{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O1574036"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O1574036/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2021MV2345/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2021MV2345/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2021MV2345","copyright":"©Victoria & Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O1574036/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O1574036","accessionNumber":"S.147-2021","objectType":"Poster","titles":[{"title":"Poster advertising Zippos Circus <i>Nomads</i> at Blackheath, London SW3, 2nd to 19th April 2020, an event cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic","type":"generic title"}],"summaryDescription":"This poster, for Zippos Circus <i>Nomads </i>devised by David Hibling, represents just one of many circuses forced to abandon their shows in 2020 due to the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. The poster was commissioned in early March 2020 by Martin Burton, the owner of Zippos Circus, from the artist and designer Curtis Tappenden who specialises in lightning circus painting. It was assembled in Adobe Photoshop.\n\nOn Monday March 16th, billers had already distributed posters in the Blackheath and Greenwich areas of South London, when on Tuesday 17th March, Boris Johnson's Government announced the closure of all public places of entertainment. The circus cast and crew had closed Zippos <i>Cirque Berserk </i>at Edinburgh's Festival Theatre on Sunday March 15th, and had arrived in Blackheath to prepare for the opening.\n\nThose international circus artistes who could, travelled home, but some including the Mongolian Khadgaa Troupe, missed last flights. Twenty international circus performers stayed at Zippos Circus Headquarters near Newbury, Berkshire. Failing to fit the Government's generous COVID-19 funding schemes to compensate performers for loss of earnings, Martin Burton and fellow members of the Association of Circus Proprietors members, captured public and Government attention with a parade of costumed circus performers who handed a petition to Boris Johnson in Downing Street on Tuesday 7th July 2020. Some rescue funding was offered as a result.\n\nCircuses were given the go-ahead to reopen in mid-July. Zippos billed the area at the end of July for a proposed August opening on Blackheath. The London Borough of Greenwich objected due to its popularity drawing large crowds and constituting an illegal mass gathering. The Blackheath booking was cancelled and posters taken down again. With the help and support of the Department of Culture, Media and Sport a third attempt to open on Blackheath at the end of October 2020 for half term was successful, and the posters went up again in early October 2020.\r\n\nThe image illustrates the circus ring with Mongolian acrobats of the Khadgaa Troupe, who were to form the central narrative of the show; Paulo Dos Santos of the Duo Garcia aerialists, and a member of the Lucius Team on his motorcycle in the Globe of Death. The celebrated ringmaster Norman Barrett MBE stands in the foreground presenting the show that never was.","physicalDescription":"Poster printed on gloss paper featuring an original acrylic mixed-media painting of performers and the ringmaster of Zippos Circus, with typography & design assembled in Adobe Photoshop","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Tappenden, Curtis","id":"AUTH349929"},"association":{"text":"designer","id":"x36960"},"note":"The Brighton-based illustrator, author, poet performer and teacher Curtis Tappenden visits many circuses and has made hundreds of lightning drawings capturing moments at the ringside.\r\n\r\n"}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"Paper","id":"x30308"},{"text":"printing ink","id":"AAT187371"}],"techniques":[{"text":"printed","id":"x46159"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Printed paper","categories":[{"text":"Advertising","id":"THES49001"},{"text":"Circus","id":"THES261738"},{"text":"Entertainment & Leisure","id":"THES48959"},{"text":"Posters","id":"THES252963"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"T&P","id":"THES48602"},"images":["2021MV2345"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"002","id":"THES345275"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"posters","id":"AAT27221"}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"2020","earliest":"2020-01-01","latest":"2020-12-31"},"association":{"text":"designed","id":"x29338"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"Given by Curtis Tappenden","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"64.0","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"45.0","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[],"objectHistory":"","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Poster advertising Zippos Circus <i>Nomads</i> at Blackheath, London SW3, 2nd to 19th April 2020, featuring an acrylic mixed-media painting by Curtis Tappenden (b.1967)","bibliographicReferences":[],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[{"text":"Barrett, Norman MBE","id":"AUTH348236"}],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["S.147-2021"],"accessionNumberNum":"147","accessionNumberPrefix":"S","accessionYear":2021,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2025-04-09","recordCreationDate":"2021-01-29","availableToBook":true}}