As part of our commitment to communities and social value our employees are allocated 5 days per year to use for volunteering. Last week our Office Co Ordinator and Social Value Champion Elizabeth was delighted to use hers to spend the week as a volunteer puppeteer for a life size Zebra as part of THE HERDS in the Manchester International Festival MIF25.

Roaming through cities in West Africa and Europe, the animals are fleeing north to escape climate disaster. THE HERDS is a visual dramatisation of the climate crisis and a stark warning of what may come if animals are forced to flee their natural habitats.

Featuring 70 life-sized puppets operated by local participants and volunteers, THE HERDS is a public art project on a scale never attempted before – a testament to both the scale of the crisis and the collective effort needed to fight it.

Brought to life by the international team behind Little Amal created by The Walk Productions and led by Artistic Director Amir Nizar Zuabi, THE HERDS brings together leading artists and arts and educational institutions across Africa and Europe. The puppets are all made of a recycled plywood skeleton, covered with recycled cardboard, and made by artists and volunteers in each city. Elizabeth was one of 100 volunteers from Manchester who were invited to become puppeteers.

“The first day was an introduction to what THE HERDS were all about and understanding puppetry. On Day 2 the puppets arrived and we were allocated to our animal, some people went through a number of different types of puppets to find one that worked for them, I had the position of head operator of Zebra number 4. The Zebras required a head puppeteer that carried the weight of the front of the puppet and manipulated the head, a heart puppeteer who operated the front legs and a hind puppeteer who carried the weight of the back of the puppet on a harness and operated the back legs. All roles were very physically demanding and learning how to walk correctly took a lot of practice but at the end of day two we were tentatively confident that we’d got it; though the idea of moving at speed, as we would need to in the performances, was quite intimidating!

Day three was more manipulation of the puppets, guided and instructed by the Eco Emerge team that had puppeteered on THE HERDS since Madrid we learned how to rear, pivot (my favourite move) and gallop. We also learned the terms that would be used during the performances such as YALA (Walk), YIMA (Stop) BUYA (retreat) WASHA (Run). All the days were long days with lots to take on physically and mentally.

Day 4 – Performance day! The morning was spent rehearsing the sequences with the Manchester Camerata and how the director Nazir wanted the herd to move. Then it was putting the puppets into their boxes and a bit of a break while they were transported across the city. We had been rehearsing in the arches near Piccadilly Station, the performance was starting off at Cathedral Gardens. We regrouped at 3pm to walk the performance route and be allocated our groups; some animals went into the Arndale, some into Selfridges and some down Corporation Street. Then it was back to base to collect radios if you were the head of an animal, warm up and then get into the puppets!”

For the opening event of MIF25, the displaced herd arrived in Manchester City Centre, interrupting an orchestral performance by Manchester Camerata. Elizabeth was part of the group that moved along Corporation Street. “Nazir had told us all at the afternoon briefing that what we had to convey was the animals’ fright – they are in an unfamiliar environment and the city smells of petrochemicals and death to them. We were not a cardboard petting zoo we were animals in crisis. This was not difficult as the swarming crowds would have spooked any animal! At one point our zebra was surrounded, and we had to rear and kick our way back to the others.”

Seeking sanctuary in nature, THE HERDS then left the city centre for the residential streets of Heywood moving through residential streets before they found the tranquil gardens and picturesque lake at Queen’s Park. “This was a very different experience than Manchester City centre, for one, there was the possibility it wouldn’t happen as in true Greater Manchester style it was raining heavily when we arrived at 3pm – not an ideal environment for creations of cardboard! Thankfully for our puppets the rain eased just before we were due to start at 7pm. Though our team did experience a problem as our front right shoulder joint came apart! We were assisted by one of The Walk team and could continue to the lake but having to wait to assess had us separated from the main body of animals so for a while we were a lone zebra wandering the residential streets of Heywood!”

For the final stop on their Greater Manchester journey, THE HERDS found a fleeting refuge in the wild beauty of Pennington Flash Country Park. “Different again, this time in a more safari like set up, our heard of 4 zebras didn’t have any predators in our section (the other zebras were with wildebeest and lions) so it was relaxed zebra behaviour, just wary of the crowds who mostly stuck to the designated viewing area. 

Though all six days were long, with a lot to take on physically and mentally it was an amazing thing to be a part of, truly once in a life time! One of the most amazing things is that I doubt the crowds that saw us all over the three days would imagine that 90% of the animals were being operated by people who had had only had 2 days to learn how to operate them and make them move naturally. I am incredibly proud to have been involved in something on such a scale and delivering such an important message – bringing searing questions about the climate crisis to the streets, hopefully a call to action that cannot be ignored.”

December 2025 – Elizabeth heard from the Team that THE HERDS was included in the top ten ‘Culture for Impact for 2025’ by the United Nations!

Top 10 Culture for Impact 2025 — MUSEUM FOR THE UNITED NATIONS