A new project hosted by York's Castle Museum aims to bring new life to exhibits and help visitors see how life has changed over the years.

Animated films by young people from across York are on show.

The anim8ted festival at York's Castle Museum is showing a series of short animated films produced by young people from York's schools and colleges.

Groups from Future Prospects, Huntington School 6th form and Headlands Primary School in Haxby worked with professional animators to make the films that were inspired by exhibits in the museum.

See clips from the animations

Frame from the Headlands school animation

About the films:

Domestic life
Children aged nine, ten and 11, from Headlands Primary School, in Haxby, used the museum's Hearth Gallery as their inspiration.

Their short film, using pictures drawn by the children, compares the huge fireplace ranges and heavy iron equipment of 19th century domestic life with the ease of electrical appliances used in modern kitchens today. They worked with animator Vikaas Mistry.

Cradle To The Grave
A group of 16 to 25-year-olds from Future Prospects learning and work advice centre worked with animator Clive Tonge.

Using images of artefacts from across the museum, their film takes the viewer on a journey from life to death, through Georgian times, the Victorian era, and into the 20th century, through parlours, kitchens and costume.

On the military production line

Military life
Sixth formers from Huntington School, working with animator Richard Jousiffe, created two short films inspired by the Military Gallery.

The first is a sobering film showing soldiers being conscripted during wartime as victims on an army production line, whereas the second tells a more light-hearted story of a lone soldier approached by a threatening army making his choice from a selection of weapons from through the ages.

Children's activities on the 'anim8ed' theme, featuring mechanical toys, puppets and optical inventions will be running during the school holidays this year as part of the festival.

Admission to York Castle Museum is free to York residents with York cards. For non-residents it costs £6 for adults, £4.50 for concessions, £3.50 for children and £14 for a family ticket (two adults and one child, additional child, £3).