London street performers now accept contactless payments

Buskers in London earn more for their performances by accepting contactless card payments.

Financial technology giant iZettle and the City of London have recently introduced the Busk in London program. Busk in London helps street performers make the most of every show. Passing the hat may soon be an act of nostalgia as the partnership provides buskers in all 32 London boroughs with iZettle card readers. The card readers can be set to a specific amount. So every tap of a card creates a donation of that set amount. The card readers also accept chip and pin payments and connect to a variety of wearable devices.

The Mayor of London Sadiq Khan says that the Busk in London program supports emerging artists in an age of ubiquitous technology. Fewer people use cash, and contactless payments help artists focus on their performance. Making art more accessible is an ongoing project for smart cities around the globe.

Tech innovation is of course at the root of a number of new approaches. A museum and two agencies in New York worked together to livestream a variety of art events. Five exhibitions, over one hundred artworks, and special events and performances were part of the show. The livestreaming was broadcast from a mix of venues, helping to reach as broad an audience as possible. Another method of expanding the audience for art is through virtual reality (VR). A new performance piece combines dance and VR. The four-minute-long dance piece captured the performers from a variety of angles using a depth sensor and custom software. At the same time, hundreds of photos of building interiors created the 3D backgrounds.

What aspects of inclusivity need an artistic perspective and new approaches?