Cracking exhibition launches at the Science Museum

The Intellectual Property Office, Aardman Animations, SGA Productions and the Science Museum have partnered to launch Wallace & Gromit present A World of Cracking Ideas, which opens at the Museum on Saturday 28 March. The exhibition is designed to inspire a new generation of innovators in the UK and beyond.

The £2m exhibition has been funded by the Intellectual Property Office (formerly the Patent Office), and designed and built for Aardman Animation by SGA Productions in association with IY A Studios. The project builds on the existing relationship between the Intellectual Property Office and Aardman, who have worked together for the last three years on the nationwide Cracking Ideas competition (www.crackingideas.com ), which encourages schoolchildren to innovate.

Oscar® winning characters Wallace & Gromit will be at the heart of the interactive show which aims to appeal to all ages by telling the story of innovation and inspire people’s creativity and flair. The exhibition also looks at how people can protect their ideas using intellectual property.

Inside the exhibition, visitors are taken on a tour of 62 West Wallaby Street, the famous home of Wallace & Gromit, where they can view objects from the Science Museum’s collections, as well as a selection of Wallace’s own ‘cracking contraptions’, such as the Tellyscope II, the Piella Propellor and the Blend-o-Matic.

Each room in the house, from the kitchen to the garden shed, will look at a different aspect of the thinking process behind ideas and show visitors how they can protect their intellectual property through patents, trade marks, designs and copyright. Visitors will be encouraged to come up with their own creative ideas, which they can jot down and leave at ‘Ideas Stations’ throughout the exhibition, and there will also be a red ‘ideas’ phone which connects straight to the Intellectual Property Office advice hotline.

Aardman is considering other venues for the exhibition after it closes in London in November.

Lawrence Smith-Higgins, Head of Business Outreach and Education at the Intellectual Property Office, comments: "Innovation and intellectual property (IP) are hugely important to businesses, and will be even more so as we work through the current economic climate. Bringing innovation to life with two of the nation’s best loved characters is a great chance for us to bring our messages to a huge audience and make sure people realise how vital it is to innovate and protect their ideas."

Commenting on the project, Sean Clarke, Head of Aardman Rights said: "Inventiveness has always been central to Wallace's character and the Wallace and Gromit experience at the Science Museum will be another platform that will continue to inspire children and adults to be innovative and creative."

Sarah Gibbon, CEO, SGA Productions, adds: "Developing interactive and involving experiences that people enjoy is our passion. Working with characters as well known and popular as Wallace and Gromit, and turning Wallace’s legendary ideas into reality has been an incredible and exciting experience, and we can’t wait to see how the public react to this exhibition."

Judith Whitaker, Head of Commercial Development for the Science Museum said, "With over 15,000 objects in our collections including world-famous inventions such as Stephenson’s Rocket and Babbage’s Difference Engine, as well as countless everyday items from televisions to light-bulbs, the Science Museum provides the perfect context for this exhibition, as a place that celebrates innovation and encourages creative thinking amongst visitors of all ages."

For further information please contact Elaine Cole, Eulogy!

E-mail: intellectualpropertyoffice@eulogy.co.uk

Telephone: 0207 927 9999

Editor notes

• The exhibition is being developed by Aardman Animation and SGA Productions in partnership with the Intellectual Property Office and the Science Museum to inspire children and adults to be innovative and creative. It also aims to encourage children to appreciate the value of their own ideas and to understand how they can exploit these if protected by intellectual property rights. The £2.1 million exhibition is expected to run for six months from 28 March until 1 November and is being funded by the Intellectual Property Office.
• SGA Productions have designed and produced the exhibition on behalf of Aardman, in association with IYA Studios. SGA Productions develop interactive events and experiences for both adults and children for a wide range of clients. www.sgaproductions.com
• The Intellectual Property Office is within the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills and responsible for the national framework of Intellectual Property rights, comprising patents, designs, trade marks and copyright. Its role is to help manage an IP system that encourages innovation and creativity, balances the needs of consumers and users, promotes strong and competitive markets and is the foundation of the knowledge based economy.
  
  It operates in a national and an international environment and its work is governed by national and international law, including various international treaties relating to IP to which the United Kingdom is a party.
• The Science Museum is home to more than 15,000 objects and provides a fascinating insight into the worlds of science, technology, medicine and industry. Hands on galleries, drama characters and science shows bring to life the past, present and future of human scientific ingenuity. See and interact with major scientific advances from the last 300 years, from original working steam engines to the actual Apollo 10 command module, all spread over seven floors in a building ¼ mile long. A giant IMAX cinema and exhilarating simulator rides make the Science Museum a thrilling day out. The Science Museum is free and open seven days a week. Visit www.sciencemuseum.org.uk
• Aardman, based in Bristol, 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. The studio has won over 400 international awards including 4 Oscars®.
  
  Aardman’s 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. www.aardman.com ; www.wallaceandgromit.com