ANIMATE Helston
Join us over the February half-term
16 – 21 February 2026​
The festival of fun !
Free workshops & screenings
Let your imagination run wild at these free bookable workshops!
Create your own animated story inspired by Cornish myths and legends. .
This hands-on 90-min family workshop introduces you to stop-motion animation inspired by Cornwall’s folklore. Working with ready-made, cut-out puppets, participants will concentrate on animation techniques, sequencing and sound, finishing the session with a completed mini film. All materials will be supplied.
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Led by celebrated professional animator Sarah Beeby
Fun, creative, confidence-building – and you don’t need any experience at all!
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Age Range 7-13yrs.
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All children must be accompanied by an adult, max 3 children per accompanying adult. Tickets are available on a first come first served basis.
Workshops are being held in the Guildhall next to the Museum of Cornish Life.
These workshops are part of Mini Animate Helston, funded by the Film Audience Network, part of Cornwall Film Festival, designed to make animation accessible to all and inspire the next generation of creative talent.
Animate Helston is a partnership project between the Museum of Cornish Life and MorMedia.
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Film Screenings
at The Basement
The Amazing Maurice
10 am
Directed Toby Genkel & Florian Westermann | 93 minutes | Animation, Family | English | Certificate PG
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Streetwise cat Maurice travels between towns, offering to solve their sudden rat problem. When he arrives at each location he unveils Keith, a young boy who can play the pipe quite well, and the rats march out of town to the relief of the townsfolk. Maurice, along with the money he receives from the grateful town, suddenly disappears and he resurfaces a suitable distance away to count his earnings along with Keith and the rats! But these are no ordinary rats – they talk and wear clothes and dream of an island paradise where rats and humans live together in peace. All goes well with their ‘rat scam’ until they reach the town of Bad Blintz, where they meet a book obsessed girl, Malicia, who leads them on an adventure to solve the mystery of her town. Adapted from a Terry Pratchett children’s book, this is an animation all about storytelling.
Howl's Moving Castle
12pm
Directed Hayao Miyazaki | 119 mins | Action and Adventure, Animation, Science Fiction and Fantasy | Japanese (English subtitles) Certificate U
From the famed Studio Ghibli, this Japanese animation introduces us to Howl, a short-tempered wizard who lives in a magical castle with legs that can grow and shrink in size. When Howl sees young hat-maker Sophie being persecuted by soldiers, he intervenes and saves her - but this makes the Witch of the Waste jealous, leading her to turn Sophie into an old, creaky woman. We follow Sophie's story as she struggles to make her way to the castle to get her curse reversed - while at the same time, the country begins preparing for a war. A fantastic and imaginative treat from the mind of Hayao Miyazaki, this is a delightful entry point into Japanese animation, whilst also asking questions around the importance of growing and evolving our personalities.
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The Girl Who Leapt Through Time
2.15 pm
Directed Mamoru Hosoda | Anime, Action, Romance, Comedy, Science fiction, Adventure, Drama, Mystery | 98 mins | Certificate 12
Makoto is a typical teenage girl who spends most of her days slacking off with friends. One day while rushing to meet her aunt, she nearly gets hit by a train, but at the last second, finds herself jumping backwards in time to before the accident. She immediately makes use of her newfound ability to re-do every minor inconvenience--from poor exam results to awkward confessions of love. However, when faced with the consequences of tampering with time, Makoto must do everything she can to avoid a dire future that can't be reversed.
We screen a selection of animated short film work over the half-term at The Museum of Cornish Life.
Check out our Best of Animation List on Letterbox
