A University of Sheffield exhibition is telling the story of the aerial acrobat who founded Britain’s first all-women outdoor circus company, decades after she first took to the rigs.
Rope Women, free to attend, celebrates Skinning the Cat, a company Rebecca Truman set up in 1988, helping to shape Britain’s contemporary circus scene from the outset.
Its name comes from a classic trapeze move, and the troupe toured internationally until 2003, drawing on Truman’s own skills across performance, costume-making, rig design and artistic direction. Its roots trace back to Bradford’s countercultural scene of the 1960s and 70s, and its DIY outdoor rigs carried death-defying aerial routines to audiences well beyond the UK.
Some of the troupe’s original costumes now sit in the Victoria and Albert Museum, but this marks the only dedicated exhibition of Skinning the Cat’s story, co-curated by Truman herself alongside Sheffield’s National Fairground and Circus Archive.
Running until 13 December at the university’s Western Bank Library, it tells the story through Truman’s own eyes — the lived experience of a female athlete and entrepreneur — using exhibits, video, interactive displays, sculpture and poetry to trace her development through her years with the troupe and beyond.
Unexpected and overwhelming
Truman, who has gone on to design special effects, rigs and costumes for other circus companies while continuing her own practice as an artist, said: “I think it’s tremendously important for young people to learn from what’s happened historically. It’s really been quite unexpected and overwhelming. To my mind, preserving the Skinning the Cat collection would see it gathering dust somewhere, but in reality it’s out there engaging the public and inspiring people.
“I’m lucky enough to have worked with brilliant archivists and curators who’ve done an amazing job of bringing our story to life. They even take the collection into schools and colleges, which has led to young people doing projects inspired by my work, such as the fantastic animation commissioned for Rotherham Children’s Capital of Culture 2025. To see our story reaching a new audience and inspiring the next generation is wonderful.”
Several members of the seven-strong original troupe have already visited, with one spending three hours exploring the show alongside her daughter. Asked for advice for anyone considering a similar path, Truman offered: “The cheesy thing to say would be to follow your dreams – but I prefer to say think outside the box with your life. Whatever that career or direction is that you want to pursue, find a way to do it. You don’t have to fit in or follow others, just find a way to do what you believe in.”
Hidden histories
Arantza Barrutia, Senior Archivist at Sheffield’s National Fairground and Circus Archive, said: “It is always important that the work we do at the archive helps unveil the hidden histories of the popular entertainment sector so often ignored by mainstream narratives.
“Throughout the curation of the exhibition we have used coproduction methodologies to ensure Becky led the narrative, and in this way we could achieve a true representation of her personal journey as a pioneering entrepreneur and aerial performer.
“Through these practices we are recognising the value of lived experience and the expertise of people in their own stories, while also working towards becoming more inclusive and representative of the rich histories encapsulated in the collection.”
Rope Women is open daily at the Western Bank Library Exhibition Gallery until 13 December, with special tours featuring Truman herself running on 12 and 13 September as part of the university’s contribution to the national Heritage Open Days festival.
