'We couldn't bring him to Ireland. He'd be lynched. But the Japanese loved it'

Q&A:MARK DUCKENFIELD and CONOR McCARTHY Founders of the AIB Street Performance World Championship talk to EOIN BUTLER

The Street Performance World Championships has evolved into something quite enormous

Conor: It has. It’s a full-time, year-round job for us. We put a lot of work into making sure that we get the best street performers from around the world every year. We guarantee you’ll see things you won’t see anywhere else.

Mark: And you’ll laugh from the moment you get there until the moment you leave.

One of this year's acts, Quick Change, made it to the semi-finals of America's Got Talent with a routine that involves nothing more than changing their clothes a lotMark: They're absolutely amazing, don't you think?

I do. David Hasselhoff looked pretty flabbergasted in the judge's chair, tooMark: I have no idea how they do it – the girl's hair even changes colour at one point. People can check them out on YouTube if they want to see the act. We're also going to attempt to break the world record for the biggest number of people bouncing on space hoppers simultaneously. People can email us at worldrecord@spwc.ie. They'll get to keep the space hopper, too.

How does it work out financially?Mark: The big difference between us and, say, Oxegen or the Electric Picnic is that, okay, we fly the performers in and we pay for their accommodation. But we don't pay them and we don't provide stages or lighting rigs. The performers get paid by the audience.

Are Irish audiences generous?Mark: Definitely. From a street performer's point of view, this is probably considered the best festival in the world, because Irish people are so generous. People don't have to pay anything if they can't afford it. But if people enjoy a show, they'll often queue up to put money in the hat.

Conor: When Beautiful Stu performed a couple of years ago, a man came up, threw €5 into the hat and said: “I’m on the dole, but that was absolutely brilliant.” Another old lady handed me €3 and asked me to give it to the Space Cowboy. She said she loved the show but hadn’t been able to reach the hat when it came around.

The Space Cowboy sounds like quite a characterMark: In 2008, he broke the world record here for swallowing the most swords at once. The next day he was in a spot of bother. He'd cut the lining of his stomach during the show.

Why don't I feel any sympathy for the guyMark: Well yeah, he'd just swallowed 27 swords. What did he expect? Anyway, the doctors told him they needed to put a camera down into his stomach, so they'd have to give him a general aesthetic. The Space Cowboy was aghast (thick Australian accent): "You can't put me under, mate. I've got 10 shows in the next three days." He told them he'd feed the camera into his mouth himself, there and then.

Are you serious?Absolutely. Of course, all the doctors in the hospital crowded around to have a look.

Finally, are there any acts you'd like to have brought over but couldn't?Conor: There was a Ukrainian juggler we discovered at a festival in Japan. He was 13 years old, with the shiniest shirt you've ever seen and the cheesiest showbiz grin. Eight balls, 10 balls, 12 balls – he was the greatest juggler we'd ever seen. Suddenly, halfway through the act, the Riverdance music comes on and he started Irish dancing, really channelling Michael Flatley, while still juggling the 13 balls. We couldn't bring him to Ireland. He'd be lynched. But the Japanese loved it. They stormed the stage afterwards.

The AIB World Street Performance Championship 2010 take place in Fitzgerald Park and Mardyke Sports Ground, Cork (June 12th-13th) and Merrion Square, Dublin (June 17th-20th)