Research Busking Tips

Research Busking Tips

One of the most accessible routes to engaging with the public is undertaking research busking. This is where you interact with members of the public, usually in a busy place like a railway station or shopping centre, and try to engage them in a couple of minutes with a research topic. It’s like an elevator pitch idea applied to a public setting and helps build confidence, develop good introductory approaches, and develop props that can act as 'hooks' into a routine. Here are some busking tips and if you are interested in upcoming opportunities, please get in touch.

  • Building in audience participation will get your visitors paying more attention
  • Sticking with a topic that you are passionate about will help you come across more effectively and appear confident
  • Speak clearly and slowly (but not too slowly)
  • Stay away from technical jargon unless you are introducing a particular name, but then explain it
  • Stick to a short time for any introductory chat - you don't want to lose your audience early on! 
  • Where possible, create props or visual aids to liven up your delivery
  • Ensure any demos can be done in a busy, perhaps stressful, environment - practising on the kitchen table at home is different from performing in a busy shopping centre
  • Use questioning to constantly involve your audience, and be prepared to field 'left-field' questions
  • Last but by no means least, have fun - if you aren’t having fun, the crowd are unlikely to be either!