The National Media Museum in the U.K. organizes three major film festivals every year, including the Bradford Animation Festival, which is the country's longest-running and largest animation festival. Courtesy of the Bradford Animation Festival.

Animation is popular with movie audiences, television fans, video game aficionados, and, increasingly, with museum-goers. Cartoon and animation art enable museum curators to make special connections with their patrons, and visitors are discovering that animation adds another dimension to museums through special exhibits, museum outreach and educational programs.

First Stop: England
The National Media Museum (formerly National Museum of Photography, Film & Television) in Bradford has seven galleries focusing on photography, television, animation, light and IMAX film technology, as well as a changing program of special exhibitions. The animation gallery covers over a hundred years of animation, with fascinating exhibits drawn from the museum's collection, including the work of animators such as Aardman, Bob Godfrey and Joanna Quinn. The cinematography collection includes cameras, projectors, magic lantern slides, drawings, posters and documents that trace the history and prehistory of cinema. The IMAX theater offers exciting large format films in 2D and 3D. The museum organizes three major film festivals every year -- the Bradford International Film Festival in March, the Bite the Mango Festival in September and Bradford Animation Festival (www.baf.org) in November, the U.K.'s longest-running and largest animation festival. This November 14-17, BAF! festivalgoers will enjoy an array of talks, workshops and special events led by some of the industry's top names. The festival culminates with the annual BAF Awards, which celebrate the very best in new animation from around the world.

Sarah Mumford, learning manager at the National Media Museum, says "We offer regular animation workshops to schools, families and adults. These are also offered by Cartwright Hall and Bradford Industrial Museum. These workshops complement our animation gallery. We also offer animation activity sessions for children in the holidays." To celebrate Family Learning Week 2007, the National Media Museum recently presented a stop-motion animation workshop inspired by exhibits in the gallery.

The National Media Museum (www.nationalmediamuseum.org.uk) also has online resources, including Anim8ed (www.anim8ed.org.uk), which offers ideas, contacts and suggestions for educators and those interested in developing group animation projects. The site includes six step-by-step animation projects, information about animation techniques and animators, and links to animation studios, festivals and courses. Some of the other resources on anim8ed include an animation index (a selection of the most important animators and studios in the business, past and present), animation techniques, and links to animation studios, festivals and resources on the Web. You can also view student projects completed with guidance from professional animators.

America the Animated
Two traveling animation exhibits are currently criss-crossing the United States. Animation, organized by Portland's Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI) (www.omsi.org) in partnership with Cartoon Network, brings together art, math, science and technology in its exploration of the world of animation. Animation showcases popular cartoon characters from shows such as Dexter's Laboratory, Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends, Codename: Kids Next Door, and The Powerpuff Girls, as well as popular Hanna-Barbera characters such as Scooby-Doo and The Flintstones.

"For the past nine years, OMSI has partnered with award-winning animators in presenting classes that bring out the math and science behind animation," says Ray Vandiver, VP of exhibits.

"A common misconception about making cartoons is that it primarily requires people who can draw freehand," said Dennis Adamovich, SVP of marketing for Cartoon Network. "What this exhibit will reveal in full interactive detail is the number of different skills involved in creating animation."

Through a series of hands-on exhibits, graphics and videos, visitors will explore the process of animation and create their own animated sequences. As they bring their creations to life, they will use math and science concepts and skills, just as real animators do.