An immersive exhibition celebrating the work of Aardman, the Bristol-based stop-motion studio behind Wallace & Gromit and Shaun the Sheep, has opened at the Young V&A in east London. Titled ‘Inside Aardman: Wallace & Gromit and Friends’, the showcase runs until 25 November and marks the studio’s 50th anniversary. It features over 150 items, including never-before-seen models, sets and storyboards from the archives, some of which survived a devastating fire in 2005 that destroyed thousands of pieces.
Visitors can explore early sketches revealing that Wallace was once drawn with a Hitler-style moustache and that Gromit originally had fangs and the ability to speak. These designs were refined over time: Gromit became mute and toothless, while Wallace’s face was softened after creator Nick Park watched actor Peter Sallis pronounce the word ‘cheese’. The exhibition layout mimics a tour of Aardman’s studios, with boards explaining key roles such as writer, puppet maker and director of photography.
Children are encouraged to get hands-on, with interactive areas to shoot 20-frame stop-motion shorts using Playmobil figures and to provide soundtracks using rubber gloves, drumsticks and coconuts. A scene featuring Feathers McGraw allows visitors to manipulate lighting rigs to see the dramatic effect of subtle changes. Chief curator Alex Newson said the aim is to give children ‘a peek behind the curtain’ and inspire them to create their own animations.
Aardman co-founders Peter Lord and David Sproxton began modelling as schoolboys in the 1960s, borrowing a 16mm clockwork camera from Sproxton’s father. The studio was founded in 1976 and now employs over 500 people. It has won four Oscars and 17 Baftas, and its first film, ‘Chicken Run’, remains the highest-grossing stop-motion movie of all time. Tickets for the exhibition are selling quickly, with the first three weeks already sold out.
