Zoetrope Animation Workshop at School with Short Film Screening

On October 29, 2022, I held a zoetrope animation workshop at school with a group of creative and enthusiastic pupils at Gymnasium An der Stenner in Iserlohn, Germany. The event combined hands-on animation practice using historical optical devices with a curated screening of my award-winning animated short films.

As a certified Europaschule (European School), Gymnasium An der Stenner brings together students from various cultural backgrounds. During the workshop, both German and international pupils collaborated creatively, sharing their ideas and artistic approaches in an open, inspiring atmosphere.

In the first part of the zoetrope animation workshop, the students explored the origins of film by working with 19th-century optical toys: zoetropes and praxinoscopes. These early inventions were key to the development of motion pictures.

Each participant created a 15-image animation loop on a paper strip and tested it with the devices. The simple yet fascinating functionality of the zoetropes made the basic principles of animation tangible and easy to grasp.

Throughout the day, I worked closely with all 17 pupils—aged 11 to 19—providing individual artistic guidance. Several teachers also joined in, enthusiastically developing their own animation strips.

The international group of students worked together in a lively, cooperative spirit. As soon as the first loops were tested in the zoetropes, excitement spread quickly. The students gathered around the devices, cheering each other on and exchanging ideas. Time flew by in this atmosphere of shared curiosity and creative flow.

By the end of the four-hour session, everyone had completed a working animation strip—and proudly presented it to curious parents, teachers, the school headmaster, and even members of the local press.

In the afternoon, I invited participants and guests to a special screening of animated short films. I presented four of my artistic work, including the Oscar^®-winning stop-motion film Quest (1997), as well as The Last Leaf, The Sausage Run and Virtuoso Virtual—all of which are also part of my Animated Film Show program.

The audience, both young and adult, followed the screening with great attention and responded with enthusiasm. Afterward, I offered insights into my creative process and answered thoughtful questions about the films, my work, and the Oscar journey. With their newly acquired technical and artistic knowledge, the workshop participants were now able to fully appreciate the creative effort behind professional animation.

At the end of the event, teachers and students reflected on the experience over snacks and drinks. The school received very positive feedback, and the local newspaper Iserlohner Kleinanzeiger published a report.

Read the article from the newspaper (on the right) or follow the links to read guest feedback from Windisch, Mestekamper, Gies in German.

With the kind permission of ‘Iserlohner Kleinanzeiger’.

• Read more about the zoetrope workshop or my other animation workshops.
• Discover my animated films or my Animated-Film-Show.
• My events & blog page shares impressions from my past activities.
• See a list of my  past events animation workshops here.
• See a list of my past events presentations here.
• Can’t wait to see my films or to own a zoetrope? Go to my shop or directly to the zoetrope craft kit.