The international exhibition The Art of Aardman – Shaun the Sheep and Friends opened today at Forum Groningen in the Netherlands, the latest leg of a tour that has so far seen it entertain fans across Paris, Melbourne, Frankfurt, and Seoul. The opening comes ahead of a new Wallace & Gromit adventure, Wallace & Gromit: The Big Fix Up – a first of its kind, story-driven experience that promises to bring together the globally iconic characters and state-of-the-art technology.
Shaun the Sheep, Chicken Run and Wallace & Gromit are creations of Aardman Studios have captivated millions of viewers around the world. Take an extraordinary trip from original sketches and countless hand-made clay models to complete miniature film sets.
It’s all there from Wallace’s cracking contraptions and Gromit’s famous vegetable garden, to the sets of Shaun the Sheep the Movie, the flying machine from Chicken Run and the spectacular five-metre tall galleon from The Pirates! Band of Misfits. From the very first pencil sketches to the feature films, and everything in between.
After this exhibition, you’ll never look at claymation in the same way again.The most surprising outing ever for the entire family!
In addition to a host of clay models and film sets, Forum Groningen has also added a number of interactive elements to the exhibition – and someone even had fun amending its “cookie” notice on its official web site”!
Forum will also be showing all of Aardman’s previous films as well as hosting claying workshops.
“Standing in their shoes for a bit helps you appreciate and understand Aardman’s work even more,” said Hans Poll, Director of Programming and Marketing at the Forum. “In our exhibition, you can learn how to make a storyboard and create your own work in our stop-motion studio.”
“We are delighted that, after journeying to the other side of the world, to venues in South Korea and Australia, the Art of Aardman exhibition is returning to Europe,” said Ngaio Harding-Hill, Head of Attractions & Live Experiences at Aardman.
“The stunning Groningen Forum is the perfect cultural venue to host the exhibition and we hope it delights its visitors in The Netherlands as it has around the world.”
Coming Soon: Wallace & Gromit: The Big Fix Up
Aardman Animations recently announced that it is teaming up with Fictioneers to deliver an augmented reality Wallace & Gromit story this autumn, via The Big Fix Up – a first of its kind, story-driven experience that promises to bring together these globally iconic characters and state-of-the-art technology.
Partnering with Aardman, Fictioneers: a consortium of British companies including Potato, Sugar Creative and Tiny Rebel Games, with research support from the University of South Wales, is producing an exciting augmented and mixed reality experience featuring Wallace & Gromit and backed by funding from UK Research & Innovation (UKRI).
Wallace & Gromit: The Big Fix Up is a new, augmented Wallace & Gromit story, which will bring Wallace & Gromit alive in an entirely fresh way, while creating a cutting-edge platform for storytelling. Rendered in CG using the latest technology, fans will be able to interact in a host of new ways and get closer than ever to the iconic duo.
In the new story, Wallace and Gromit’s latest business venture, Spick & Spanners, sees them take on the contract of a lifetime: to ‘Fix Up’ Bristol. Fans will be invited to download a free app and play along at home, as an employee, and for the first time ever, be able to step directly into the world of Wallace & Gromit.
The story will play out in a variety of different types of media, to tell the beats of a story: multi-user AR gameplay, new CG animations, in character phone calls, comic strips, Extended Reality (XR) portals and more. All brought together in a mobile app, used as a ‘window’ into their world.
The new Wallace & Gromit story is an entirely home-based experience, meaning it is accessible to all with a recent smartphone. The Big Fix Up is set in the city of Bristol, the home of Aardman, but people from all across the UK will be able to take part in the full end-to-end adventure, which will see Wallace, Gromit, and an exciting cast of new characters appear in their very own homes!
Following its initial UK launch in the Autumn, Fictioneers plan to roll out The Big Fix Up globally.
• The Art of Aardman – Shaun the Sheep and Friends runs at the Forum Groningen, New market 1, 9712KN Groningen until 9th May 2021 Web: forum.nl/en/whats-on/the-art-of-aardman
• Find out more about The Big Fix Up here on the official Aardman web site
• Wallace & Gromit merchandise and more on AmazonUK (Affiliate Link)
The founder of downthetubes, which he established in 1998. John works as a comics and magazine editor, writer, and on promotional work for the Lakes International Comic Art Festival. He is currently editor of Star Trek Explorer, published by Titan – his third tour of duty on the title originally titled Star Trek Magazine.
Working in British comics publishing since the 1980s, his credits include editor of titles such as Doctor Who Magazine, Babylon 5 Magazine, and more. He also edited the comics anthology STRIP Magazine and edited several audio comics for ROK Comics. He has also edited several comic collections, including volumes of “Charley’s War” and “Dan Dare”.
He’s the writer of “Pilgrim: Secrets and Lies” for B7 Comics; “Crucible”, a creator-owned project with 2000AD artist Smuzz; and “Death Duty” and “Skow Dogs” with Dave Hailwood.
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