The brainchild of white South African artist Brett Bailey, the show featured black actors in chains to “turn the notion of exotic spectacle on its head.”

But after weeks of campaigning Black Activists Rising Against the Cuts (BARAC) was able to bring the racist exhibition to a halt.

Organisers reportedly feared for “the safety of performers, audiences and staff.”

BARAC national co-chair Zita Holbourne tweeted after receiving the confirmation: “The human zoo is completely closed down for good, we did it! Racist crap Brett Bailey done gone.”

Hipster venue The Vaults which was hosting the exhibition, located under the tracks at Waterloo Station, also confirmed in an official letter to the protesters that all the performances of the show which was due to run until September 27 were also cancelled.

A petition against the exhibition recently reached 22,500 signatories.

A BARAC statement read yesterday morning: “We sent a clear message to The Barbican and to all institutions that are racist, that black communities in the UK will not stand back and be disrespected.”

The group is now preparing to launch the campaign abroad as Mr Bailey and the exhibition are set to start touring soon.

Yet the fears over the background of the exhibition remain.

“A public inquiry and serious measures to address the deep-rooted institutional racism that exists in the arts and culture industry which is amplified by austerity and cuts to arts funding is needed,” warned BARAC.

joanaramiro@peoples-press.com