International students enrol on Bristol Aardman animation course

The academy is in the same warehouse where Wallace & Gromit: The Wrong Trousers was filmed

Students from around the world have arrived in Bristol to learn animation from the creators of Wallace & Gromit.

The Aardman Academy has returned to in-person tuition after classes moved online during the Covid pandemic.

Animators will be taught in the same space where Oscar-winning Wallace & Gromit: The Wrong Trousers was shot 30 years ago.

New entrant Lily Ward, 22, from Frome, said: "It's cool to be here, I grew up watching these films."

Lily Ward is currently developing the story that she pitched to Aardman

The academy began when Aardman required more animators to work on the first Chicken Run film in 2000.

Ms Ward has enrolled on a seven-month long stop motion course.

So far she has finished pre-production, script writing and story development for her film which she pitched to Aardman.

She said she is excited to have the rest of her lessons in the studio.

"It's very exciting. I never thought that this would happen. It's really cool how although we're still learning, it's really nice to be in a real studio environment," she said.

Students at the academy will learn skills from industry experts

Mark Hewis, head of Aardman Academy, said 13 students have enrolled on the course from the UK, Austria, Australia and more.

"A lot of students are coming here because they want to learn from the best people in the world," he said.

"And we're going to be supporting them every step of the way."

Maraike Kraemer studied at the Aardman Academy and now works for the company

Alumni of the academy have gone on to work at Aardman. Maraike Kraemer completed the online stop motion course three years ago, then moved from Germany to work as an assistant animator on Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget.

Ms Kraemer said the new intake of students will benefit from in-person teaching.

"Being in a studio with people you have close to you and you can call someone for help if you need anything - so you don't have to figure it out by yourself," she said.