A herd of life-sized animal puppets travels the world. In 2025, the herd covered over 20,000 kilometres, passing through cities such as Kinshasa, Lagos, Dakar, Marrakesh, Casablanca, Madrid, Barcelona, Marseille, Arles, Paris, Venice, Manchester, London, Aarhus, Copenhagen, Stockholm, Trondheim, and the Arctic Circle. For the tenth edition of the ICAF festival, they storm into Rotterdam.
The herd is on the move, fleeing drought, flooding, or the loss of their habitat. As they take over the streets, a powerful confrontation unfolds between nature and the city, between humans and animals. Rotterdam artists, residents, and students were actively involved in a pre-festival residency, co-creating two large-scale art events. These events feature spectacular visual scenes that invite imagination while drawing attention to the devastating consequences of climate change worldwide. The first encounter takes place this afternoon on Beijerlandselaan, Rotterdam South.
The Herds was developed by The Walk Productions (creators of Little Amal), under the artistic direction of Amir Nizar Zuabi. The life-sized animal puppets were designed and built by Ukwanda Puppets and Designs Art Collective (South Africa) and international makers. In Rotterdam the Herds are brought to life in collaboration with Dik Danstheater and students from Codarts (Dance and Music), alongside local communities.