News / Aardman
Shaun the Sheep turns 30
Shaun the Sheep, the cheeky Claymation sheep from the Wallace & Gromit universe, made his first screen appearance in 1995, when he in the Aardman short film, A Close Shave.
That film won an Oscar and in 2007 Shaun won his own spin-off show which aired on CBBC for nine years.
To celebrate his 30th birthday Aardman, the Bristol-based animation studio behind Shaun, Wallace, Gromit and whole host of other characters, have started a ‘Can Ewe Knit It?’ campaign.
is needed now More than ever
‘Can Ewe Knit It?’, organised in collaboration with British Wool, Campaign for Wool and Craft Forward, calls for fans to craft 20x20cm wool squares which will later be gathered together, and used to create blankets for homeless people.
An Aardman spokesperson said: “Shaun is a global and cultural icon – but he’s Bristol born and bred!
“To mark his 30th birthday we want to use his fame for good and connect the craft and innovation of our studio to incredible organisations that use craft to uplift communities.
“Fans worldwide have produced incredible artworks and crafted creations featuring Shaun since he first appeared on our screens – now we’re putting a Bristol bleat out asking the city’s knitters, crocheters and craft enthusiasts to flock together, and join our global act of woolly kindness and creativity to help unhoused people.”
Aardman are calling for fans to knit, weave or crochet wool squares, using one of the four Shaun the Sheep-inspired templates they’ve provided on a special ‘Can Ewe Knit It?’ website: www.shaunthesheep.com/can-ewe-knit-it.
After fans have crafted their squares, they can then send them to Craft Forward’s London headquarters: 3 Space International House, 6 Canterbury Crescent, London, SW9 7QD.
The deadline to send squares to Craft Forward is September 30.
Craft Forward spokesperson said: “We’ve already produced 472 handmade blankets that are providing warmth and comfort to unhoused people.
“We’re so happy to be able to work with Aardman, British Wool, and the Campaign for Wool on this amazing project which will be the first rendition of Blankets for the World – an initiative to distribute warm, handmade blankets to different areas across the globe. ‘Can Ewe Knit It?’ is truly for everyone, whether you’re new to knitting or crocheting, or a seasoned crafting pro. We hope you enjoy making our patterns as much as we enjoyed designing them!”
Main photo: Aardman
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