ONLINE

ACTIVITIES 1
GRAMMAR
Go sightseeing in many cities today and among the famous buildings, street markets, and
other attractions, you'll see a special kind of display: living statues. These street performers-
who are sometimes dressed as famous characters from history or from popular culture-have
become a common sight in tourist areas of Paris, London, Barcelona, Hollywood, and other
cities. The performance involves standing completely still¹ for long periods of time.

This kind of performance has a long history. It has existed in various forms since the sixteenth
century. The French used the term tableaux vivants, which means "living pictures." A group of
actors stood in positions to illustrate a scene, but they didn't speak or move during the
display.

The subject of the displays was often religious or from mythology. In some places, they were
part of royal occasions. In the Catalan region of Spain, tableaux vivants have been a popular
tradition since the early eighteenth century. Nowadays, Catalonia is also famous for its
modern living statues. In fact, there are so many of them won the streets of Barcelona that the
city council decided to control the number and give out only thirty licenses for fifteen
locations. Local resident Joan Castells explained, "You can't move past the crowds on the
pavement, and most of them are not really entertaining people, they're Just begging." Now,
each licensed artist can perform either in the morning or in the afternoon.

So why do so many people want to be living statues? Joan Castells says, "It's an easy way of
earning money. All you need is some makeup and a costume." But according to one of the
living statues in Hollywood, "Preparation takes ages and so does getting clean at the end of
the day. It's also extremely difficult to stay completely still for long periods. I can't even move
my eyes or show that I'm breathing." And although it's "understood" that if you take a photo,
you leave some money, not everyone is so kind and generous. "Nobody gets rich doing this,"
said the living statue from Hollywood.

Perhaps they don't get rich, but every performer has some tricks to encourage people to give
them money. Every time a tourist throws them a coin, they react with a quick, small
movement. Perhaps they wave or turn their head or touch the person. The statue comes to life
for just a moment, entertaining the crowd and rewarding the payment. And maybe giving the
tired and aching performer a chance to move into a new, more comfortable position.

Go sightseein:
 Attractions: Places of tourist interest, such as monuments, parks, museums, etc.
Famous characters : Refers to well-known figures, either historical or contemporary,
associated with the place you are visiting
Performance: Refers to a live performance, such as music, theater, dance or other types
of entertainment.
Scene:In the context of a play, film, novel or any other type of narrative, a "scene" refers
to a sequence of events that take place in a specific place and time.
Tradition:custom, belief or history transmitted from generation to generation within a
community or social group.
Crowds: Large groups of people that gather in a place, such as tourists, locals, or both.
Pavement:the surface of a road, street or path intended for vehicular and pedestrian
traffic.
Generous:Something that is offered in abundance or amply.
Performer a : Presumably, you are referring to some artist or musician who begins with the
letter A.

3 Read the article. Underline the parts of the

article that tell you:
1 what a living statue does.

"These street performers... have become a common sight... The performance involves
standing completely still for long periods of time."

2 where you can see living statues.

"Tourist areas of Paris, London, Barcelona, Hollywood, and other cities."

3 what similar art forms in history there have been.

"The French used the term tableaux vivants, which means 'living pictures.'... In the Catalan
region of Spain, tableaux vivants have been a popular tradition since the early eighteenth
century."

4 what it feels like to be a living statue.

"Preparation takes ages and so does getting clean at the end of the day."

4 Work in pairs. Read the article again and

discuss these questions.
1 Who is the main audience for this kind of performance?

The main audience for living statue performances seems to be tourists in popular urban
destinations such as Paris, London, Barcelona, and Hollywood. These performances are
commonly found in tourist areas among famous landmarks and street markets, suggesting
that tourists are the primary audience.

2 What are the main differences between living statues and tableaux vivants?

Tableaux vivants, originating in the sixteenth century, involved groups of actors standing in
positions to represent a scene without speaking or moving during the display. They often
depicted religious or mythological subjects and were part of royal occasions.

3 What makes a living statue successful?

Several factors contribute to the success of a living statue performance. Firstly, the ability to
remain completely still for long durations while maintaining a convincing pose is essential.
Additionally, performers must invest time and effort in preparing elaborate costumes and
makeup to captivate audiences. Interactions with spectators, such as subtle gestures or
movements in response to donations, add entertainment value and encourage audience
engagement.

Enumera las preguntas o dudas sin resolver

5 Find these words in the article. Look at how

the words are used and try to guess their
meaning. Then replace the words in bold in
the sentences (1-4) with these words.
Sadly, we see a lot of people who are asking people for money in the street nowadays
“begging ”
The audience was shouting at him, but he didn't say or do anything in response! “ react”
The pictures in the book show what the story is about really well. “illustrate ”
We spoke to a person who lives in this area about the traffic problems.”resident”

7 Read the two examples from the article. Say

if kind is an adjective (A) or a noun (N).
1 you'll see a special kind of display ... ...

2 ... not everyone is so kind and generous...

8 Complete the sentences with these
expressions.
1 Flowers!una especie de!

2 Grunge is really kind ofrock music that started in the 1980s in the USA.

3 I love going to exhibitions and that kind of thing

4 It's how kind you to lend me the money.