New exhibition marking 50 years of Aardman

3 hours ago

Marcus BootheBristol

News image — Aardman Animations will celebrate its 50th anniversary this year

Justin Sutcliffe Aardman animation's co-founder and creators are standing in front of screen showing a collection of the studios most famous characters, including Wallace & Gromit, Shaun the Sheep and Morph. Peter Lord is standing in the middle wearing a brown Jacket holding a Gromit figurine. Nick Park is standing to the left of him wearing a navy blazer and holding a Wallace figurine and David Sproxton is standing to the right of Peter holding a penguin figurine. — Aardman Animations will celebrate its 50th anniversary this year

A new 360-degree immersive exhibition celebrating 50 years of animation studio Aardman is set to open later this year.

Larger Than Life: Starring Wallace & Gromit, Shaun and More will launch at Lightroom, an immersive venue in King's Cross, London, on 14 October, allowing visitors to step inside the worlds of Aardman's characters.

The 50-minute looping experience will combine film moments with new animation, previously unseen archival material, and insight into how the Bristol-based studio's stop-motion films are made.

Creator of Wallace & Gromit, Nick Park, said the show allows audiences to experience Aardman's characters "in a way that truly captures the tactile spirit of Aardman".

He added: "From the very first sketches of Wallace & Gromit to the mischievous mayhem of Shaun the Sheep, these stories have always been about heart, hand-crafted detail and a bit of a laugh."

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Justin Sutcliffe A projection screen shows four men standing behind a studio camera looking at a forest. In front of the screen is a seating area. — The experience gives a behind the scenes look at Aardman Animations

Visitors will see how the studio's films developed from early sketches through to finished scenes, including moments like the famous train chase in Wallace & Gromit: The Wrong Trousers.

Aardman co-founder Peter Lord said the exhibition celebrates the craft behind the animation.

He added: "The magic of what we do at Aardman is not about making things move, it's about making them live."

Justin Sutcliffe A image of Wallace and Gromit at the exhibition. Wallace is wearing a blue uniform and holding a torch. Gromit is wearing a mask and holding a blow torch. Opposite the duo is the shadow of a chicken holding a radio. — The immersive experience opens on October 14

The show has been created in collaboration with 59 Studio, which has also worked on previous Lightroom productions.

Lightroom executive producer David Sabel said the exhibition aims to recreate the experience of visiting Aardman's studio in Bristol.

"You pull back the curtain, look into an animator's unit and feel yourself shrink as your focus melts into the miniature world before your eyes," he said.

The exhibition forms part of a wider programme celebrating Aardman's 50th anniversary, which will also include the release of a new film, Shaun the Sheep: The Beast of Mossy Bottom, later in the year.

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