Busking Scheme: Terms & Conditions

The National Arts Council’s (“NAC”) issuance of the Letter of Endorsement (“LOE”) to you is conditional on your acceptance of the following T&Cs applicable to NAC's Busking Scheme:

General Terms and Indemnity

1. By accepting this LOE, you agree that:

a.      You have satisfied all Eligibility and Assessment Criteria stated on the busking website. If, at any point during the validity of your LOE, you no longer satisfy the Eligibility Criteria for application to the Busking Scheme, NAC reserves the right to immediately cancel or suspend the LOE.

b.      Your LOE is personal to you and not transferrable.

c.      You shall report any lost or stolen LOE to the Police and NAC immediately.

d.      You shall obtain, at your cost, all necessary licenses, permits and approvals for the use of any materials (dangerous or otherwise), equipment, props, and/or intellectual property (including but not limited to copyright and composer's fees) during the busking act.

e.      You shall be liable for and shall indemnify and hold NAC and Venue Partners harmless from and against all claims, demands, losses, damages, penalties, expenses and liability of any kind arising from your acts, omissions or negligence.

f.      Although NAC and Venue Partners have taken steps to ensure that the busking locations provide you a safe environment, neither NAC nor Venue Partners shall be responsible for any loss, damage to property, physical illness, injury or death you encounter while busking or otherwise arising from busking under the Busking Scheme, to the extent permissible under Singapore law.

Compliance with Law

2. A busking LOE is an endorsement from NAC for the person(s) specified in the LOE to be exempted from obtaining a Public Entertainment License in order to perform in public, based on passing an Audition. Aligned with the Public Entertainments Act 1958 , read together with the Public Entertainments (Exemptions) Order, the following conditions must therefore be complied with:

a.      Busking should only take place at a place designated by NAC, after first confirming slots by booking or balloting via the Busking E-service.

i.            There should not be any sale or purchase of busking slots.

ii.            Buskers should not book slots on behalf of other buskers.

b.      The LOE must be displayed conspicuously. Buskers must provide their LOE along with other forms of identification documents (e.g. NRIC/passport) for verification by the authorities, personnel of NAC’s Venue Partners and NAC's appointed management agency, as required.

c.      Buskers should not obstruct, or cause obstruction to, pedestrian or vehicular traffic.

d.      Buskers should not actively solicit any donation, display any signboards or collaterals that are used for the purposes of touting, fundraising or soliciting for any gratuity from the public, or promote any entity or cause with or without advertising collaterals.

e.      Buskers should not price any items/merchandise for sale (i.e. hawking).

f.      Buskers should not use any sound amplification device, other than those that are battery-operated. The sound level generated from the busking act should not exceed the decibel levels stated on the Busking E-service for each location.

g.      The busking act performed should not substantially differ from what was endorsed in the Audition in style and/or substance. This is including but not limited to the following:

i.            Difference in art form or instruments used;

ii.            Difference in group members or performers.

3. In the interest of public safety and order, buskers should not engage in or display any of the following behaviours during busking acts:

a.      Behaviour that interrupts the busking acts of other buskers, and/or causes alarm or distress to members of the public, including audience members and other buskers. Such behaviour includes, but is not limited to, fighting, harassment, damaging of property, vandalism, endangering public safety, and indecent exposure;

b.      Refusing to comply with directions or guidelines from Venue Partners, on-site Managing Agents, and/or NAC-appointed representatives, vendors or agencies (e.g. security officers); and/or

c.      Behaviour or speech that:

i.            Is vulgar or obscene;

ii.            Is derogatory to or defamatory of any third party;

iii.            Brings disrepute to or prejudices NAC in any way whatsoever;

iv.            Advocates or lobbies for lifestyles seen as objectionable by the general public;

v.            Denigrates or debases a person, group or class of individuals on the basis of race or religion, or serves to create conflict or misunderstanding in our multicultural and multi-religious society;

vi.            Undermines the authority or legitimacy of the government and public institutions, or threatens the nation’s security or stability; and/or

vii.            Has a political or religious agenda or proselytises any particular faith, save in accordance with the law.

4. In the above situations stated in Clause 2 and 3, contingent on the outcome of investigations by enforcement agencies, and depending on the severity and circumstances of each incident, NAC reserves the right to take a range of actions on the errant busker, including but not limited to:

a.      Suspending access to the booking of busking timeslots for the period of investigation by enforcement agencies;

b.      Immediately cancelling or suspending the LOE; and/or

c.      Legal action.