Fairground Reminiscence is an immersive, multi-sensory exhibition for all the family, celebrating the culture, heritage and legacy of the travelling fairground community - and it is now open for bookings from September 2026 nationwide.
“Inspiring and full of childlike joy! Engaged our whole family from 2 years up!”
- Audience at Gala Gallery, 2019
Created by Adam Russell, the exhibition honours the extraordinary lives of showmen and the communities they visit. The project is deeply personal, inspired by Adam’s father, Keith Russell, and his childhood memories of growing up within a showman family and working on fairgrounds as a young boy.
Rooted in collaboration and the blurring of artistic disciplines, Fairground Reminiscence combines interactive exhibition, play-space and dance theatre performance. Visitors are encouraged to play, explore and immerse themselves through traditional games and sensory installations. For adults and parents, the experience rekindles powerful memories; for children, it offers vivid discovery and hands-on joy.
“Inspiring and full of childlike joy! Engaged our whole family from 2 years up!”
- Audience at Gala Gallery, 2019
Created by Adam Russell, the exhibition honours the extraordinary lives of showmen and the communities they visit. The project is deeply personal, inspired by Adam’s father, Keith Russell, and his childhood memories of growing up within a showman family and working on fairgrounds as a young boy.
Rooted in collaboration and the blurring of artistic disciplines, Fairground Reminiscence combines interactive exhibition, play-space and dance theatre performance. Visitors are encouraged to play, explore and immerse themselves through traditional games and sensory installations. For adults and parents, the experience rekindles powerful memories; for children, it offers vivid discovery and hands-on joy.
“Very evocative of times gone by.”
— Visitors at Gala Gallery, 2019
First presented publicly in 2019, the exhibition welcomed over 10,000 visitors during its debut residency at Gala Gallery. Since then, it has toured nationally to festivals, heritage events and community spaces including No Limits Festival and Culture Bazaar, continuing to evolve while retaining its strong community heart.
Audiences consistently describe the experience as:
“Such a magical experience. My favourite part of the whole day.”
“Really interactive and great for the children to get involved with the history of the funfair.”
“Transported back in time to when life was simple and exciting.”
“Lovely to show our kids the traditions.”
The exhibition features original fairground artefacts, posters, photographs and video footage, presented within a richly detailed immersive fairground set design. Alongside these historical materials are contemporary installations and interactive games -including traditional fairground play elements and mirrors that audiences repeatedly highlight as favourites.
A special feature is the collection of oral histories from showmen, their voices woven into a bespoke sound score that breathes life into the exhibits and preserves the stories of a unique travelling community.
— Visitors at Gala Gallery, 2019
First presented publicly in 2019, the exhibition welcomed over 10,000 visitors during its debut residency at Gala Gallery. Since then, it has toured nationally to festivals, heritage events and community spaces including No Limits Festival and Culture Bazaar, continuing to evolve while retaining its strong community heart.
Audiences consistently describe the experience as:
“Such a magical experience. My favourite part of the whole day.”
“Really interactive and great for the children to get involved with the history of the funfair.”
“Transported back in time to when life was simple and exciting.”
“Lovely to show our kids the traditions.”
The exhibition features original fairground artefacts, posters, photographs and video footage, presented within a richly detailed immersive fairground set design. Alongside these historical materials are contemporary installations and interactive games -including traditional fairground play elements and mirrors that audiences repeatedly highlight as favourites.
A special feature is the collection of oral histories from showmen, their voices woven into a bespoke sound score that breathes life into the exhibits and preserves the stories of a unique travelling community.
Flexible, Scalable and Designed to Travel
Fairground Reminiscence has been carefully crafted to adapt to a wide range of venues, events and communities. Its modular design and flexible format allow the exhibition and performances to be reimagined for galleries, museums and theatres, as well as community centres, indoor markets and outdoor festivals.
The project can be presented as:
As one visitor beautifully summarised:
“Carry on making the world smile.”
Fairground Reminiscence is a celebration of joy, memory, movement and belonging — a tribute to the enduring magic of the fair, ready to bring wonder and nostalgia to audiences wherever it travels.
Fairground Reminiscence has been carefully crafted to adapt to a wide range of venues, events and communities. Its modular design and flexible format allow the exhibition and performances to be reimagined for galleries, museums and theatres, as well as community centres, indoor markets and outdoor festivals.
The project can be presented as:
- A standalone immersive exhibition
- An interactive performance experience
- A festival feature with workshops and engagement activity
- A heritage-focused community residency
As one visitor beautifully summarised:
“Carry on making the world smile.”
Fairground Reminiscence is a celebration of joy, memory, movement and belonging — a tribute to the enduring magic of the fair, ready to bring wonder and nostalgia to audiences wherever it travels.
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Touring Across the UK Since 2019...
30th November 2019 – 25th January 2020
The development of the production was supported by Arts Council England, The Heritage Fund, The Fenton Arts Trust, The Community Foundation and all the brilliant people who supported the successful CrowdFunder UK campaign.
- No Limits Festival, Normanby Hall, Scunthorpe
- Woodlawn School's Summer Fayre
- Carlisle City Centre Exhibition Trail
- Thought Foundation, Birtley
- Corporation Welfare Club, Hartlepool
- Culture Bazaar, Carlisle
- Byker Community Centre
- Gala Gallery, Durham
30th November 2019 – 25th January 2020
The development of the production was supported by Arts Council England, The Heritage Fund, The Fenton Arts Trust, The Community Foundation and all the brilliant people who supported the successful CrowdFunder UK campaign.
Creative Team
Original Cast Adam Russell Alys North Keith Russell Ellie Mai Little Carolyn George Corisande Graham Micheal Rance Current Touring Cast (Duet Version) Adam Russell Montaine Ponceau Visual Artist & Set Design Amy Lord Composer Madelaine Jones Costume Design Casey Dixon Artistic Mentor (Creation Period) Gavin Coward |
“As an artist creating work I’ve always been interested in collaboration and blurring the lines between different artist disciplines and forms. It’s exciting for me to explore this work as an interactive exhibition, play-space and dance theatre performance. We encourage play, fun and games as a way for those who visit to immerse themselves into the exhibition. For adults and parents it evokes a sense of nostalgia igniting childhood memories, and for children a vivid sensory experience, wonder and the lives that are changed through visits to the Fair”
Artistic Director Adam Russell 
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