The Nigerian Conservation Basis, College of Lagos (Inventive Arts Division), The Metis Fund –Arts and Growth, Manufacturing unit Worldwide, Sadler’s Wells, International Rewilding Alliance, Save the Elephants, and TED Countdown be part of tons of of companions throughout 11 nations to help the brand new large-scale public artwork venture from the crew behind “Little Amal”.
Ambassadors embody Brian Eno, Joanna Lumley, Kumi Naidoo, Natalie Dormer, David Oakes, George Monbiot, Afdhel Aziz, Tori Tsui, and Juliet Stevenson.
Herds of life-size puppet animals travelling 20,000km from the Congo Basin to the Arctic Circle, fleeing local weather catastrophe to lift local weather change consciousness, will make a cease in Lagos, Nigeria.
The Stroll Productions at present introduced world-leading organisations from the fields of arts, science and schooling as companions for THE HERDS. The brand new large-scale artwork venture will see herds of life-size puppet animals journey 20,000km from the Congo Basin to the Arctic Circle fleeing the destruction of their ecosystem, from April – August 2025. It’s a public art work on a scale by no means earlier than tried and can vividly dramatize the local weather disaster.
As they journey north, the ever-growing herd will stampede into cities throughout Africa and Europe, passing by DRC, Nigeria, Senegal, Morocco, Spain, France, UK, The Netherlands, Denmark, Sweden and Norway, with an increasing number of species rising to hitch THE HERDS and interact with native companions by specially-curated occasions with world-class dance corporations, theatre makers and artists.
International local weather and humanities organisations will be part of world-leading scientists, artists, zoologists, politicians, local weather activists, universities and civil society teams throughout Central, West and North Africa and Europe to current one united name for motion.
Companions introduced at present embody organisations from throughout 11 nations: Nigeria Conservation Basis, Qudus Onikeku’s The Q-Dance Firm (Nigeria); TED Countdown; Save the Elephants, Ukwanda Puppets and Designs Artwork Collective; Académie des Beaux-Arts (DRC); Blaise Senghor Cultural Heart, Fabrice Monteiro, Senegal; Excessive Atlas Basis, Morocco; La Fura Del Baus, Merlin Producciones, Compañia Nacional de Danza (Spain); Chaillot Théâtre Nationwide de la Danse, Studio A+E: Étienne Guiol (France); Artwork Fund, Manufacturing unit Worldwide, Sadler’s Wells, UAL: Wimbledon Faculty of Arts (UK); The Royal Danish Theater (Denmark); Parkteatern – Kulturhuset Stadsteatern, Riksteatern, Sweden and Olavsfest Worldwide, Rosendal Teater, (Norway).
The Stroll Productions additionally introduced a bunch of high-profile local weather activists that can act as THE HERDS ambassadors, together with Kumi Naidoo (human rights and local weather justice activist); Brian Eno (musician); Joanna Lumley (actress); Natalie Dormer (actress); David Oakes (actor); George Monbiot (journalist and environmentalist); Afdhel Aziz (writer); Juliet Stevenson (actress); and local weather justice activists Tori Tsui and Xiye Bastida.
THE HERDS puppets are designed by Ukwanda Puppets and Designs Artwork Collective in South Africa (Luyanda Nogodlwana, Siphokazi Mpofu, Sipho Ngxola), Craig Leo, Simon Dunckley, Hansie Visagie, Tundra Dunckley and Inventive Director Amir Nizar Zuabi. Every puppet shall be crafted utilizing principally recycled supplies which can be simply accessible in every nation. Zoologically correct, the animals will convey the ferocity and great thing about nature – proud, elegant, extremely alarmed, however intensely swish. THE HERDS sustainability practices are designed in partnership with Hope Options and Renew Tradition: Theatre Inexperienced E book.
THE HERDS is produced by The Stroll Productions in affiliation with: Tshoper Kabambi (Kinshasa); A Whitespace Inventive Arts Basis (Lagos); Sarah Desbois (Dakar); Othman Nejmeddine (Morocco); Monica Hamill (Spain); Au Contraire Productions (France); Manchester Worldwide Competition (Manchester, UK); Ulrika Josephsson (Sweden) and Olavsfest Worldwide (Trondheim, Norway).
In Lagos, Nigeria and each different metropolis the place THE HERDS make a cease, giant numbers of native folks shall be skilled to duplicate and animate the puppets and to participate in large-scale inventive performances specifically created alongside the route. Because the animals cross continents, they are going to develop in quantity and species, reacting and adapting to the brand new setting and its challenges, producing a large participatory occasion.
Amir Nizar Zuabi, Inventive Director of The Herds, mentioned:
“Our purpose is to create an emotional response to the local weather disaster as a result of we imagine that is the one technique to make folks care. We imagine that awe and wonder is the lacking spark that leads us from curiosity to vary.”
David Lan, Producer of The Herds, mentioned:
“For years local weather scientists, conscious their information is failing to maneuver the general public to motion, have requested artists to make use of their visible and narrative abilities to inform the story – probably the most pressing of our time. THE HERDS is our response.”
Kumi Naidoo, Local weather and Human Rights Activist and President of the Fossil Gas Non-Proliferation Treaty Initiative, mentioned: “THE HERDS demonstrates what we are able to accomplish when creativity meets a steadfast dedication to justice. It embodies the transformative potential of the humanities, completely aligning with our dedication to a simply, equitable and sustainable world.”
Papa Omotayo, CEO of A White House Inventive Arts Basis, Nigeria, famous: “We’re extremely proud to be a part of this bold and impactful venture. The Herds is a strong assertion concerning the pressing want to deal with local weather change, and we’re honored to be collaborating with such a various and proficient group of artists and organizations to convey this very important message to life for the colourful audiences in Lagos and past.”
THE HERDS is dropped at life with the help of public funding by the Nationwide Lottery by Arts Council England, The Backstage Belief, Bloomberg Philanthropies, Artwork Fund, ArtYard, Frederick Mulder Basis, JKW Basis and Maria Björnson Memorial Fund. With beneficiant help from James Armstrong, the Hacking Household, Cheryl Henson, Danielle Lambert, Alexander Leff, Valerie Dillon & Daniel Lewis, Melony & Adam Lewis, Patrick McKenna and Paul Zuckerman.
THE HERDS shall be platformed on Bloomberg Connects – the free arts and cultural app powered by Bloomberg Philanthropies. Launched in April 2025, THE HERDS Bloomberg Connects platform will give audiences a behind-the-scenes perception into the work of lots of the internationally famend artists co-creating the general public artwork occasions for THE HERDS.
