Today, London’s Young V&A museum announces its third exhibition, Inside Aardman: Wallace & Gromit and Friends. Created primarily for children and families, the exhibition invites visitors to explore the world of Aardman — creators of Wallace & Gromit, Chicken Run, Shaun the Sheep, Morph and more — and unpacks the making of some of their enduring, popular claymation characters.
Opening on February 12 to coincide with the studio’s 50th anniversary year, Inside Aardman explores the storytelling and craft that brings their familiar and fantastical worlds from the sketchbook to the screen. The exhibition takes visitors behind the scenes of the animation process, from idea development and storyboarding to model making, filming and production, and post-production.
“As Aardman celebrates its 50th anniversary, Inside Aardman: Wallace & Gromit and Friends offers a wonderful opportunity to shine a light on the creativity and craftsmanship behind the animation process — from initial sketch through to post-production,” said Ngaio Harding-Hill, Head of Live Attractions and Live Experiences at Aardman. “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.”
Over 150 items will be on show, including Aardman’s early character sketches, concept art, puppets, character ‘bibles’, props, scripts and set models, as well as several optical illusion toys and early examples of stop-motion animation from the V&A’s collection. Highlights include development sketches for Morph, early character ideas for Wallace & Gromit, a hand-drawn storyboard from The Wrong Trousers (1993) train chase, as well as never before displayed objects such as the duo’s motorbike and sidecar from Vengeance Most Fowl (2024) and Aardman’s final physical scheduling board.
The exhibition features set pieces from Aardman’s celebrated body of work, including Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl (2024), Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget (2023), Robin Robin (2019), The Pirates! In an Adventure with Scientists! (2012) and Wallace & Gromit: A Grand Day Out (1989).
“We are delighted to be announcing Inside Aardman: Wallace & Gromit and Friends, our third exhibition at Young V&A, designed and curated specifically for children and young people,” commented Dr. Helen Charman, Director of Learning, National Programs and Young V&A. “By unpacking the techniques and imagination that goes into creating these beloved characters, we hope young people and their families leave the exhibition feeling excited and inspired to try animation at home.”
Inside Aardman will give young visitors the opportunity to try their hand at different parts of stop-motion animation, guiding them on how to make their own at home using everyday materials and inspiration. Whether their characters are sailing on the high seas, adventuring to the Moon, or escaping the chicken coop, Aardman have always drawn from the world around them when building new ones. While journeying through the exhibition, visitors will be able to explore storyboarding, design characters, light sets, create Live Action Videos, touch samples of different puppet materials, and watch a selection of animations made by children.
“Aardman quite literally began on the kitchen table, when two young school friends started experimenting with animations at home,” said Alex Newson, Chief Curator, Young V&A. “Even though Aardman is now one of the most successful animation studios in the world, its films still have the same handcrafted feel. It is this ‘thumbiness’, as they refer to it, that makes the films so charming and well loved. This is also what make the story so great for children. While Aardman’s films are now made by large and highly skilled teams it’s also possible for anyone to have a go at making their own stop-motion films at home with minimal equipment and experience.”
Throughout 2026, Aardman will commemorate its 50th anniversary with a roaster of events and celebrations highlighting the craft and legacy of the studio, including the launch of a new movie, Shaun the Sheep: The Beast of Mossy Bottom in the autumn.
