THE HERDS is the newest project from The Walk Productions, the creators of THE WALK: the journey of Little Amal, the 12 foot high puppet of a refugee child who has journeyed through 17 countries.

Led by producers David Lan and Tracey Seaward, Artistic Director Amir Nizar Zuabi and Executive Producer Sarah Loader, The Walk Productions is a not-for-profit company that presents large scale participatory public art that brings communities together with moments of artistic excellence, challenging assumptions, rethinking narratives and provoking change. The Associate Producer is Alice Evans, the Development Director is Hanaa Skalli and the Climate Partnerships Producer is Deesha Chandra.

THE HERDS puppets are designed by Ukwanda Puppets and Designs Art Collective (Luyanda Nogodlwana, Siphokazi Mpofu, Sipho Ngxola), Craig Leo, Simon Dunckley, Hansie Visagie, Tundra Dunkley and Amir Nizar Zuabi. They came together in 2023 in Cape Town, South Africa, with a background in designing, building and bringing to life some of the world’s most famous puppet creations including Little Amal and the War Horse puppets, both under the leadership of Handspring Puppet Company.

From Kinshasa to Tromsø, we are building a team of local leaders who are experts in their respective fields of production, education, environment and communications. As passionate advocates for their communities, embedded in the distinctive culture of their cities, they will challenge us to ensure THE HERDS does not simply “visit” but is powered by local knowledge, need and discourse, is accountable to and emphasises local climate concerns, cultural stresses and economic aspirations.