The Harris gallery in Preston, Lancashire, is has announced its highly anticipated reopening exhibition with a spectacular celebration of art and animation: Wallace & Gromit in A Case at the Museum.
The blockbuster exhibition will open Sunday 28th September 2025 as the centrepiece of The Harris’ grand reopening after the completion of the Harris Your Place project.
Bringing the whimsical worlds of Aardman’s beloved creations to life, this family-friendly exhibition will showcase the creative genius behind some of the UK’s most iconic characters, including Wallace and Gromit, Shaun the Sheep, and Feathers McGraw.
Visitors will enjoy an immersive journey through original sketches, sets, and props, alongside interactive exhibits that offer a behind-the-scenes look at Aardman’s unique stop-motion animation techniques.
Marking almost 50 years of animation excellence, this exhibition will not only celebrate Aardman’s legacy, but also reflects The Harris’ mission to inspire creativity and curiosity in visitors of all ages.
Nick Park, creator of Wallace & Gromit who hails from Preston, said, “Growing up, I was always interested in Preston’s history and heritage, and The Harris played a big part in that.
“I found the museum fascinating as a child – I loved exploring the artifacts – and the Library was such a great resource. As a young inquisitive filmmaker, I spent time there, reading all about filmmaking and animation. The Harris has definitely left a lasting impression on me.”
As the first major exhibition following the multi-million-pound Harris Your Place renovation of The Harris, Wallace & Gromit in A Case at the Museum represents a renewed commitment to making art and culture accessible to everyone.
“We couldn’t think of a better way to welcome our visitors back to The Harris than with Aardman’s magical characters,” commented Councillor Hindle, Cabinet Member for Culture and Arts at Preston City Council. “This exhibition celebrates the artistry of animation and will be an unforgettable experience for families and fans.”
Aardman is an employee-owned company, based in Bristol (UK) and co-founded in 1976 by Peter Lord and David Sproxton. An independent, multi-Academy Award and BAFTA award winning studio, it produces feature films, series, advertising, games and interactive entertainment. Current animated productions include series seven of Shaun the Sheep and a third series of The Very Small Creatures.
Its productions are global in appeal, novel, entertaining, brilliantly characterised and full of charm reflecting the unique talent, energy and personal commitment of the Aardman team. The studio’s work – which includes the creation of much-loved characters including Wallace & Gromit, Shaun the Sheep, Timmy Time and Morph – is often imitated, and yet the company continues to lead the field producing a rare brand of visually stunning, comedic content for cinema, broadcasters, digital platforms and live experiences around the world.
Recent celebrated projects include the brand-new Wallace & Gromit film Vengeance Most Fowl which premiered on BBC One on Christmas Day 2024 and was released on Netflix globally on the 3rd of January 2025. The BAFTA nominated feature film Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget, Academy Award nominated short filmRobin Robin, International Emmy award winning Shaun the Sheep: The Flight Before Christmas, BAFTA nominated preschool seriesThe Very Small Creatures and the recent CGI comedy series for kids, Lloyd of the Flies.
The studio runs the Aardman Academy, its world-class training facility delivering excellence in film and animation training and mentoring for students around the world. The Aardman Academy offers a variety of courses from intensive one-day workshops to its flagship seven-month In-Studio Stop Motion course. All courses are delivered by industry-leading tutors and mentors with decades of experience. The Aardman Academy is an integral part of the business, representing the studio’s inclusive ethos and commitment to nurturing the animation talent of the future.
In November 2018 it became an Employee-Owned Organisation, to ensure Aardman remains independent and to secure the creative legacy and culture of the company for many decades to come.
Wallace and Gromit, Aardman’s most loved and iconic duo have been delighting family audiences around the world for 30 years. First hitting our screens in Nick Park’s Academy Award-winning Wallace & Gromit: A Grand Day Out (1989) the pair went on to star in three further half hour specials (Wallace & Gromit: The Wrong Trousers (1993), Wallace & Gromit: A Close Shave (1995) and Wallace & Gromit: A Matter of Loaf or Death (2009) and a feature length film Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit (2005) and are internationally celebrated winning over 100 awards at festivals – including three Academy Awards and seven BAFTA Awards.
A regular highlight of the primetime BBC schedules, especially during the festive season, they have become British national treasures and pop culture icons in their own right. The duo featured in their first augmented reality story The Big Fix Up, followed by the Emmy-nominated VR experience, The Grand Getaway.
The new feature length title Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl, directed by Nick Park and Merlin Crossingham, premiered on BBC One on Christmas Day 2024 – the most-watched animation on British TV since records began, with 21.6 million views in 28 days – and was released on Netflix globally on the 3rd of January 2025.
With a permanent attraction at Blackpool Pleasure Beach with over 500,000 riders every year, over 1.7 million fans on social and over 102 million views on YouTube, these perennial characters continue to grow audiences across multiple platforms.
Wallace & Gromit’s Children’s Charity is a national charity raising funds to improve the lives of sick children in hospitals and hospices throughout the UK, raising over £70 million since 1995. The Grand Appeal, which has Wallace & Gromit spearheading the fundraising is the official Bristol Children’s Hospital charity. It started in 1995 with the single mission of raising £10 million for a new building, and 30 years later having generated over £90 million.
Opened in 1893, The Harris, located in a Grade I listed building is owned and managed by Preston City Council. Based in Preston, Lancashire, The Harris is one of the leading museums, galleries and libraries in the region and an Arts Council England National Portfolio Organisation. Host to art collections of national significance, exciting activities and events for all ages and an award-winning contemporary art programme, The Harris is Preston’s landmark cultural hub.
Currently delivering Harris Your Place project, made possible with National Lottery Heritage Fund; UK Government Towns Fund; Preston City Council; Lancashire County Council; the Preston, South Ribble and Lancashire City Deal; DCMS; Arts Council England, public donations and a wide range of Trusts and Foundations including Garfield Weston Foundation, Wolfson Foundation, The Harris Charity, Harris Trust and Friends of the Harris.
• Wallace & Gromit in A Case at the Museum will run from Sunday 28th September 2025 to Sunday 4th January 2026 at The Harris, Market Square, Preston Lancashire PR1 2PP| More at: theharris.org.uk | Exhibition Page
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John is the founder of downthetubes, launched in 1998. He is a comics and magazine editor, writer, and Press Officer for the Lakes International Comic Art Festival. He also runs Crucible Comic Press.
Working in British comics publishing since the 1980s, his credits include editor of titles such as Doctor Who Magazine and Overkill for Marvel UK, Babylon 5 Magazine, Star Trek Magazine, and its successor, Star Trek Explorer, and more. He also edited the comics anthology STRIP Magazine and edited several audio comics for ROK Comics; and has edited several comic collections and graphic novels, including volumes of “Charley’s War” and “Dan Dare”, and Hancock: The Lad Himself, by Stephen Walsh and Keith Page.
He’s the writer of comics such as 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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