An introduction to Aardman

For nearly 40 years, Aardman has steered the golden history of British animation. With beloved shows like Wallace and Gromit, the Bristol based animation studio has charmed generations of fans across the world. In 2017, Bristol was designated a UNESCO City of Film thanks, in part, to their multi-award-winning films.

Here is all you need to know about Aardman and their cult characters, stories and worlds ahead of Shaun the Sheep’s Circus Show.

SIGNATURE STYLE: CLAYMATION AND BRITISH HUMOUR

Aardman is known for its signature Claymation style. The studio models characters with clay, leaving behind imperfections and fingerprints. This gives the characters a wonky, handmade feel, which Nick Park – the creator of Wallace and Gromit – calls ‘thumbiness’. Filming the models requires painstaking attention to detail. Between 12 and 24 photos are needed for just one second of film!

The studio is also known for its compelling stories and memorable characters. Who could forget the silent, villainous penguin Feathers McGraw? At the heart of Aardman is a uniquely British charm and humour. Whether it’s Shaun the Sheep or Chicken Run, there’s sure to be an abundance of boiling kettles, roaring fires, toast and jam!

HOW DID IT ALL START?

Aardman began in the 1970s as an animation partnership between school friends Peter Lord and David Sproxton. Still teenagers, Lord and Sproxton pitched a simple idea to the BBC using stop motion animation with plasticine. The sketch was titled ‘Aard Man’.

In 1977, the duo released mischievous Morph to the world – a cheeky clay figure who moulds his body into different shapes. He made his debut on the BBC alongside the artist and presenter Tony Hart.

WALLACE AND GROMIT

In the mid 1980s, a student animator named Nick Park approached Lord and Sproxton with sketches of a bumbling inventor and his canine companion. On Christmas Eve in 1989, Wallace and Gromit debuted in A Grand Day Out with veteran actor Peter Sallis taking on the voice of Wallace. The film, in which the duo journey to the moon looking for cheese, was nominated for an Academy Award.

Since then, Wallace and Gromit has won over 100 awards including three Academy Awards® and eight BAFTA® Awards. The series put Aardman on the global map and The Wrong Trousers (1993) remains one of the most successful animated films ever made.

CHICKEN RUN

Chicken Run (2000) was Aardman’s first full-length film and the highest grossing stop motion animation film of all time. Set on Tweedy’s Chicken Farm, Chicken Run has a darker tone than Wallace and Gromit. When Rocky the Rooster (voiced by Mel Gibson) crash-lands on the farm, the chickens must follow his lead and escape or be turned into chicken pies!

The film is a parody of the epic war film The Great Escape, which Park and Lord pitched to Jeffrey Katzenberg and Steven Spielberg in a famous L.A. chicken restaurant. A fan of The Great Escape and a proud owner of 300 chickens, Spielberg greenlit the film right away.

SHAUN THE SHEEP

Back in 1995, Wallace and Gromit birthed another classic Aardman character in the short film A Close Shave. In 2007, Shaun was given his own series set on Mossy Bottom Farm with a soundtrack composed by the comedian Vic Reeves. Shaun spends his days shepherding his flock, as they navigate life with the Farmer and his dog Bitzer. The seventh series premiered in May 2025.

SHAUN THE SHEEP’S CIRCUS SHOW

Now Aardman have teamed up with the internationally acclaimed Australian circus ensemble Circa for Shaun the Sheep’s Circus Show – a high-flying family adventure coming to Aviva Studios this winter. The show takes Shaun to dizzying new heights while retaining Aardman’s signature charming humour.

Shaun the Sheep has spawned two award-winning films, the CBeebies spin-off Timmy Time, an attraction park in Japan and now a circus show! What next for Aardman in this new age of technology? Aardman’s creations are a testament to originality, craft and storytelling. The future is surely BAA-right.

Shaun the Sheep runs at Aviva Studios from 11 December 2025 to 4 January 2026. Find out more here.