The British Museum - The Bayeux Tapestry

Three animated short films for the British Museum's learning programme, bringing one of history's most extraordinary objects to life for a new generation.

The Bayeux Tapestry is on display at the British Museum for the first time in almost a thousand years, running throughout 2026 and into 2027. The British Museum commissioned Hocus Pocus Studio to make three animated short films for its learning programme, released to accompany what became the most in-demand exhibition in the Museum's history.

The films are built primarily for secondary school audiences aged 11 to 14, but with enough charm and depth for a much broader audience. They run two to three minutes each.

The first film starts with the Tapestry itself. Figures and scenes are lifted directly from the embroidery and set in motion. Where the Tapestry has gaps, hand-drawn animation fills them, matched closely enough that the join isn't visible.

The main creative challenge was staying faithful to the original artwork. We didn't want to ever stray too far from what was on the Tapestry itself, but still find room for the humour needed to keep it fun to watch. So that's where the storytelling comes in: a playful script, and, like the Tapestry itself, a few hidden Easter eggs.

In terms of animation, we viewed the Tapestry as a medieval comic strip, so wanted to bring it alive with movement but still make it feel like it was embroidered. So sometimes the animation is intentionally a little stiff in places, as you would be if you'd been stitched down on a bit of cloth for 1000 years!

The second film focuses on the object itself: how has something this fragile survived nearly a thousand years? It traces the Tapestry's own story alongside the one it depicts, from its likely origins near Canterbury and its patron Odo, William the Conqueror's half-brother, through centuries in Bayeux Cathedral, a spell in Paris under Nazi occupation during the Second World War, and its return home before this year's loan to the British Museum, its first time in England in 950 years.

Claudia Winkleman voices all three films.

This was a real flagship project for us to work on and we loved every minute of it. A lot of research of course, and plenty to learn, but that's how we like it.

Mounted falconers and hounds set off on horseback in an animated scene from The Bayeux Tapestry, produced by Hocus Pocus Studio for the British Museum

William crowned as the new King of England, animated still from The Bayeux Tapestry by Hocus Pocus Studio for the British Museum

A jester-like figure in diamond-patterned dress carries a sword, animated still from The Bayeux Tapestry by Hocus Pocus Studio for the British Museum

Mounted knights charging into battle with raised lances, animated still from The Bayeux Tapestry by Hocus Pocus Studio for the British Museum

Norman ships crossing the Channel under sail, animated still from The Bayeux Tapestry by Hocus Pocus Studio for the British Museum

A crowned figure gesturing beside an attendant, close-up animated still from The Bayeux Tapestry by Hocus Pocus Studio for the British Museum

"The Hocus Pocus Studio team have been the dream team to work with. They are dedicated, enthusiastic and consistently deliver outstanding results. We are beyond thrilled to have worked with such a talented team, whose creativity and craftsmanship have helped us create a trilogy of epic short animations. In just a few minutes, these films spark awe and wonder, ignite curiosity, and inspire audiences to discover more about the extraordinary story of the Bayeux Tapestry."

Lucie Tuck-Brown
Digital Learning Manager, British Museum

Credits

Client: The British Museum
Executive Producer: James Murphy
Animation Director: Justin Lowings
Art Director: Theresa Hilsden
Animation: Sze Hang Lo
Sound Mix: Tom Kavanagh