Something extraordinary is stampeding through Greater Manchester. It’s not a safari escape, but The Herds, a visually breathtaking public artwork that brings climate change to the streets in the form of life-sized puppets of elephants, giraffes, antelopes, and lions.
Created by acclaimed international theatre company The Walk Productions, The Herds combines storytelling and a call for civic action to move hearts and minds.
The Herds come to Manchester
The majestic puppets, made entirely of up-cycled and recyclable cardboard and plywood, began their journey in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo, in April. They’ve since travelled thousands of miles across Europe and are now taking centre stage in Manchester as part of the Manchester International Festival.
Artistic Director Amir Nizar Zuabi describes the project as “a long-form theatrical journey through geography and story,” drawing inspiration from his previous work on Little Amal, the three-and-a-half-metre puppet of a Syrian refugee child that walked from Syria to Manchester in 2021.
Speaking of The Herds, Zuabi said, “I knew that our next project needed to deal with the biggest political crisis of our time,” says artistic director Amir Nizar Zuabi. “And I’m from Palestine — I know what a political crisis is. But the climate crisis is happening everywhere, to millions of people. It’s real, it’s now, and it’s devastating.”
“These animals are refugees,” explains Zuabi. “They’re fleeing climate disaster. They’ve had to leave because their world could no longer sustain them. And hunger, you know, hunger is violence. Climate displacement is real, and it’s already happening.”
Made in Manchester
The puppets you’ll see parading through Greater Manchester weren’t just flown in. Many were built right here by members of the local community, trained and supported over three months. Participants followed digital blueprints created by South African designers Planda, essentially IKEA-like flatpack puppet kits, to build the animals piece by piece.
In addition to the builders, more than a hundred local volunteers have been working tirelessly over the past week to learn the art of puppeteering.
“We build new puppets in many cities,” said Zuabi. “And Manchester was one of the places that really rose to the challenge. They’ve built an incredible bunch of puppets for us. The community here has been amazing.”
“Some had puppetry experience,” said Zuabi, “others were completely new. But when you present people with something ambitious, something meaningful, they rise. They do astonishing things.”
Art that moves the soul
Zuabi sees The Herds not only as a performance but as a catalyst for emotional awakening.
“There’s so much talk about climate in graphs and statistics, 1.5 degrees, carbon emissions, biodiversity loss. But those figures don’t make us feel. As an artist, my job is to create a powerful emotional response, to help people care.
“This is a visually appealing call to action. I hope it’s something people cannot ignore and engage with, and makes a whole new generation take up climate activism.
He hopes that from that care, action may follow: “If I throw a stone into a lake, maybe the ripples will become waves. That’s all I can do. That’s what The Herds is, a precise, beautiful stone thrown into the water.”
Low Kee Hong, Creative Director of Factory International and Manchester International Festival said: “With THE HERDS’s visit to Greater Manchester we’re really proud to once again bring iconic international public art to our streets for everyone to witness and be inspired by. More so, we’re thrilled to celebrate the creativity of our area by inviting people from Greater Manchester to become a part of THE HERDS, whether contributing to the herd, or performing in the events.”
When and Where to Catch The Herds
Friday 5 July — Rochdale (Heywood)
19:00 onwards on Aspinall Street, Miller Street, Starkie Street, Queen’s Park (around the lake). It will be accompanied with free live music at the outdoor theatre and food and drink available from 19:00 to 21:00
Saturday 6 July — Pennington Flash, Wigan
Event details TBC, but expect stunning scenery and more puppet magic.
Manchester International Festival has an amazing lineup this year, including many free events!
You can find out more by clicking here
