Freedom
Career Incentives

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The challenge of street
✤ Everyday economic conditions are terrible
✤ Inherently unstable
✤ New material must be constantly written
✤ Fierce competition (originality)
✤ Physically demanding
✤ Weather dependent
✤ Laws and ordinances are restrictive
✤No guarantee of reward

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Why?
• To train yourself in the architecture of engagement
• To practice cultivating powerful partnerships
• To see partnership building as the key to success
• To recognize the value of your circle of influence
• To learn how to gain value out of disruption
• To see greater possibilities in breakdown
Natural Energy Rules • Lead others to recognize their value in partnerships

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Stake Your Claim Build Your Circle Juice the Jam
We assert as our own. Building on connection. Whatever happens
“Step Right Up!” “Let me introduce..” can be a gift.
“This is what I am” “Tell me about you” Choose wisely!
“This is what I believe” “Let’s work together”
What I claiming as my What I want to go How I convert to
own around from this to that

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Street Performers vs.
Top Performers

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Street Performers
Gimmicks. Gags.
Routines. Copied.
Performer-centric.
Monologue.

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Top Performers
Fresh. Inventive.
Passion.Original.
Radical. Audience-
centric. Energy!
Dialogue.

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Claim The Pitch!

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What’s a claim?
Create focus Set the tone Share the goal Invite participation

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Create a focus!
Ask/get their attention
Be present
Provocative and Interesting
“Here I am, this is what I’m about”

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Set the tone...
Establish a tone and energy level
Behavior reflects the audience or
customer that is present
Respectful
Lighthearted

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Share the goal
Where you want to take them
Excitement about what you’re going
to do together (share the thrill)
Let the them know they’re
needed(invitation-you’ll need them)
They get to decide on the level of
involvement

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The price of compliance

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Practicing Claim
Be clear! What do you want?
Are you on a script? Routine?
What’s the tone you’ve set?
Are they involved?

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Scripted or Improvised
Planning and preparation of critical
to Top Performers
Strike a balance
Improvisation becomes a vehicle for
creating new ideas and outcomes
When possible...less control is more

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Build Your Circle

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How to build?
Make Contact Collaboration Violate expectations Deliver and redeliver

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Real Connection - Make Contact

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Real Connection - Make Contact

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“The merit of
originality is not
novelty, it’s
sincerity.”

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Start with a claim, and build your
fame!

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Collaboration requires
sharing control

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They become the stars of the
show!

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Involvement and collaboration...
Shared control
Shared enthusiasm
Make them a star!
Encouragement by engaging

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Trust
I will participate when I trust.
Whomever is here is always treated right
It’s more important to trust them
Good service is a moral action

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Practicing...
Ask yourself “what do you want to
build with your client/customer?”
Are you sharing enthusiasm with
others around you?
Does your guest/customer feel like
an original?
Are you being radical?

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Juice The Jam

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What’s a jam?
Breakdowns Interruptions Disagreements Problems &
miscalculations

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Miscalculations of a jouster
Fear is information - risk remains
Taking hits means getting hurt....
...getting hurt leads to helping each other
The learning curve is quick, and painful

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There are no breakdowns..just big sticks
with lessons attached...Jouster..

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Breakdown

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Choice..

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result

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Every breakdown
contains “juice,” it’s our
choice whether the
juice will be bitter or
sweet.

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When we write scripts or follow comfortable steps and
processes for too long our creative thinking can atrophy.

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There is no substitute for real energy, real enthusiasm.

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Engagement And The New Economy