Empire in the Ring: Imperialism in circus architecture in 19th and 20th century Britain Part 2 Dissertation 2025 Natalia Hryszko University of Sheffield | UK ‘The Empire in the Ring’ explores the connection between imperialism and circus architecture in Britain in the 19th and 20th century - a period that was both the golden era of the British circus, and the peak of the British Empire. Using the case study of Sanger Circus - the biggest circus company at that time, this dissertation argues that imperialism was expressed in the circus space in three ways: through elements emphasising the imperial character of the performances, the experience of the space itself, and representation. It concludes by analysing the contemporary, post-colonial circus and tracing its elements back to its imperial past.Using primary sources, such as photographs and circus programmes from the National Fairground and Circus Archive, this dissertation approaches the topic of circuses from the postcolonial theory perspective and analyses the circus as an imperial space that symbolised and raised support for imperial networks. 'Empire in the Ring' reveals that the circus was a portrayal of the British Empire's view of the world as much as a portrait of the Empire itself. Tutor(s) Yasmina El Chami