WATCH: Hocus Pocus Studio creates Bayeux Tapestry animation series for the British Museum
Skwigly
The first of three animated short films exploring the Bayeux Tapestry has launched this week, made by Hocus Pocus Studio with the British Museum ahead of the Tapestry’s arrival in the UK this September, its first visit in almost 1,000 years.
The three films (2 – 3 mins each) were commissioned for the Museum’s learning programme, built primarily for schools audiences aged 11 to 14, with crossover appeal for anyone watching alongside them. Films two and three will follow over the coming weeks.
Much of the artwork is taken directly from the Tapestry itself: figures and scenes lifted from the embroidery and set in motion. Hand-drawn animation fills the gaps only where the Tapestry has none, matched closely enough that the join isn’t visible. The challenge, according to art director Theresa Hilsden, was staying as faithful as possible to the original while still finding room for the humour the films needed.
The films go beyond retelling 1066 itself. Film two uses the Tapestry to make a sharper point: historical sources aren’t neutral. Of the four men who claimed the English throne in 1066, only two, Harold and William, appear on the Tapestry in any depth. Hardrada and Edgar are almost entirely written out. The films use that absence as evidence, asking viewers who made the Tapestry, and for whom.
Claudia Winkleman voices all three films.
The launch follows the British Museum’s biggest ticketing day in its history: exhibition tickets sold out within hours of going on sale on 1 July, with more than 65,000 people in the online queue and over £2.5m taken on the day. The exhibition runs from 10 September 2026 to 11 July 2027, the Tapestry’s first UK display since it was made.
What an absolute joy it has been to work with the British Museum on this very special project, we’ve laughed, plotted and learned a lot!
-James Murphy (Executive Producer, Hocus Pocus Studio)
In just a few minutes, these films spark curiosity and invite audiences to discover more about the extraordinary story of the Bayeux Tapestry.
-Lucie Tuck-Brown (Digital Learning Manager, British Museum)