{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O1164856"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O1164856/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2014GY5313/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2014GY5313/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"low","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2014GY5313","copyright":"©Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":null},"record":{"systemNumber":"O1164856","accessionNumber":"S.4158-1994","objectType":"Poster","titles":[{"title":"Poster","type":"generic title"}],"summaryDescription":"Ra-Ra Zoo was an influential British new circus company founded by Sue Broadway, Stephen Kent, David Spathaky and Sue Bradley who met in August 1984 when performing at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Sue Bradley was one of the founding members of Circus Oz.\n\r\nWith a combination of 1980s' alternative comedy, street performance and circus skills, and influenced by the agitprop and political theatre of the late 1960s and '70s, they first appeared in London's East End at Malcolm Hardee's infamous Tunnel Club in London's Blackwall, and did their first full-length show <i>Juggling With A Social Conscience</i> in January 1985 at Battersea Arts Centre, as part of the London Mime Festival.\n\r\nThey went for the next ten years, touring successfully abroad and playing several seasons at the Hackney Empire after its reopening in 1986. Ken Meharg's inspired design of this poster with its plate-spinning musical notation and central explosion of a mysterious form filled with hidden eyes, faces, teeth-bared fish and animal forms is brilliantly representative of the surreal and fast-paced entertainment their audiences could expect.\r\n","physicalDescription":"Pictorial and typographic poster advertising Ra-Ra Zoo, Shaw Theatre, 1987. Designed by Ken Meharg.","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Meharg, Ken","id":"A33519"},"association":{"text":"artist","id":"AAT25103"},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"paper","id":"x30308"},{"text":"printing ink","id":"AAT187371"}],"techniques":[{"text":"printing","id":"AAT53319"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Printed ink on paper","categories":[{"text":"Entertainment & Leisure","id":"THES48959"},{"text":"Advertising","id":"THES49001"},{"text":"Posters","id":"THES252963"},{"text":"Circus","id":"THES261738"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"T&P","id":"THES48602"},"images":["2014GY5313"],"imageResolution":"low","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"007","id":"THES345228"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"posters","id":"AAT27221"}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"London","id":"x28980"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"1987","earliest":"1987-01-01","latest":"1987-12-31"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[{"object":{"text":"S.2782-1994","id":"O1163492"},"association":"Object"},{"object":{"text":"S.2547-1995","id":"O1167638"},"association":"Object"}],"creditLine":"","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"59.1","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"poster","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"42","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"poster","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[{"content":"","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":" ","type":"","note":""}],"objectHistory":"Associated Production: Ra-Ra Zoo. Ra-Ra Zoo. Shaw Theatre, Euston Road, London. 28.1.1987. Performance category: circus. Designer: Ken Meharg","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Poster designed by Ken Meharg advertising Ra-Ra Zoo, Shaw Theatre, 1987","bibliographicReferences":[],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[{"text":"Shaw Theatre","id":"THES413012"}],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["S.4158-1994"],"accessionNumberNum":"4158","accessionNumberPrefix":"S","accessionYear":1994,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2026-01-16","recordCreationDate":"2010-07-27","availableToBook":true}}