A lifesize herd of puppet animals embarks on a 20,000km climate action journey from central Africa to the Arctic Circle, raising awareness about the climate crisis and encouraging communities to launch their own events.
A Lifesize Herd of Puppet Animals Embarks on a 20,000km Climate Action Journey
The Herds project, created by the team behind ‘Little Amal’ , has begun its ambitious journey from central Africa to the Arctic Circle. The public art initiative aims to raise awareness about the climate crisis and encourage communities to launch their own events.
From Kinshasa to Dakar: The First Leg of the Journey
The Herds‘ 20,000km journey began in Kinshasa‘s Botanical Gardens on April 10, kicking off four days of events. From there, it moved on to Lagos, Nigeria, where up to 5,000 people attended events performed by more than 60 puppeteers. In Dakar, Senegal, the puppets will run through Médina, encountering a creation by local artist ‘Fabrice Monteiro’ .
A Community-Driven Project
The first set of animal puppets was created in Cape Town using recycled materials, but in each location, local volunteers are taught how to make their own animals using prototypes provided by Ukwanda Puppetry and Designs Art Collective. The project has attracted huge interest from people keen to get involved, with over 300 artists applying for roles as artists and puppet guides in Dakar.
The Herds‘ journey is not just about the puppets but also about the communities they will engage with. ‘The idea is that we’re migrating with an ever-evolving, growing group of animals,’ said Amir Nizar Zuabi, co-founder of The Walk Productions. The project aims to put the environmental emergency centre stage and encourage communities to launch their own events to discuss the significance of the project and get involved in climate activism.
A Message of Urgency
The Herds‘ Senegal producer, Sarah Desbois, expects thousands of people to view the four events being staged over the weekend. ‘We don’t have a tradition of puppetry in Senegal. As soon as the project started, when people were shown pictures of the puppets, they were going crazy.’ The project’s message is one of urgency, using emotions rather than scientific facts to convey the importance of addressing the climate crisis.
Rising global temperatures are causing melting polar ice caps, sea-level rise, and extreme weather events.
The climate crisis is attributed to human activities such as burning fossil fuels, deforestation, and industrial agriculture.
According to the IPCC, 2020 was one of the three warmest years on record since 1850.
Climate change affects ecosystems, biodiversity, and human health, with potential economic losses estimated at $1.2 trillion annually by 2050.
As The Herds continues its journey from Dakar to Morocco, then into Europe and finally to the Arctic Circle in early August, it will leave a lasting impact on the communities it engages with. Will you be there to witness this lifesize herd of puppet animals as they embark on their 20,000km climate action journey?
