Museums Sheffield are celebrating the opening of Circus! Show of Shows on Thursday 26 Jul 2018, 6-8pm. All at SHU are invited to join; the full invitation and event details are below.
Join us as we officially open our dazzling celebration of 250 years of circus in Great Britain, Circus! Show of Shows.
Delve into the drama of the big top and explore the remarkable stories behind the much-loved spectacle, from the hidden histories of women performers and black circus artists to Sheffield’s own rich circus heritage. Find out more about the changing attitudes towards animal performance and the enduring influence of circus has had on popular culture.
See one of the world’s most famous circus paintings, Degas’ breath-taking Miss La La at the Cirque Fernando, alongside crowd-pleasing displays bringing together over 150 objects, from glittering costumes and rare historic posters to films, archive photographs and more.
Circus! Show of Shows is a major national exhibition series created in collaboration with one of the UK’s foremost circus experts, Professor Vanessa Toulmin from the University of Sheffield’s School of English. The project is a partnership between Museums Sheffield, Norfolk Museums Service, Tyne & Wear Archives & Museums and The University of Sheffield Library National Fairground and Circus Archive, made possible thanks to National Lottery players through the Heritage Lottery Fund.
Join Museums Sheffield’s Chief Executive, Kim Streets and Professor Vanessa Toulmin, Chair of Early Film and Popular Entertainment at the University of Sheffield’s School of English as we celebrate the launch of the exhibition.
RSVP:
rsvp@museums-sheffield.org.uk or call 0114 278 2664
(Feel free to bring up to four guests)
Weston Park Museum
Western Bank
Sheffield, S10 2TP
Exhibition continues until 4 Nov 2018
