The Young V&A museum in east London is preparing to host a major exhibition celebrating 50 years of Aardman Animations, the beloved Bristol-based studio behind Wallace & Gromit and Shaun the Sheep.
What Visitors Can Expect
Inside Aardman: Wallace & Gromit and Friends will open on 12 February 2025 and run until 15 November 2025 at the Bethnal Green museum. This marks the third exhibition since the venue rebranded from the V&A Museum of Childhood in 2023.
More than 150 objects from Aardman's archives will go on display, including many items never before shown to the public. Visitors will see early character sketches for Morph, initial concepts for Wallace, and a hand-drawn storyboard from the iconic train chase scene in The Wrong Trousers (1993).
Rare Exhibits and Interactive Fun
Among the exhibition highlights are never-before-displayed items including the motorbike and sidecar from last year's Bafta-winning film Vengeance Most Fowl. The display also features puppets, props, scripts, set models, and optical illusion toys from the V&A's collection.
Young visitors can enjoy interactive activities including character design workshops and the chance to create their own live-action videos, learning the secrets behind stop-motion animation.
Inspiring Future Generations
Alex Newson, chief curator at Young V&A, noted: "Aardman quite literally began on the kitchen table when two young school friends started experimenting with animations at home. Even though Aardman is now one of the most successful animation studios in the world, its films still have the same handcrafted feel."
Ngaio Harding-Hill, Head of Live Attractions at Aardman, added: "We hope that through this exhibition, the joy and wonder of our craft will inspire the next generation of storytellers, directors, model-makers and animators."
The exhibition celebrates Aardman's remarkable journey from humble beginnings to international success, having won four Oscars and multiple Baftas for creations like Wallace & Gromit, Chicken Run, and Shaun the Sheep.
