Public art meets climate action in THE HERDS – a breathtaking migration of 70 life-sized puppet animals travelling 20,000 kilometres from the Congo Basin to the Arctic Circle. Crafted by international artists and animated by local volunteers, these animals are on the move, carrying a powerful message about climate displacement and the future of our planet.
Is that a giraffe on Market Street? An elephant wandering through Heywood? An antelope at Pennington Flash? These unexpected sightings mark the journey of THE HERDS as they make their way through Greater Manchester. After a dramatic opening to MIF25 in the heart of Manchester City Centre, the animals abandon the noise and bustle of the city in search of quieter ground.
Their next stop is Heywood in Rochdale, where they appear first in the post-industrial landscape around Mutual Mills. Here, among the relics of the region’s industrial past, the animals bring a surreal and poignant beauty. From there, they wander on to Queen’s Park, seeking a brief moment of stillness and sanctuary in a green, open space. The contrast between urban sprawl and natural refuge becomes ever more stark as their journey unfolds.
Following Heywood, THE HERDS will continue west to Pennington Flash Nature Reserve. This vast, watery landscape offers a glimmer of the wild the animals so desperately seek. Visitors may spot the puppets among the reeds and trees—an elephant beside the wetlands, a kudu in the undergrowth, a lion resting in the grass. This is a place to observe, to listen, and to reflect on the fragile balance between human expansion and animal survival.
THE HERDS is a project on a scale rarely seen—brought to life by the creative team behind Little Amal and led by Artistic Director Amir Nizar Zuabi. It is a bold call to action in the face of climate catastrophe, brought directly to the streets, parks and country trails of Greater Manchester. Catch the herd before they move on—towards the unknown, and toward the Arctic.
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