Price - Donations welcome (free entry) 

Venue - Blandford Square, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 4JA

Delve into the drama of the big top and explore the incredible stories behind the spectacle.With wondrous surprises for all ages, including school holiday activities inspired by the exhibition. Gallery highlights include the fabulous Arthur Fenwick Collection of circus art and memorabilia, a collection of national importance spanning the 1770s up to the 1950s.

This exhibition shares the highs and lows of the history of circus, of which animal acts were one aspect when they first appeared from the mid-19th century. The exhibition addresses both sides of the argument, a debate that incidentally has been going on since the end of the 19th century. The Performing Animals Defence League was in fact founded in 1914 in response to the treatment of animal acts in circuses and in music halls.