Aardman, the award-winning UK studio, will be sharing a look behind the scenes in a new exhibition opening at Young V&A, London, on 12 February 2026.
Developed predominantly for children and families, Inside Aardman: Wallace & Gromit and Friends will be the museum's third exhibition and explores the making of some of the well-known and much-loved animated characters.
From sketch to screen
The exhibition opening takes place as Aardman celebrates its 50th anniversary.
Visitors will discover the storytelling and craft that take the studio's familiar and fantastical worlds from sketches to the screen, and explore the animation process from idea development and storyboarding to model-making, filming, production, and post-production.
The exhibition will include more than 150 objects, 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.
Visitors will also see set pieces from across Aardman’s 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).
Inspiring a new generation of animators
Inside Aardman will give young visitors the chance to try different aspects of stop-motion animation, and show them how to create their own at home using their imagination and everyday materials.
The studio has always drawn from the real world while building new ones, whether it's characters are sailing the high seas, flying to the moon, or escaping the chicken coop.
While exploring the exhibition, visitors will be able to learn about storyboarding, design characters, light sets, create Live Action Videos, touch samples of different puppet materials, and see a selection of animations made by children.
Alex Newson, chief curator, Young V&A, says: "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 makes 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."
"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," says Dr Helen Charman, director of learning, national programmes 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."
Ngaio Harding-Hill, head of live attractions and live experiences at Aardman, says:
"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.
"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."
Aardman celebrates its 50th anniversary in 2026 with a programme of events that spotlight the craft and legacy of the studio. A new film, Shaun the Sheep: The Beast of Mossy Bottom, will be released in the autumn.
Earlier this year, Aardman announced a new collaboration with Peel X, a leading digital experiences studio. This strategic partnership supports the growth of the studio's immersive augmented reality (AR) experiences, bringing them to more visitor attractions across the UK and beyond.
