Zoologically accurate, the animal puppets for THE HERDS will convey the ferocity and beauty of nature - proud, elegant, highly alarmed but intensely graceful. Each puppet will be crafted from renewable and recyclable materials that are easily available in each territory.
There will be over 20 species of animals created for THE HERDS including elephants, giraffes, antelope and lions. Some local species will join in their local habitats, such as green vervet monkeys in Nigeria, wolves and red deer in Europe and reindeer in Norway. As the animals cross continents, they will grow in numbers and species, reacting and adapting to each new environment and its challenges, generating a massive participatory event.
THE HERDS puppets are designed in South Africa by Ukwanda Puppets and Designs Art Collective (Luyanda Nogodlwana, Siphokazi Mpofu, Sipho Ngxola), Craig Leo, Simon Dunckley, Hansie Visagie, Tundra Dunckley and Amir Nizar Zuabi. They came together in 2023 in Cape Town, South Africa and have 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.
