The team behind the 3.7 meter tall doll of a 10-year-old Syrian refugee has now launched a new public art project to raise awareness about climate change.
The Walk Productions’ latest production is called The Herds and is about a growing herd of life-size puppet animals.
Next year they will travel north along a 20,000 km (12,427 mile) route from the Congo Basin in Central Africa to the Arctic Circle in Norway to reflect the migration caused by climate change.
Their previous project, Little Amal, has now traveled to 15 countries since its 2021 launch.
As the Herd project travels across two continents, the production company said it would be “invaded” by herds of puppet animals fleeing to escape climate disaster.
It will grow in size and variety, adding new varieties characteristic of each region, organizers said.
The first dolls, made from recycled materials including wood and cardboard, were built and tested by students at the Wimbledon College of Arts, part of the University of the Arts London.
Prototypes were designed and developed by Ukwanda Puppets and Designs Art Collective in South Africa and the project’s artistic director, Amir Nizar Zuabi.
Students from Wimbledon College of Arts created the dolls to these specifications.
Nizar Zuabi said it would “offer audiences around the world a stark artistic image, overwhelming in grandeur and alarm”.
It also aims to bring about a shift in perspective on the climate crisis,” he added.
Jayne Knowles, dean of performing arts at the university, said: “The climate crisis is real for all of us and as an arts university we have our part to play by raising awareness through creative storytelling, using our expertise in areas of performance, puppetry, design, making and animatronics.”
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