UK’s top young inventors enjoy Wallace and Gromit preview screening

The UK’s most innovative school celebrated winning a prestigious competition with a preview of the new Wallace and Gromit short film, ‘A Matter of Loaf and Death’.

Pupils from Great Arley School in Lancashire were named as the National Champions of Cracking Ideas 2008 in an awards ceremony at the Science Museum last month, where they were congratulated by the Minister of State for Higher Education and Intellectual Property, David Lammy MP, Gareth ‘Gaz Top’ Jones and Wallace and Gromit themselves!

Among their prizes was a preview screening of the brand new Wallace and Gromit short film at their school. Today (1 December 2008), the young inventors from Thornton Cleveleys got a viewing of the long-awaited film before it is broadcast on BBC One at Christmas.

The winning pupils were joined by some special guests at the screening - a life-sized Wallace and Gromit, who were there to congratulate the children on their success.

Ryan Thompson and Amy Enright came up with the invention called 'Charlie the Chair Stacker' which stacks chairs using a combination of pincers and magnets. The design was born out of the children’s desire to help the school’s site supervisor Mr Figgins, by taking over his most tiresome job.

Amanda Johnstone, the class teacher of the winning pupils, expressed her delight with the children:

"I’m extremely proud of all the children here at Great Arley. Not only did they manage to come up with an award winning invention, they also showed their caring side by basing the design on easing the struggles of Mr Figgins."

Cracking Ideas is run by the Intellectual Property Office in conjunction with Aardman Animations and uses a combination of specific lesson plans, teaching resources and a dedicated website - www.crackingideas.com - to encourage innovation among Key Stage Two pupils as part of the National Curriculum.

Robin Webb, the Innovation Director at the Intellectual Property Office, said:

"The children have really seemed to enjoy the privileges of being recognised as inventors. We hope that the preview screening of such a prominent film will remind everyone what inventors can do, and how important it is to encourage innovation in children and protect our ideas."

'Charlie the Chair Stacker' will soon be moved to his new home in an exhibition at the Science Museum due to open in spring 2009. The exhibition, called ‘Wallace and Gromit Present a World of Cracking Ideas’ will tap into the fictional characters’ famous flair for invention with a mixture of interactive exhibits, creative activities and animated displays, all themed around Wallace and Gromit’s house.

The project is a joint initiative between the Intellectual Property Office, Aardman Animations and the Science Museum in a bid to encourage inventors to get creative, while learning to protect their intellectual property and develop an ethos of positive respect for the intellectual property of others.

Head of Aardman Rights at Aardman Animations, Sean Clarke, said:

"We are really excited about next year’s exhibition at the Science Museum. It’s a great way to build on the success of the first two years of the project and find new ways to inspire innovation and secure the future of Britain’s inventing tradition."

Notes to editors

• For more information, pictures and interviews, contact Nick Mason or Jo Bishop at Mason Media on 0151 239 5050 or 07961 791 469, email jo@masonmedia.co.uk or nick@masonmedia.co.uk.
• Among Great Arley School’s other prizes is an original bespoke trophy made by Aardman Animations, a laptop, board games signed by Nick Park, and a host of DVDs and other goodies.
• Cracking Ideas is a project developed by the Intellectual Property Office who formulate and implement domestic IP legislation. Policy responsibilities include patents, trade marks, designs and copyright. More information is available at www.ipo.gov.uk.
• Aardman, based in Bristol (UK) co-founded and run by Peter Lord and David Sproxton, is a world leader in animation. It produces feature films, television series and television commercials for both the domestic and international market. Their multi-award winning productions are novel, entertaining, brilliantly characterised and full of charm that reflects the unique talent, energy and personal commitment of the very special people who make up the Aardman team. The studio’s work is often imitated and yet the company continues to lead the field producing a rare brand of visually stunning and amusing independent and commercials productions.

Date of release: 1 December 2008