University honours Wallace and Gromit creators

The co-founder of Aardman Animations Ltd, the company behind ‘Chicken Run’ and ‘Wallace and Gromit’ is to receive an honorary degree from Durham University. David Sproxton, who graduated from Durham in 1976, founded the production company in partnership with Peter Lord.

After graduation, the pair decided to go into film-making, and their first creation, Morph, appeared in the BBC television series ‘Take Hart’ in the late 70’s. With the addition of Nick Park to the Aardman team, the company went on to produce ‘Creature Comforts’, and the much-loved Wallace and Gromit films ‘The Wrong Trousers’ and ‘A Close Shave’.

The company’s first feature film, ‘Chicken Run’, followed soon after, and 2006 saw the production of ‘The Curse of the Were Rabbit’, Wallace and Gromit’s first feature-length film.

In 2006, Sproxton and Lord celebrated the 30th anniversary of Aardman Animations and were awarded CBEs in the Queen’s Birthday Honours list. Collingwood graduate Sproxton will now be awarded an honorary degree at Summer Congregation. Degrees will also be given to the former Vice Chancellor Sir Kenneth Calman, two lecturers from the Geography department(Derek Hudspeth and Michael Church) and a former head of Barclays Bank, Christopher John Lendrum.