Lagos to host The Herds climate art project featuring life-size puppet animals

Lagos is set to host a climate change art initiative, The Herds, which will involve life-sized puppet animals travelling 20,000 kilometres from the Congo Basin to the Arctic Circle between April and August 2025.

THE HERDS puppets are designed by Ukwanda Puppets and Designs Art Collective in South Africa (Luyanda Nogodlwana, Siphokazi Mpofu, Sipho Ngxola), Craig Leo, Simon Dunckley, Hansie Visagie, Tundra Dunckley and Artistic Director Amir Nizar Zuabi.

Each puppet will be crafted using principally recycled materials that are easily accessible in each country. Zoologically accurate, the animals will convey the ferocity and beauty of nature – proud, elegant, highly alarmed, but intensely graceful.

In Lagos, Nigeria and every other city where THE HERDS make a stop, large numbers of local people will be trained to replicate and animate the puppets and to take part in large-scale artistic performances specially created along the route.

As the animals cross continents, they will grow in number and species, reacting and adapting to the new environment and its challenges, generating a massive participatory event.

“The new large-scale art project will see herds of life-size puppet animals travel 20,000km from the Congo Basin to the Arctic Circle, fleeing the destruction of their ecosystem, from April – August 2025. It is a public artwork on a scale never before attempted and will vividly dramatize the climate crisis,” said The Walk Productions in a statement.
The route includes stops in cities across the Democratic Republic of Congo, Nigeria, Senegal, Morocco, Spain, France, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Denmark, Sweden, and Norway.
The project will feature specially curated events with local partners, including performances by world-class dance companies, theatre makers, and artists.
Artistic Director Amir Nizar Zuabi spoke about the emotional impact of the project, saying “Our aim is to create an emotional reaction to the climate crisis because we believe this is the only way to make people care. We believe that awe and beauty is the missing spark that leads us from curiosity to change.”

David Lan, producer of The Herds, who noted the role of artists in addressing the climate crisis, said, “For years, climate scientists, aware their data is failing to move the public to action, have asked artists to use their visual and narrative skills to tell the story—the most urgent of our time. THE HERDS is our response.”

The initiative is produced by The Walk Productions and supported by major organisations, including the Nigerian Conservation Foundation, the University of Lagos Creative Arts Department, TED Countdown, and Save the Elephants. It is part of a global collaboration involving hundreds of partners across 11 countries.

Papa Omotayo, CEO of A Whitespace Creative Arts Foundation, Nigeria, noted: “We are incredibly proud to be part of this ambitious and impactful project. The Herds is a powerful statement about the urgent need to address climate change, and we are honored to be collaborating with such a diverse and talented group of artists and organizations to bring this vital message to life for the vibrant audiences in Lagos and beyond.”

Kumi Naidoo, Climate and Human Rights Activist and President of the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty Initiative, said: “THE HERDS demonstrates what we can accomplish when creativity meets a steadfast commitment to justice. It embodies the transformative potential of the arts, perfectly aligning with our dedication to a just, equitable and sustainable world.”