We worked with two historical optical devices in our Spinning Animation Workshop, a zoetrope or a praxinoscope. These primitive technical inventions from the 19th century played an important role in the development of film. The simple but amazing way these devices work made it easy for the workshop participants to understand the principle of film.

The participants, aged 11 to 19, have had the task of drawing a short animation cycle with 15 different images on a strip of paper. The animation on these strips can be displayed with the optical devices in an endless loop in motion.

During the workshop, I personally advised each of the 16 pupils. Some teachers also participated with great enthusiasm and developed an animation strip.

When the first half-finished animation strips were ready for review, the pupils were happily surprised by their successful animations. The other participants rushed over and marvelled at the first outcomes. A productive dynamic quickly spread among all the participants.

Nobody noticed how fast the time passed. Suddenly the school clock announced the end of the workshop. The first curious parents came into our workshop. The school headmaster and the press also joined in. After only a few minutes, many guests gathered around the zoetrope and the praxinoscope, where the pupils proudly presented their coloured animation on the paper strips. The teachers and I were very relieved and delighted to see this crowd of happy people. All those involved have succeeded in completing an animation strip in four hours.

Afterwards, there was a small buffet as a reward. Interesting and personal conversations developed over delicious snacks and drinks.

As a highlight, later in the afternoon I showed four of my animated short films to the participants and invited guests. As the highlight of the event, I presented four of my animated short films to the participants and guests for one hour later that afternoon. Among them was the 1997 Oscar-winning stop-motion film QUEST. The young and adult viewers followed the films with great attention and showed lively reactions.

Afterwards, I explained how the films were made. The audience asked me interesting questions about them and the Oscar. The themes of the films (The Last Leaf, Quest, The Sausage Run and Virtuoso Virtual) were also discussed. We spoke about the visual language of the films as well as about my professional career and my artistic way of working. I was very pleased with this dialogue. I rarely get as many questions as I did in Iserlohn.

With the knowledge acquired in the workshop, the participants were able to understand well the extensive work on my animated films.

It was an intense afternoon of an animation workshop and a film screening. The pupils received challenging lessons that went beyond grading and learned to express themselves creatively. The guests were able to experience the school as a place of cultural and artistic education.

With the workshop and screening, the grammar school proved that modern schools can also fulfil their educational mission with such supplementary offers. For me, as for the school, it was an all-round successful day.