logo
Lifesize herd of puppet animals begins climate action journey from Africa to Arctic Circle

Lifesize herd of puppet animals begins climate action journey from Africa to Arctic Circle

The Guardian25-04-2025

Hundreds of life-size animal puppets have begun a 20,000km (12,400 mile) journey from central Africa to the Arctic Circle as part of an ambitious project created by the team behind Little Amal, the giant puppet of a Syrian girl that travelled across the world.
The public art initiative called The Herds, which has already visited Kinshasa and Lagos, will travel to 20 cities over four months to raise awareness of the climate crisis.
It is the second major project from The Walk Productions, which introduced Little Amal, a 12-foot puppet, to the world in Gaziantep, near the Turkey-Syria border, in 2021. The award-winning project, co-founded by the Palestinian playwright and director Amir Nizar Zuabi, reached 2 million people in 17 countries as she travelled from Turkey to the UK.
The Herds' journey began in Kinshasa's Botanical Gardens on 10 April, kicking off four days of events. It moved on to Lagos, Nigeria, the following week, where up to 5,000 people attended events performed by more than 60 puppeteers.
On Friday the streets of Dakar in Senegal will be filled with more than 40 puppet zebras, wildebeest, monkeys, giraffes and baboons as they run through Médina, one of the busiest neighbourhoods, where they will encounter a creation by Fabrice Monteiro, a Belgium-born artist who lives in Senegal, and is known for his large-scale sculptures. On Saturday the puppets will be part of an event in the fishing village of Ngor.
The first set of animal puppets was created by Ukwanda Puppetry and Designs Art Collective 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. The project has already attracted huge interest from people keen to get involved. In Dakar more than 300 artists applied for 80 roles as artists and puppet guides. About 2,000 people will be trained to make the puppets over the duration of the project.
'The idea is that we're migrating with an ever-evolving, growing group of animals,' Zuabi told the Guardian last year.
Zuabi has spoken of The Herds as a continuation of Little Amal's journey, which was inspired by refugees, who often cite climate disaster as a trigger for forced migration. The Herds will put the environmental emergency centre stage, and will encourage communities to launch their own events to discuss the significance of the project and get involved in climate activism.
'The idea is to put in front of people that there is an emergency – not with scientific facts, but with emotions,' said The Herds' Senegal producer, Sarah Desbois.
She 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.'
Growing as it moves, The Herds will make its way from Dakar to Morocco, then into Europe, including London and Paris, arriving in the Arctic Circle in early August.

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

US music legend announces huge Glasgow shows as he plays first Scottish gig in eight years
US music legend announces huge Glasgow shows as he plays first Scottish gig in eight years

Scottish Sun

time3 hours ago

  • Scottish Sun

US music legend announces huge Glasgow shows as he plays first Scottish gig in eight years

It comes days after a cryptic post left tongues wagging ICON'S RETURN US music legend announces huge Glasgow shows as he plays first Scottish gig in eight years Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) US rock legend David Byrne is coming to Scotland next year amid a string of global concert dates. The Talking Heads frontman, 73, is bringing his Who is the Sky? tour to the SEC Armadillo in Glasgow. Sign up for the Entertainment newsletter Sign up 6 David Byrne is bringing his exciting world tour to Glasgow Credit: Getty 6 Talking Heads posed in Amsterdam, Netherlands in June 1977 Credit: Redferns 6 Dumbarton-born Byrne wears a kilt at a 1997 concert in Belgium Credit: Getty 6 Jerry Harrison, David Byrne, Chris Frantz, and Tina Weymouth of the Talking Heads Credit: Michael Ochs Archives - Getty It comes eight years after the Dumbarton-born singer last graced the stage of his native homeland. The Burning Down the House hitmaker hasn't played live since his American Utopia tour - which was hailed by critics as one of the best live shows of all time. An online blurb for his latest tour reads: "In 2023, as his triumphant American Utopia era came to a close after morphing from an album and tour into an acclaimed Broadway show and then a Spike Lee-directed HBO film, David Byrne began jotting down the occasional groove, chord or melody. It had been a minute." The world tour comes as the iconic musician releases his first new album since 2018, titled Who is the Sky? The record was produced by Grammy-winning Kid Harpoon, who has worked with industry icons including Harry Styles and Miley Cyrus. Meanwhile members of New York-based chamber ensemble Ghost Train Orchestra helped arrange 12 tracks on the album. Byrne will be in Glasgow next year on Friday 6 March and Saturday 7 March. Briefs are priced from £42.25 for seats near the back of the venue to £180 for front row seats. Tickets for the gigs go on sale at 10am on Friday 13 June. It comes days after Byrne's Talking Heads teased fans with a possible reunion. Moment Sabrina Carpenter's tour bus arrives at Glasgow hotel as fans queue outside Hydro The US rockers posted a video on social media showing the moon at night and the sun emerging from clouds with the date June 5, 2025. Eager fans hope it hints the previously warring group are reforming. But June 5 is also the date they first played live - in 1975 at New York's CBGB club. It could herald the release of a remastered recording of that gig. 6 A picture of Byrne performing in Chicago, Illinois, dated October 1979 Credit: Getty - Contributor 6 The US rocker will next year play the SEC Armadillo in Glasgow Credit: Getty The band - who split in 1991 and whose hits include Once in a Lifetime and Road to Nowhere - last played together in 2002 at their induction to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Frontman Byrne, 73, said at the time more music was unlikely due to "bad blood" and musical differences. Their last live gig was in 1984 in New Zealand.

Ilia Topuria shows off insane body transformation after making shock career decision ahead of UFC 317 fight vs Oliveira
Ilia Topuria shows off insane body transformation after making shock career decision ahead of UFC 317 fight vs Oliveira

Scottish Sun

time10 hours ago

  • Scottish Sun

Ilia Topuria shows off insane body transformation after making shock career decision ahead of UFC 317 fight vs Oliveira

The Georgian-born Spaniard had to cut over a STONE to make featherweight TOP GUN Ilia Topuria shows off insane body transformation after making shock career decision ahead of UFC 317 fight vs Oliveira Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) ILIA TOPURIA has undergone a dramatic body transformation ahead of his octagon return. The Georgian-born Spaniard is just over two weeks away from challenging for the lightweight title in the main event of UFC 317 in Las Vegas. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 6 Ilia Topuria returns to the octagon later this month Credit: GETTY 6 The former featherweight king will challenge Charles Oliveira for the vacant lightweight title Credit: UFC 6 Topuria will no longer have to cut a STONE of weight to make 144lbs Credit: GETTY 6 The 28-year-old is looking incredibly muscular ahead of lightweight debut Credit: INSTAGRAM Topuria, 28, will challenge former titleholder Charles Oliveira for the belt recently vacated by pound-for-pound king Islam Makhachev. The fight will be Topuria's first since he announced his own vacation of the featherweight strap and a move up to 155lbs in February. The slick striker has used the last few months to put on some considerable size and is now sporting a significantly more muscular frame. Snaps of Topuria's bulkier physique sent MMA fans into meltdown, with one saying: "That smirk when you know you're about to go 17-0 and add another belt to the collection." READ MORE UFC NEWS WHITE NOISE Dana White admits worrying Jon Jones v Tom Aspinall truth after meeting demands Another said: "He will be a menace at 155." And another said: "Ilia Topuria is looking jacked." One remarked: "My boy looking thicc as f**k." Another chimed in: "He's a real problem at 155. No one else has that KO power in that division except for Charles but it's not the same as Topuria's." JOIN SUN VEGAS: GET £50 BONUS 6 Ilia Topuria brutally knocked out fan favourite Max Holloway in his last fight at featherweight Credit: GETTY Topuria's move up to lightweight came on the back of a devastating first and final defence of the 145lbs title against Max Holloway last October. He moved up so he'd no longer have to lose over a STONE to make the featherweight limit. UFC champ gifted £200k Aston Martin with top speed of 200mph... and F1 legend may be involved Topuria's clash with Oliveira will not only be his first at lightweight, it will also be his maiden fight since leaving his long-time trainers, the Climent Brothers. 'El Matador' recently left the Alicante-based Climent Club, which is run by brothers Jorge and Augustin, as he made Madrid his training base. The split was an amicable one, with Jorge telling Submission Radio: "You feel, always, this is not good for the sentimental feeling, but this [is] life. 'We go with him on the journey and now he grow, and he wants to fly away, you know? "We are very proud to [go as far as we did] with him. 'We are very proud for everything he [has done]. 6 Ilia Topuria's clash with Charles Oliveira will be his first since splitting from his long-time coaches Credit: GETTY "Of course, we are a little sad, but I want everything in his life [to] continue going well. "I want all good for him and his brother, and I think that they do the same for us. 'I don't know what can be in the future. "We have our own [direction right now] We love him. We love his brother. "We know he's going to [beat] everybody that [he fights] because he's the best. 'Always, he's going to be like our son."

Palestinian comedians to make debuts at Edinburgh Festival Fringe
Palestinian comedians to make debuts at Edinburgh Festival Fringe

The National

time12 hours ago

  • The National

Palestinian comedians to make debuts at Edinburgh Festival Fringe

As part of The Stand's programme this year, The Palestine Comedy Club will be brought to the Fringe. PalCom is a Palestine-UK collective developing comedy unique to the Palestinian experience and organisers say it will act as a platform for Palestinian artists to share their stories. Making their debut at the Fringe will be Alaa Shehada (Jenin), Diana Sweity (Hebron) Hanna Shammas (Haifa) and Sami Abu-Wardeh (London). READ MORE: David Lammy urged to intervene as Madleen seized by Israel As well as a trio of shows at the Fringe, PalCom will also visit Stand venues in Glasgow and Newcastle. The Stand Comedy Club said it is vital that Palestine is represented at the Fringe this year. Chair of the board Tommy Shepherd said: 'All too often people have forgot the Palestinians have a thriving Mediterranean culture. This is what the Israeli government are trying to extinguish. 'We're delighted to do our part in standing in solidarity with Palestinian artists and helping them reach an international audience.' The Stand has made several moves in support of Palestine including becoming a supporter of Unite Hospitality Glasgow's Serve Solidarity, Boycott Apartheid campaign, which aims to support worker-led boycotts of PepsiCo products and Israeli fresh produce. To help fund travel costs for Palestine Comedy Club, The Stand will also hold two benefit nights that will feature some of Scotland's leading talent in Edinburgh and Glasgow. In Glasgow on Monday, June 16, host Billy Kirkwood will introduce Stuart McPherson, Ray Bradshaw, Christopher Macarthur-Boyd and Susie McCabe. Meanwhile, the Edinburgh benefit will take place on Tuesday, June 24, with Susan Morrison hosting Vladimir McTavish, Marc Jennings, Krystal Evans, Ryan Cullen and Jay Lafferty. PalCom will appear at Newcastle's Stand on Saturday, August 16, before heading to its Edinburgh branch on Monday 18, Tuesday 19 and Wednesday, August 20, with a final stop-off in Glasgow on Thursday, August 21.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store