A monumental migration of life-sized puppet animals will journey through Greater Manchester to mark the opening of Manchester International Festival 2025.
From the team behind The Walk with Little Amal in 2021, THE HERDS will visit Manchester City Centre, Heywood in Rochdale and Pennington Flash in Wigan as part of a 20,000km journey from the Congo Basin to the Arctic Circle in a public artwork on a scale never before attempted.
Hundreds of local residents are invited to join puppeteers and puppet makers to bring the ever-growing herds to life in the city region.
Transforming Greater Manchester into a breathtaking untamed spectacle to vividly dramatise the climate crisis, the hugely ambitious new public artwork THE HERDS will see life-sized animal puppets travel through the city region from 3 – 5 July.
The animals visit Manchester as part of an epic journey that began on 9 April in Kinshasa. As the animals cross continents they will grow in numbers and species including elephants, giraffes, antelope and lions, with some local species joining THE HERDS along the route. Puppets will be operated by local participants in each city, highlighting the scale of the climate crisis and the collective effort needed to fight it.
Factory International and The Walk Productions are looking for amateur makers and DIY enthusiasts to join the puppet build and 100 local people to help operate the puppets in Manchester, Heywood and Wigan.
MAKING THE HERDS puppet build sessions will create new life-sized puppet animals, including red deer, wildebeest and wolves, that will join the herd in Greater Manchester. Sessions will be led by master puppet makers between 17 May and 19 June and are open to ages 16+.
MOVING THE HERDS is a once in a lifetime training and performance opportunity to puppeteer THE HERDS in Manchester, Heywood and at Pennington Flash, following three days of intensive puppet training with The Walk Productions’ Artistic Director Amir Nizar Zuabi, world leading puppeteers Ukwanda Puppets & Design Art Collective and puppetry director and designer, Craig Leo. The opportunity will run from 30 June – 5 July and is open to Greater Manchester residents ages 18+ with an enthusiasm for performance.
Young People are invited to learn more about THE HERDS and create their own puppet animal at drop-in workshops during May Half Term and on Saturday 28 June. LET THE WILDNESS IN family workshops will be held at Aviva Studios and are suitable for ages 6+.
For the opening event of Manchester International Festival 2025, on Thursday 3 July the displaced herd arrives in Manchester City Centre, set on interrupting an orchestral performance by Manchester Camerata. Encounter THE HERDS as they scatter through the city, sweeping the music into their frenzy. Find yourself between Cathedral Gardens and Market Street, and you might just stumble upon them. Is that the sound of music you hear, or something wild approaching?
After opening MIF25 with a dramatic arrival in Manchester City Centre, THE HERDS abandons the bustling city for the residential streets of Heywood, Rochdale. Encounter the animals in the industrial shadow of Mutual Mills before they move to Queen’s Park in search of nature. Can they find a tranquil moment away from the city?
For the final stop on their Greater Manchester journey, THE HERDS find a fleeting refuge in the wild beauty of Pennington Flash Country Park. Visitors are invited to explore the park’s winding trails, pause in bird hides, and quietly observe as 70 life-sized puppets appear amid the trees and wetlands. A lion stalking through the long grass. A giraffe blending with the canopy. A silent kudu, watching from the shadows. Will your patience – and your stillness – be rewarded?
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.”
Amir Nizar Zuabi, Artistic Director of THE HERDS, said: “THE HERDS is an urgent artistic response to the climate crisis, a living, breathing call to action that stampedes across continents. Through the beauty and ferocity of these life-size creatures, we aim to spark dialogue, provoke thought, encourage engagement and inspire real change. Meet us wherever you can.”
Greater Manchester listings:
Manchester City Centre
Thursday 3 July, 6pm
Around Cathedral Gardens, Exchange Square and Market Street
Heywood, Rochdale
Friday 4 July, 7pm
Mutual Mills, Aspinall Street, Heywood, OL10 4HP
Pennington Flash Country Park, Leigh, Wigan
Saturday 5 July from 1pm
Pennington Flash Country Park
