Street Performance World Championship (SPWC)

Introduction
SPWC is an annual competition for the best street performers in the world. It has been held for 3 years and plans are well advanced for the 2009 Championship to be held in both Dublin and Cork.
The venue for the last 3 years is Dublin’s Merrion Square with evening events in Dublin Castle.
The numbers of spectators has increased each year with estimates for attendance in 2008 estimated at 60,000.
The popularity of the venue for performers is now well established among the street performer community across the world. Dublin’s crowds are recognized by the performers as interacting well with the performers and also being generous when the “hat” is passed around.

The Winners

The Festival organisers and the performers themselves are keen to promote the event as a family day out with the competitive element being secondary.
In 2006 and 2007 the judges were (Mary Weir (DCC), Fiona Gleeson (Failte Ireland) and Mike Hogan (FM 104)) but in 2008 the format changed with the spectators voting with voting slips for the winners.
The 2008 Championship had 3 awards – Winner and 2nd and 3rd.

Winners to Date

2006 Space Cowboy
2007 Space Cowboy
2008 English Gents (2nd Space Cowboy, 3rd Beautiful Stu)

Photo Shows Lord Mayor of
Dublin Vincent Jackson with all
2006 Performers

Participants

2008 (13, 14 + 15 June)

• 
  English Gents (England)
• 
  Space Cowboy (Australia)
• 
  Beautiful Stu (England)
• 
  Aerial Angels (USA)
• 
  Amani Acrobats (Tanzania / Somalia)
• 
  Byron (Canada)
• 
  Doctor Marrax (Germany)
• 
  Fraser Hooper (England)
• 
  Katinka (Russia)
• 
  Mario (USA)
• 
  Mr Spin (Australia)
• 
  Senmaru (Japan)
• 
  Sublimit (Japan)
• 
  The Magilligans (Ireland)
• 
  Tumble Circus (Ireland / Sweden)

External Links

• http://www.irishtimes.com/theticket/articles/2008/0613/1213262305734.html
• http://www.visitdublin.com/events/alldublinevents/Detail.aspx?id=235&mid=4273
• http://pix.ie/hazel/589431/in/explore/tag/spwc
•

References

[1] ”That Man” http://www.grantgoldie.com/Grant_Goldie_Top_10.html

Background to the Championship
AIB were the main sponsor for the 2008 event with additional sponsorship from Bord Failte, ……… The Festival was conceived by Mark Duckenfield and Conor McCarthy who met while studying computer science at Trinity College Dublin in 1997. Their company, Emergent Events Ltd runs the Festival. They have won a number of awards for their entrepeneurial achievements with the Championship.

External Links

• http://www.irishtimes.com/theticket/articles/2008/0613/1213262305734.html
• http://www.visitdublin.com/events/alldublinevents/Detail.aspx?id=235&mid=4273
• http://pix.ie/hazel/589431/in/explore/tag/spwc •