Few lockdown routines involve back garden acrobatics, but for this out-of-work circus performer, it is a necessary part of her week.

Stephanie, who uses the stage name Stephanie Mercury, is a performer with the Circus of Horrors touring company, but lockdown restrictions have prevented her from working since October.

Stephanie, 35, joins dozens of trapeze artists, contortionists and acrobats, who have been forced to find other forms of temporary employment or survive on Government grants after circuses closed during the Covid-19 lockdown.

Your Local Guardian: Stephanie Bates showing her performing as Circus contortionist Stephanie Mercury using an aerial rig set as part of her act with Circus of Horrors prior to lockdown. Credit to PA.

The Wimbledon performer, whose “Iron Jaw” act sees her hoisted high up into the air and supported only by a mouthpiece which she grips with her teeth, said she had moved her training to her garden.

The 35-year-old said: “It’s very easy to think ‘I’m just going to sit back and not do anything’.

“Then before you know it, you can’t lift yourself up like you used to, or I can’t hang by my teeth like I did before.

Your Local Guardian: All images provided by PAAll images provided by PA

“I do have free-standing pull-up bar, so at the moment we have got that in the garden, and I can hang some silks from it, or put my mouthpiece on it and hang from that.”

Stephanie now looks after dogs to fill her free time.

Trade union Equity, which represents performers across the UK, said 16% of its 47,000 members were now considering leaving the creative industry due to the impact of the pandemic.

Union general secretary Paul Fleming said the “stark reality” facing many of its members was whether their new temporary jobs become permanent.

The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport said the circus sector was being supported as part of its £1.57 billion Culture Recovery Fund.

Have you had to adapt your job to the pandemic? Contact us at monica.charsley@newsquest.co.uk