Brexit Threatens The 250-Year History Of British Circus Culture

GLASGOW, SCOTLAND - JUNE 15: Acrobat Lazara Aylin Tabares of Cuba trains with weights backstage at Zippo's circus in Victoria Park on June 15, 2018 in Glasgow, Scotland. As the British Circus celebrates 250 years, Zippo's owner Martin Burton fears that Brexit will have a profoundly negative impact on his industry. He says that he is already struggling to employ riggers and drivers from within the EU due to a perceived rise in racism against migrant workers and an unpredictable financial future. In his opinion, his business colleagues in France and Germany are facing no such problems. He has considered reducing the amount of venues on Zippo's current schedule until they were able to find the required staff by looking to non-EU countries. The first recorded circus was a horse-riding show started in 1768 by English soldier Philip Astley. Zippo's Circus is currently touring England and Scotland with a "Circus 250" themed performance. Image No. 9/50 (Photo by Leon Neal/Getty Images)