When animator Richard Haynes first walked through the doors of Arts University Bournemouth (then Arts Institute Bournemouth, or AIB) as a student, he could hardly have predicted the extraordinary journey ahead.
From a chance encounter at an animation festival in France to working on UK national treasures like Postman Pat, Shaun the Sheep, and Little Robots, Richard’s career has come full circle as he returns to AUB as the official Industry Patron for BA (Hons) Animation Production.
Richard’s love for animation began early, inspired by the iconic 1980s television series produced by Cosgrove Hall, most notably Danger Mouse and The Wind in the Willows. Combined with a passion for drawing and acting, stop motion felt like his natural calling.
His break into the industry is the stuff of animation lore. While attending the Annecy Animation Festival at the end of his second year at AIB, Richard boldly approached Francis Vose, a producer at Cosgrove Hall, simply to thank him for his work on The Wind in the Willows.
“I was following my heart more than my head,” Richard recalls. “I told him how much his work meant to me.”
That brief conversation changed everything. Vose attended Richard’s graduation screening, The Typewriter, at the BFI in London later that year and offered him a job on the spot. What started as a two-week contract on Little Robots turned into five years at Cosgrove Hall, animating beloved classics like Fifi & the Flowertots, Rupert and Roary the Racing Car.
In 2009, Richard joined the world-renowned Aardman Animations to work on Shaun the Sheep, adapting to the meticulous pace of feature-quality stop motion. He went on to animate on Aardman’s Oscar-nominated feature The Pirates! In an Adventure with Scientists! and served as Lead Animator and Mocap Actor on Duncan Jones' upcoming feature Rogue Trooper, alongside fellow AUB colleague Paul Hilton.
Richard’s journey with Aardman continues to scale new heights. He recently wrapped up animating on the latest Shaun the Sheep feature film, Shaun the Sheep: The Beast of Mossy Bottom, in May 2026, and is currently deep into developmental work with the studio on a secret revival of another beloved property.
In a humbling career milestone, Aardman recently surprised Richard by putting him forward for consideration for ‘Best Character Animation – Feature’ at the upcoming Annie Awards for his work on the new Shaun film.
While a potential trip to Los Angeles hangs in the balance, Richard remains characteristically grounded. “Whatever happens, I’m just honoured and humbled that Aardman have valued my contribution to the film.”
Beyond his commercial film credits, Richard’s passion for animation history remains central to his work. Supported by research time during his early lecturing days at AUB, Richard has spent years writing an academic book on the history of Cosgrove Hall, told through interviews with many of its core ex-staff. Set to be published by Bloomsbury, the book is nearing completion, with Richard determined to finish it before the end of the year.
Alongside his authorial research, Richard initiated an ambitious project at AUB to digitally preserve and reanimate long-lost 1980s Wind in the Willows puppets. Working with original unreleased series recordings and a script started by the late Brian Trueman (who wrote for the original series), Richard managed to recruit legendary actor Sir David Jason to reprise his role as Mr. Toad. He then spent an unforgettable afternoon in a Soho recording studio directing the British icon, a project Richard hopes to reinvigorate at AUB to give students hands-on experience in set building, prop restoration, and practical stop motion fabrication.
Richard’s connection to AUB runs deep. Having graduated from the Animation course in 2003, he spent over a decade inspiring the next generation as a Senior Lecturer between 2012 and 2023.
Having spent 11 years teaching at AUB, Richard champions the University’s commitment to fundamental drawing skills and physical puppet performance over a reliance on software.
“AUB has always emphasised the practical side, the drawing, and the core principles of animation,” Richard explains.
He often speaks to students about the concept of ‘method animating’, the idea that a stop motion animator is essentially an actor performing through a puppet.
Pointing to successful AUB Animation alumni like Tom Carey (currently working at LAIKA, most recently on Wildwood), Richard emphasises that discovering individual artistic identity is essential: “I’d always tell students never to compare themselves to others or try to be the 'next' Nick Park or Tim Burton. Just be you.”
With conversations around AI dominating the creative sectors, Richard remains reassuring about the longevity of stop motion. He believes audiences connect with the tangible, handcrafted nature of physical animation where the artistry behind the scenes is part of the magic.
“Students who want to animate are the future,” says Richard. “Things will adapt. AI will become a tool to help with jobs people don't want to do, freeing them up to focus on pure creativity. Handcrafted stop-motion has a special resilience because people love seeing the human touch behind it.”
When it comes to building a career in animation, Richard’s key message for prospective animators is to embrace flexibility, engineer their own opportunities, and trust the process.
“Be ready to adapt. You can plan to a certain extent, but things have a way of working out. I always say to students: make your own luck.
“You engineer things in your life to steer them in the direction you think is right at the time, and things happen as a result. If they’re not quite happening, you just steer into it on a different course.”
Now, alongside his ongoing work in feature film animation, Richard steps into the role of Industry Patron for BA (Hons) Animation Production at AUB for the 2026–2027 academic year. He will lead a series of masterclasses and physical campus sessions with Animation Production students, bringing decades of top-tier studio experience directly back into the University where his own journey began.
For Richard, keeping that creative spark alive is what it’s all about. Beyond the studio floor, his lifelong love for the medium even spills over into his own hallway at home, where a life-size statue of Mr. Toad greets guests with a personalised audio message recorded by Sir David Jason himself: “Welcome to the Haynes household... Please leave a tip at the front door as you go out.”
It’s a fitting reminder of Richard's core philosophy: that storytelling, imagination, and a sense of wonder should never fade.
“I truly believe no one should ever grow up, really,” Richard says. “If you've entertained or inspired people in their childhood, it’s a gift. I feel very lucky to have done what I’ve done, and I’m so excited to share that magic with the next generation at AUB.”
