SW2 Festival of the Moving Creature

As the sun sets over UVA’s historic Grounds on Thursday, April 23rd, seven giant creatures will emerge - built by hand, brought to life by students, and paraded through the heart of UVA in one of the region’s most unusual and beloved, free, public events.

The Stan Winston and Steven Warner, or SW², Festival of the Moving Creature begins at 7:00 PM on UVA Arts Grounds outside of the Culbreth Theater and is the annual showcase of UVA’s Art of the Moving Creature Courses. Students design and construct large-scale puppets over the spring semester, which are brought to life at sunset and illuminated at night. These astounding creatures, never before seen by human eyes, will delight those young and old.

All are welcome! Come in costume, bring a puppet of your own, or simply show up as you are to welcome the spring! Parking is free in the Culbreth Garage, and the parade route will run from Arts Grounds up Rugby Road and around the Rotunda, ending around 9 pm.

-Poster design/images designed by Isabel Hamilton, Rena Maier, and Cole Rozwadowski

The History of the Festival

The Festival takes its name from two UVA legends: Stan Winston, the Academy Award-winning special effects artist who creates some of cinema's most iconic creatures, from the xenomorphs of Aliens to the T. rex of Jurassic Park, and a UVA alumnus, and Steven Warner, the Drama department's longtime Technical Director and the course's co-founder. Their legacy lives on each spring in the creatures that emerge from UVA's arts buildings.

Generously sponsored by UVA Arts Council, the Stan Winston School of Character Arts, the UVA Department of Drama, and the UVA School of Architecture.

Follow updates on Facebook (@UVAFestivalOfTheMovingCreature) and Instagram (@uvacreatures), including the unveiling of this year's creature names and designs.

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Host or Publisher Annie Temmink and Melissa Goldman