News / Aardman
Aardman celebrate 50 years in Bristol with major new exhibition
Bristol and Aardman have been closely intertwined over the last half-century.
But the subtle references used in their films over the years are often as well hidden as the dastardly penguin Feathers McGraw while he is disguised as a chicken.
A new exhibition now open at M Shed peals back a few of the layers, with Bristol appearing front and centre in Aardman’s story.
A set from Shaun the Sheep the Movie is revealed to have been inspired by some railway arches near Temple Meads, while in the same film a bus was modelled on the one on M Shed’s ground floor.
This bus from the 2015 film Shaun the Sheep the Movie is modelled on M Shed’s green bus
“It’s really important to us to have the opportunity to celebrate the city’s influence on us over the last 50 years; on our people, on our stories, our content and our characters,” Ngaio Harding-Hill, Aardman’s head of attractions & live experiences, told Bristol24/7.
“M Shed is the museum of Bristol. It’s the perfect home. It’s literally walking distance from us so it’s been a real joy to be able to curate it with them and to have the story here.
“But it has given us the opportunity to really show audiences how much the city has influenced us and with some surprises.”
Bristol’s allotment community and boating community have also been lovingly referenced in films and now in the new exhibition, Cracking Exhibition, Gromit! 50 Years of Aardman in Bristol, which is even accompanied by some Aardman-themed treats in M Shed’s ground floor cafe and some exclusive merchandise in the shop.
Watch out for rabbits
Ngaio said that the exhibition also aims to show that the creative industries can be a career for anyone, particularly young people, with one area of the exhibition featuring work by students from Boomsatsuma.
There are plenty of interactive elements for visitors to create their own stories.
“If you’ve got an idea and you’ve got imagination, you can be creative,” said Ngaio.
“We want to give young kids from Bristol the opportunity to get into the creative industries who might not have had that…
“Their stories here are about what Aardman means to them, which is another celebration of Bristol and our place in it.”
A real Oscar is among the treasures on display at the exhibition
For Helen McConnell Simpson, senior curator of history at Bristol Museums, it is the detail in the sets which is the most memorable part of the exhibition.
Her favourite set is Wallace and Gromit’s kitchen at 62 West Wallaby Street which even has a ‘Smug’ fridge.
“It’s just really nostalgic so it feels a little bit like my grandparents’ kitchen,” Helen told Bristol24/7.
“I love the sort of slightly ramshackle feeling but it’s also all the details and the little jokes that I really enjoy…
“I just think it’s really lovely to be able to see the skill and the the craftsmanship that goes into the sets and the characters.
“You really understand the level of detail and also therefore the time and the patience and the effort that has gone into these lovely pieces of work.”
Look out for the Smug fridge and Furry Liquid in Wallace and Gromit’s kitchen
Just one of the astonishing things about this exhibition is that many of Aardman’s irreplaceable treasures from over the years including sets and props were destroyed in a fire in 2005.
The blaze at a warehouse on Silverthorne Lane in St Philip’s contained the company’s “entire history” said a spokesman at the time.
Arches in the Shaun the Sheep Movie were modelled on railway arches close to Aardman’s former storage facility on Silverthorne Lane in St Philip’s
Karen MacDonald, head of public engagement for Bristol City Council’s culture team, said Aardman’s productions “have a real Bristol sense of humour and spirit about them”.
This exhibition is the third time that Bristol’s museums have collaborated with Aardman for an exhibition and Karen said “we jumped at the opportunity to work with them again” to celebrate their 50th birthday in their hometown.
“We’ve got a brilliant creative team here who develop exhibitions all the time, and we were able to tap into the extraordinary knowledge and skills within Aardman and their archive team, telling so many stories from all the productions over the years.”
Morph is looking a bit hot in the heatwave
Phil Walker, head of culture at Bristol City Council and a big fan of Morph, said that being able to celebrate Aardman at M Shed “is a really important moment”.
“They are world class and their characters are known globally,” Phil said.
“It’s really important to celebrate and it’s brilliant that this exhibition is here in M Shed because it talks about
the city’s stories.
“We’re really proud that Aardman have made Bristol their home over the last 50 years.”
The detail within some of the sets is astonishing
Cracking Exhibition, Gromit! 50 Years of Aardman in Bristol is at M Shed until September 13. For more information and to book tickets, visit www.bristolmuseums.org.uk/whats-on/m-shed/50-years-aardman
All photos: Rob Browne
Read next:
Our newsletters emailed directly to you
