Zoetrope Workshop

Step into the early days of animation! In this hands-on workshop, participants bring drawings to life using a historical device – the zoetrope. This “wonder drum” experience is not only fascinating but also educational, playful, and creatively rewarding.

• What is a Zoetrope?
• Frame by Frame: You Make It Move
• Learning with Head, Heart, and Hands
• The Results Can Be Presented …
• Turning Topics into Motion – by Creative Learning
• Flexible and Modular – Four Building Blocks
• Framework & Group Size
• Trusted by Many – Selected References
• Curious? Here are Some Useful Links

The zoetrope is an optical toy from 1834 – even older than cinema. It displays short, looping sequences such as a character walking, waving, or jumping. When a paper strip, like the one shown above, spins inside a zoetrope and is viewed through the slits, the drawings magically come to life. Watch the videos to discover how a zoetrope works and how animation is created on paper.

In the basic workshop (Module 1), participants create a short animation – a small story told within one second and drawn on a paper strip. The animation is tested directly in the zoetrope. The drawings are then refined until the movement appears smooth and the loop works seamlessly.

Each participant typically creates their own animation independently. However, animations can also be created collaboratively. For example, one person may draw the movement while another colours the characters or adds additional animated elements.

The creative process is playful and hands-on. Results become visible immediately and can be refined right away. Testing and presenting the animations together in the zoetrope or praxinoscope encourages lively exchange and discussion. The visible excitement and curiosity of the other participants often inspire new ideas and motivate further experimentation.

The workshop combines artistic expression with technical understanding. Participants practice drawing and storytelling while learning the fundamentals of animation and physics. At the same time, they develop communication skills and build confidence in their own creativity. By viewing and discussing the animations together, participants learn to present their ideas, receive feedback, and learn from one another.

The participants of the workshop gain:

• a sense for rhythm, movement and emotion
• an understanding of sequential visual thinking,
• fine motor and craft skills,
• an understanding of maths and physics as a tool
• a confidence through visible results.

… spontaneously in a relaxed setting,

The finished animations are shown using the zoetrope and praxinoscope possibly accompanied by music. They are discussed in the group, and every result is appreciated, regardless of artistic level. Spontaneous guests are welcome to join the closing round and offer feedback to the creators.

… as an extraordinary audiovisual live performance or

In addition, the individual animations can be presented as a Spinning Animation Show – a live event combining projection, sound, and performance – presented with various optical devices such as zoetrope, praxinoscope or on a turntable with strobe light.

The Spinning Animation Show
at the German conference of puppeteers in Northeim in 2019

… as a film.

The animations on the paper strips can be turned into a short film with music, allowing the workshop results to be presented both on screen and online.

In The Spinning History, for example, students of the FOSBOS – a specialised secondary school for design in Straubing, brought the history of the city to life: with 80 short animations, which they staged in a fascinating audiovisual presentation with eight different optical devices.

The zoetrope workshop is adaptable to various themes. Whether topics such as democracy, the environment or history – participants transform their thoughts into animated ‘mini films’, or more precisely, initially on strips of paper. This approach makes complex topics tangible and engaging.

The zoetrope workshop can consist of up to four modules, which can be freely combined depending on your objectives and time frame. Each module can be conducted in a single day or over several days.

I recommend starting with module 1.

Open the a pdf-file of module 1 in German.

• Module 1: Drawing animation strips and presenting them with a zoetrope and praxinoscope
• Module 2: Building a functioning zoetrope
• Module 3: Animating on rotating discs using strobe light
• Module 4: Presenting the results as performance or as film with sound and music

Open the Flyer bellow in German.