The HERDS – Our Journey
PK Porthcurno presents ‘PK’s Creatures of the Deep’ inspired by the international public art and climate action project THE HERDS, supported by Art Fund.
From April to August 2025, ever-growing herds of life-size puppet animals will stampede into cities across Africa and Europe to flee climate disaster. THE HERDS is a public artwork on a scale never before attempted and will vividly dramatise the climate crisis.
With support from Art Fund, PK Porthcurno joins THE HERDS alongside 43 museums, galleries and historic houses across the UK, bringing artistic events, workshops and educational activities to local communities to inspire the next generation and deepen connections with the natural world.
Scroll down to see our Journey
May 2025 – Planet PK Champions
Our first HERDS workshop took place during one of our Monthly Planet PK Champions Sessions. With a focus on science and the environment, these sessions provided the perfect opportunity to explore puppet-making using everyday household recyclable materials. Over the course of two sessions, we created some wonderful pangolins, snakes, puffins and seals while also learning about their natural habitats and the threats they face in the wild.
June 2025 – Alverton School
At the start of June, Alverton school visited the museum, exploring the the HERDS and the many different sea creatures that could fit in our ‘Creatures of the Deep’ campaign. After a fun filled workshop the students settled on an octopus and then the creation began.
This past week we have been working in Alverton school on their big image of an octopus for Mazey Day. There has been a wonderful buzz of activity!
The years 6’s of Alverton School are getting well and truly stuck in, with weaving and glueing the giant withe structure together. The group have come up with some slogans, these will be written along the long red tentacles to communicate important environmental messages. We can’t wait to share the finished piece this weekend in the parade!
Mazey Day – Penzance Golowan Festival
At this year’s vibrant Golowan Festival, we joined forces with local artist Alice King and dedicated Year 6 students from Alverton school to bring the streets to life with a striking, articulated octopus. The octopus carried environmental messages along its bright red, sweeping tentacles, including Morse Code S.O.S signals calling to Save Our Seas.
With all the participants dressed blue like ocean waves, the procession flowed through the town, with the school band drumming and chanting “S.O.S!” as the octopus swam through a sea of other handmade marine creatures. The students’ pride was palpable, and their message rang loud and clear.
One onlooker, Mary Woodvine, got in touch to say “Your octopus was amazing! The best and only one co-ordinating the animation. Amazing!”
Another member of the public wrote to us to say “My daughter said the octopus was her favourite moment in the parade”.
THE HERDS will engage with audiences along the 20,000km route with special UK performances in London, 27 – 29 June, and Greater Manchester, 3 – 5 July. All events are free and have been designed in collaboration with local partners to create a hugely powerful participatory event.
THE HERDS is presented in partnership with global climate organisations – including WWF International, Save the Elephants, Wild Africa, Global Rewilding Alliance and TED Countdown – as well as numerous arts organisations, scientists, artists, zoologists, politicians, climate activists, universities and civil society groups across Central, West and North Africa and Europe to present one united call for action.
Jenny Waldman, Director of Art Fund, said: “Art Fund is supporting 44 museums and galleries across the UK to take part in THE HERDS with their communities. Through exhibitions, performances, workshops, and educational activities, we’re excited to enable even more people of all ages to get involved in their local area and be inspired by museum collections and this extraordinary international climate movement.”
THE HERDS is produced by David Lan and Tracey Seaward for The Walk Productions and created by Amir Nizar Zuabi with Executive Producer Sarah Loader.