Animated Histories Hub

Animated Histories is an exciting programme of stop motion animation activities that we’re running in partnership with the Aardman Academy.

From our first exploration into animating stories from history with the Temple Church Tales project in 2023, to a series of workshops this summer at English Heritage sites across the country, we’ve loved working with Aardman Acadamy. Now, we’re thrilled to announce the next phase of our partnership…

The Animated Histories Film Festival! 

**Please note submissions are now closed. Thank you to everyone who submitted a film. Participants will be notified by the end of February**

Animated Histories Film Festival - The Winners

This year’s Animated Histories Film Festival showcased the incredible talent of young stop-motion animators, bringing history to life. Open to ages 11-25 and partnered with Aardman Academy, the festival celebrates fresh takes on English heritage through storytelling and creativity.

Winners impressed with their narratives, character design, and technical skill. Our Best Animation winner also secured a commissioned role in a 2025 animated history project.

Explore this page to learn more about the winners, watch their films, and meet the artists behind them!

Animated Histories - The winners

Animated Histories Summer Tour 2024

In summer 2024, we took animation workshops to four English Heritage sites – from the home of Charles Darwin to forts, factories and castles.

We invited anyone aged 11-25 to get involved in the workshops, which were hosted by professional animators from the multi-award-winning Aardman studios. 

Find out more about the project and see some of the animations on the project page below.

Animated Histories Summer Tour

ABOUT THE AARDMAN ACADEMY

The Aardman Academy is a world-class training facility delivering excellence in film and animation training and mentoring for students around the world, based on-site at the multi-award-winning Aardman studios in Bristol, UK.