Inside Aardman: Wallace & Gromit and Friends opens at Young V&A on 12th February, showcasing the creative processes behind the studio’s most famous characters with interactive activities and rare archive material.
Running until 15th November 2026 at the museum created with and for young people, the exhibition coincides with the studio’s 50th anniversary and will invite visitors to see the creative processes behind Aardman’s creations, including Wallace & Gromit, Chicken Run, Shaun the Sheep, Morph, and more.
More than 150 objects will be on display as part of the temporary exhibition, including never-before-seen models, sets and storyboards from Aardman’s archives. There will also be interactive activities including storyboarding, designing characters, experimenting with lighting a set, and creating live action videos.
Alex Newson, chief curator at the Young V&A in Bethnal Green, said: “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. 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.”
What’s on display?
Visitors will be able to see Aardman’s early character sketches, concept art, puppets, character ‘bibles’, props, scripts, 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.
Set pieces for productions 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) will also be included in the exhibition.
School visits to Young V&A
Young V&A is a museum aimed at inspiring young people to imagine, play and design, and get inspired by a collection of nearly 2,000 toys, characters, objects and artworks. School groups visiting Young V&A should book in advance.
Inside Aardman: Wallace & Gromit and Friends features content and activities aimed at children aged 8-14. Schools can book self-guided visits to the temporary exhibitions, including Inside Aardman: Wallace & Gromit and Friends
The museum also runs a selection of workshops for EYFS to KS2. Workshops explore subjects including art, design & technology, literacy and citizenship.
Click here for more information about the exhibition and visiting Young V&A.
