The beloved British animation studio Aardman is preparing to open its archives for a major exhibition at the Young V&A in east London. Inside Aardman: Wallace & Gromit and Friends will give visitors an unprecedented behind-the-scenes look at how the studio's iconic characters came to life.
Demystifying the Magic of Animation
Alex Newson, the chief curator at the Young V&A, explained that the exhibition aims to demystify the complex process of stop-motion animation. There's a phenomenal amount of skill and technique that goes into making animations in the way that Aardman do, he noted. However, he emphasised that it remains an accessible art form that anyone can try at home with minimal equipment.
The exhibition will feature 150 carefully selected items from Aardman's fifty-year history, including:
- Original storyboards from classic films
- Detailed sets including the famous train chase scene from The Wrong Trousers
- The submarine used by villainous penguin Feathers McGraw in Vengeance Most Fowl
Celebrating Five Decades of British Animation
This exhibition forms a key part of Aardman's 50th anniversary celebrations throughout 2026. The studio was founded by Peter Lord and David Sproxton while they were still at school, creating their earliest projects on kitchen tables.
Visitors will trace the studio's journey from early creations like Morph, who appeared on Take Hart, through to their Oscar-winning successes. The exhibition particularly focuses on Wallace and Gromit, who first appeared in A Grand Day Out in 1989 and have since become the studio's most beloved characters.
A Long-Awaited Collaboration
The Young V&A had been hoping to secure an Aardman exhibition since before the COVID-19 pandemic. Rather than hosting the touring Art of Aardman show from 2023, the museum decided to create something specifically tailored to its younger audience following its major refurbishment and being named Museum of the Year in 2024.
Inside Aardman: Wallace & Gromit and Friends runs from 12 February to 15 November 2026 at the Young V&A in east London. This unique exhibition promises to inspire a new generation of animators while celebrating one of Britain's most successful creative exports.
