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NEWS
West Midland Safari Park teams up with Aardman to bring Early Man to life
POSTED 31 Jan 2018 . BY Alice Davis
Dug and Hognob, the lead characters in new Aardman film Early Man
West Midland Safari Park has announced a series of events to celebrate the release of the latest film from British studio Aardman.

With Early Man in cinemas across the UK, the attraction, in Bewdley, Worcestershire, has unveiled a special trail themed around the stop-motion animated adventure, a secret cave with exhibits from the film set and a schedule of model-making workshops.

Directed by Nick Park – who also worked with Aardman on Chicken Run and the Shaun the Sheep and Wallace & Gromit films – Early Man tells the story of prehistoric caveman Dug (with the voice of Eddie Redmayne) and his wild boar friend Hognob as they strive to save their Stone Age valley from an incoming Bronze Age enemy.

The safari park’s Find The Tribe Trail is an interactive activity where guests must solve a number of clues in order to track down Dug’s tribe.

Then, inside the Early Man Secret Cave, they will be able to get close to some of the models from the film in a special and exclusive display.

There will also be four model-making workshops held in February, led by an Aardman model maker, where guests will make their own version of an Early Man character.

“We love to share our skills with others and we'll be running workshops at the West Midland Safari Park to give fans of our work the chance to see how we create our wonderful characters," said David Sproxton, co-founder and executive chair of Aardman.

"With our experienced model makers, our fans will learn exactly how much detail and effort goes into making each puppet, and they can have a go themselves.”

Aardman has worked with other attractions to bring its IPs to life, including Japanese FECs, Blackpool Pleasure Beach and Sweden’s Skanes Djurpark.

The studio is currently developing its presence within the attractions sector, with a view to one day even working on an Aardman Land.
Exclusive Model Making Workshops led by an Aardman Animator at the Safari Park will show guests how to make their very own model
The ‘Early Man Secret Cave’ is a unique opportunity to see parts of the set used in the film
'Find The Tribe’ with Early Man at West Midland Safari Park during their exclusive event
Exclusive Model Making Workshops led by an Aardman Animator at the Safari Park will show guests how to make their very own model
RELATED STORIES
  Shaun the Sheep gets foothold in Japan's attractions market


Aardman has opened two Shaun the Sheep Family Farms in Japan, with one in Osaka and one in the east coast city of Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture.
  FEATURE: Visitor Attractions: Flock to it


Norwegian operator Lund Group on how Aardman’s Shaun the Sheep helped reinvigorate the troubled Skånes Djurpark
  Exclusive: Aardman Animations outlines theme park ambitions


Aardman Animations – creator of popular IPs such as Wallace and Gromit and Shaun the Sheep – has grand plans for its attractions and live experiences division, with ambitions to create an entire theme park dedicated to the creations of the British animation studio.
  West Midland Safari Park seeks students for level three training scheme


West Midland Safari Park in Worcestershire is seeking a crop of young students to take part in a new Animal Management training course.
MORE NEWS
OMA completes New Museum transformation with landmark expansion and Oberon restaurant
OMA has completed a major transformation of New York's New Museum, creating a larger cultural campus that combines expanded exhibition spaces with learning, performance, hospitality and public programming.
David Rockwell creates immersive magic destination, The Hand and The Eye
A US$50 million (£44.2 million, €51.2 million) transformation of Chicago's historic McCormick Mansion has created a new destination that combines live magic, immersive theatre, dining and private membership under one roof.
Montana Heritage Center opens with immersive exhibits and US$107 million investment
The Montana Historical Society has officially celebrated the opening of its new Montana Heritage Center, a US$107 million (£79 million, €92 million) destination that combines immersive storytelling with cutting-edge audiovisual technology to bring the sta
Universal launches new theme park model with Kids Resort
Universal Destinations and Experiences has launched a new regional theme park model with the opening of Universal Kids Resort in Frisco, Texas.
+ More news   
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Jobs    News   Products   Magazine   Subscribe
NEWS
West Midland Safari Park teams up with Aardman to bring Early Man to life
POSTED 31 Jan 2018 . BY Alice Davis
Dug and Hognob, the lead characters in new Aardman film Early Man
West Midland Safari Park has announced a series of events to celebrate the release of the latest film from British studio Aardman.

With Early Man in cinemas across the UK, the attraction, in Bewdley, Worcestershire, has unveiled a special trail themed around the stop-motion animated adventure, a secret cave with exhibits from the film set and a schedule of model-making workshops.

Directed by Nick Park – who also worked with Aardman on Chicken Run and the Shaun the Sheep and Wallace & Gromit films – Early Man tells the story of prehistoric caveman Dug (with the voice of Eddie Redmayne) and his wild boar friend Hognob as they strive to save their Stone Age valley from an incoming Bronze Age enemy.

The safari park’s Find The Tribe Trail is an interactive activity where guests must solve a number of clues in order to track down Dug’s tribe.

Then, inside the Early Man Secret Cave, they will be able to get close to some of the models from the film in a special and exclusive display.

There will also be four model-making workshops held in February, led by an Aardman model maker, where guests will make their own version of an Early Man character.

“We love to share our skills with others and we'll be running workshops at the West Midland Safari Park to give fans of our work the chance to see how we create our wonderful characters," said David Sproxton, co-founder and executive chair of Aardman.

"With our experienced model makers, our fans will learn exactly how much detail and effort goes into making each puppet, and they can have a go themselves.”

Aardman has worked with other attractions to bring its IPs to life, including Japanese FECs, Blackpool Pleasure Beach and Sweden’s Skanes Djurpark.

The studio is currently developing its presence within the attractions sector, with a view to one day even working on an Aardman Land.
Exclusive Model Making Workshops led by an Aardman Animator at the Safari Park will show guests how to make their very own model
The ‘Early Man Secret Cave’ is a unique opportunity to see parts of the set used in the film
'Find The Tribe’ with Early Man at West Midland Safari Park during their exclusive event
Exclusive Model Making Workshops led by an Aardman Animator at the Safari Park will show guests how to make their very own model
RELATED STORIES
Shaun the Sheep gets foothold in Japan's attractions market


Aardman has opened two Shaun the Sheep Family Farms in Japan, with one in Osaka and one in the east coast city of Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture.
FEATURE: Visitor Attractions: Flock to it


Norwegian operator Lund Group on how Aardman’s Shaun the Sheep helped reinvigorate the troubled Skånes Djurpark
Exclusive: Aardman Animations outlines theme park ambitions


Aardman Animations – creator of popular IPs such as Wallace and Gromit and Shaun the Sheep – has grand plans for its attractions and live experiences division, with ambitions to create an entire theme park dedicated to the creations of the British animation studio.
West Midland Safari Park seeks students for level three training scheme


West Midland Safari Park in Worcestershire is seeking a crop of young students to take part in a new Animal Management training course.
MORE NEWS
OMA completes New Museum transformation with landmark expansion and Oberon restaurant
OMA has completed a major transformation of New York's New Museum, creating a larger cultural campus that combines expanded exhibition spaces with learning, performance, hospitality and public programming.
David Rockwell creates immersive magic destination, The Hand and The Eye
A US$50 million (£44.2 million, €51.2 million) transformation of Chicago's historic McCormick Mansion has created a new destination that combines live magic, immersive theatre, dining and private membership under one roof.
Montana Heritage Center opens with immersive exhibits and US$107 million investment
The Montana Historical Society has officially celebrated the opening of its new Montana Heritage Center, a US$107 million (£79 million, €92 million) destination that combines immersive storytelling with cutting-edge audiovisual technology to bring the sta
Universal launches new theme park model with Kids Resort
Universal Destinations and Experiences has launched a new regional theme park model with the opening of Universal Kids Resort in Frisco, Texas.
San Antonio Zoo reports $283 million economic impact as expansion plans progress
San Antonio Zoo has reported a US$283 million economic impact for 2025, following a decade- long transformation programme that has seen almost US$200 million invested into the Texas attraction.
Great Barrier Reef attraction set for AU$180 million reinvention
Plans for the AU$180 million redevelopment of Reef HQ Aquarium in Townsville, Australia, are progressing, with the project set to transform the attraction into a global centre for reef education and conservation.
+ More news   
 
COMPANY PROFILES
Simworx Ltd

The company was initially established in 1997. Terry Monkton and Andrew Roberts are the key stakeh [more...]
IDEATTACK

IDEATTACK is a full-service planning and design company with headquarters in Los Angeles. [more...]
Vekoma Rides Manufacturing B.V.

Vekoma Rides has a large variety of coasters and attractions. [more...]
instantprint

We’re a Yorkshire-based online printer, founded in 2009 by Adam Carnell and James Kinsella. [more...]
+ More profiles  
CATALOGUE GALLERY
+ More catalogues  
DIRECTORY
+ More directory  
DIARY

 

23-26 Aug 2026

Elevate Spa Riviera Maya Edition

The Riviera Maya Edition Kanai, Playa del Carmen, Mexico
29 Sep - 02 Oct 2026

Synergy - The Retreat Show

Pical Resort, Valamar Collection, Porec, Croatia
+ More diary  
 


ADVERTISE . CONTACT US

Leisure Media
Tel: +44 (0)1462 431385

©Cybertrek 2026

ABOUT LEISURE MEDIA
LEISURE MEDIA MAGAZINES
LEISURE MEDIA HANDBOOKS
LEISURE MEDIA WEBSITES
LEISURE MEDIA PRODUCT SEARCH
ATTRACTIONS MANAGEMENT NEWS
ATTRACTIONS HANDBOOK
PRINT SUBSCRIPTIONS
FREE DIGITAL SUBSCRIPTIONS