I had a cousin who toured with UP WITH PEOPLE back in the 80's. He had a good experience, but his branch of the family is more conservative/religious than mine, so that may have played into it.
It was such a weird set up though...the performers not only were not paid, but they actually paid UP WITH PEOPLE to take part. I think it couched as "tuition" for a "learning experience" or something like that. Then, while touring, the performers were generally housed with local host families, so the company isn't paying for lodging or feeding the performers on the road. And, of course, UP WITH PEOPLE was raking in fees for the performances, both at big events like the Super Bowl and ticket sales from their concerts.
I mean...it's a great scam. You get performers to pay YOU to perform, you don't have to pay anything to feed or house them, and you're making money from the performances. |
