Dr Gillian Arrighi explores the era of the child performer during the days of the British Empire, 1880–1914. Why were they so popular with audiences and how was this in conflict with child labour and education laws?

Dr Gillian Arrighi’s fellowship is supported by Library Patrons and Supporters

Dr Gillian Arrighi is a Senior Lecturer in Creative and Performing Arts at the University of Newcastle. Her published research is in the fields of Circus Studies, Childhood Studies, and Performance Pedagogy. Her teaching portfolio spans practice, theory, and history of theatre and performance. She is the author of 4 books, including the recent monograph The FitzGerald Brothers' Circus: spectacle, identity and nationhood at the Australian Circus (2015), and many refereed journal articles and book chapters.