Animation and Game Design Students Bring History to Life at the British Museum

Animation and Game Design students explored global cultures and artefacts at the British Museum, gaining first-hand inspiration to shape their Final Major Projects.

On 5th March, our Animation and Game Design students visited the British Museum as part of their Final Major Project, immersing themselves in a world of history, mythology and cultural storytelling.

The trip provided a valuable opportunity for students to carry out their own primary research, exploring artefacts and narratives from a wide range of cultures including ancient Britain, the Roman Empire, Japan, Egypt and regions across Africa. By engaging directly with these historical sources, students were able to deepen their understanding of how stories, symbols and characters have been represented across time.

Among the highlights were intricate statues, preserved artefacts and objects depicting gods and significant cultural figures. These encounters offered powerful visual references and authentic inspiration, supporting students as they begin to develop ideas and concepts for their Final Major Projects. Seeing these items up close helped bring classroom learning to life, encouraging students to think more creatively and critically about their work.

Students reflected positively on the experience, with one describing the visit as “fantastic, because I saw things I’d never seen before,” while another highlighted how “some of the corpses and artefacts were well preserved and maintained.” Their responses underline the impact of experiential learning in broadening perspectives and sparking new ideas.

Visits like this play a vital role in enriching students’ creative development, enabling them to draw from real-world sources and translate historical and cultural influences into innovative animation and game design projects.