This post is written by Izzy Pye, artist and animator workshop leader

Over the last few terms, I’ve worked with several schools, exploring stop motion animation. They would create stories, characters and worlds using clay and a stop motion technique. 

Turner exhibit   

The Turner exhibit was a great place for the students to explore worlds and the environment.  Walking through the exhibitions, the young people explored the stories within the paintings, writing and drawing ideas on their clipboards. A lot of the students were drawn to the water landscapes, with the boats crashing around in the waves. Some students wrote stories about the people on the boat and the way they would feel, others drew the scene in front of them, exploring what happened next. 

We explored these stories further in the studio, where in groups, they decided what their film would be. The inspiration of the Turner landscapes were seen in the final animations, with crashing waves and exploding volcanos.  

Santiago exhibit 

Within the Santiago exhibit, we explored the themes of spirit animals. The young people took inspiration from the exhibit to create their own creatures, even creating backstories and lore for them. We had a dolgon (a dragon/dolphin mix) which had been hiding in an underwater cave for centuries, a fluffy creature which protected its owner, birds that guided you into the next life, and even creatures which fought each other in long wars. 

They then moved into the studios where they shared their ideas in groups, combining their spirit animals stories, and created a background story for their creatures. They then took a small part of their stories that they could bring to life with clay. 

I was so impressed with the spirit animals and the worlds the young people made. It was clear the young people really engaged with the exhibit, with vibrant hybrid animals of all colours and patterns, and stories of spirits and guardians. 

The imagination and skills that all the young people showed across the workshops was outstanding. They all engaged with the exhibitions, building on the ideas within the art work. It was a great way to explore the Whitworth, whilst also exploring their creative talents. 

If you’re interested in brining your class to the Whitworth for an animation session, please contact steven.roper@manchester.ac.uk to hear more.