Aardman marks its 50th anniversary with a major exhibition titled Aardman 50th birthday exhibition at London’s Young V&A, offering a broad retrospective of the studio’s work.

The show will display set models and puppets from Aardman’s earliest projects alongside recent works, highlighting the creative process across five decades.

To coincide with the anniversary, a new film, Shaun the Sheep: The Beast of Mossy Bottom, is announced for release later this year.

The final section of the exhibition focuses on post-production, sound design, and Foley, including interactive activities like creating own sound effects and viewing behind-the-scenes content.

previews with schoolchildren showcased hands-on activities, and many identified Gromit as a favorite character.

The project continues the collaboration between Aardman and Carrot Productions, building on the success of Wallace & Gromit’s Musical Marvels and underscoring how live orchestration enhances family-friendly storytelling.

Curator Newson described the archive as rich and rare, noting an 18-month effort to assemble and install items for the gallery setting.

Interactive displays include a praxinoscope, character design stations, lighting tests from Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl, and demonstrations of stop-motion sound effects creation.

Sections of the exhibit cover idea development, model making, on-set production, and post-production—featuring pieces like Wallace & Gromit’s galleon from The Pirates! and the motorbike from Vengeance of the Fowl.

Visitors can try stop-motion techniques and storyboarding, with displays of Morph development sketches, Wallace & Gromit concept art, and a praxinoscope.

New additions highlight recent work, including set models and puppets from the 2024 film A Vengeance Most Fowl, which won two BAFTAs and was Oscar-nominated.

Installations and materials from A Vengeance Most Fowl, including its award-winning elements, will be presented to visitors for the first time.