The art of the circus : an exploration of the circus within its social, historical, and cultural contexts

Ward, Stephen Edgar

Abstract

The Collins English dictionary gives a definition of circus as ‘a travelling company of entertainers, such as acrobats, clowns, trapeze artists, and trained animals’; ‘a public performance given by such a company’; ‘an arena, usually tented, in which such a performance is held’. Yet these are just physical descriptions of a far more complex subject. The circus is difficult to define because it seems to embody so many paradoxes. It can be magical and entertaining but it can also be subversive and political. It is ephemeral yet deeply embedded within our popular culture. Its perceived ‘otherness’, in terms of its unfamiliar social structure and life-style, creates an existence beyond the norm. Yet the circus reflects our daily lives and struggles in the way that it confronts risk and danger. It is both old and new at the same time; old skills being reworked and presented within a contemporary world. The circus is an eclectic art form that exists in conjunction with other art forms.
This paper supports and academically complements the body of published work by the author on aspects of the circus, and explicates a theory implicit within that work. The published work is intended to provide scholarly but accessible information primarily for a non-academic audience. It explores how the circus, as a distinct art form, has developed from primitive roots to current practices, and attempts to place it within its social, historical, and cultural contexts. This paper will focus on the justifications for circus to be accepted as a legitimate art form. It will examine how circus developed initially with exhibitions of equitation; how it constantly adapted and re-invented itself to meet the needs of a changing society; and how it has evolved into the multi-faceted art form of today. Several important issues will be covered but the limitations of this paper will preclude any detailed discussion, and will be addressed fully in subsequent papers.

Citation

Ward, S. E. (2019). The art of the circus : an exploration of the circus within its social, historical, and cultural contexts. (Thesis). University of Hull. Retrieved from https://hull-repository.worktribe.com/output/4223574

• Thesis Type: Thesis
• Deposit Date: Nov 2, 2021
• Publicly Available Date: Feb 24, 2023
• Keywords: Drama
• Public URL: https://hull-repository.worktribe.com/output/4223574
• Additional Information: Faculty of Arts, Cultures and Education, The University of Hull
• Award Date: Feb 1, 2019