Stop motion is the art of building real and tangible worlds and moving real models, frame by frame in painstaking detail. This exhibition is a celebration of the art of stop motion through the work of some of the masters of the artform.
For ten years Creative Industries Trafford has delivered Meet the Puppet Masters, a series of animation talks from some of the industry’s leading specialists, including BAFTA and Oscar winners and nominees.
These talks have brought some of the world's foremost animation talent to Waterside to connect with local audiences offering a rare glimpse into the careers, creative processes, and ground-breaking projects of leading figures working in animation today.
This exhibition celebrates the work of past speakers Mackinnon & Saunders, Nina Gantz, Joseph Wallace, One6th and homegrown Jessica Wheeler. These artists are real life puppet masters of the field, animators and creatives in the industry who continue to push its boundaries by making real and dreamlike miniature worlds.
Using uncanny landscapes and surreal models designs, the stories you see combine real human experiences where the puppets are anthropomorphic, standing in for actors on a stage and manipulated by puppet masters.
This is a celebration of ten years of animation at Waterside, a decade of storytelling, creativity, and community, and a meditation on the power of puppets.
There will be a programme of talks, workshops, and masterclasses led by industry experts alongside the exhibition, including Acting For Animation with Joseph Wallace on 08 Nov 2025.