Jerwood Foundation Supports THE HERDS Emerging Company

Jerwood Foundation is supporting THE HERDS Emerging Company through its award of a total grant of £37,500 to enable 25 early career performers to participate in Emerging Company activities in the UK over two weeks from 23 June to 6 July. THE HERDS is public art and climate action on a vast scale: an ambitious coming together of culture and climate to inspire action and reignite our connection with the natural world. From April to August 2025, herds of life-size puppet animals fleeing climate destruction will rampage into city centres along a 20,000km route from the Congo Basin to the Arctic Circle.

In the UK, THE HERDS will be a major feature of the June and July 2025 artistic seasons in London and Manchester with seven events being co-created across both cities. THE HERDS Emerging Company will offer young performers the opportunity to undertake intensive training with world-leading puppeteers including Craig Leo, Puppetry Director for War Horse, gain behind-the-scenes insights, benefit from one-to-one career development feedback sessions, and perform at the biggest public art and climate action project ever attempted. For those involved, this experience has the potential to lay the foundation to launch an outstanding career in the performing arts. Alongside the project, there will be an extensive educational programme available to individuals, schools and colleges. 

Lara Wardle, Executive Director and Trustee Jerwood Foundation said:

Supporting THE HERDS Emerging Company underlines Jerwood Foundation’s commitment to supporting excellence and this partnership will provide unique training and career development opportunities for 25 talented early-career theatre performers from across the UK, whilst also bringing an important narrative within the climate conversation to worldwide audiences.

David Lan, Producer, THE HERDS said:

There are many aspects of the way in which THE HERDS exist in the world that are ground-breaking.  Perhaps the one that will have the most impact in the long term is the Emerging Company, our group of 42 young performers gathered from 19 countries travelling and training together. We are tremendously grateful to Jerwood Foundation, who have such a long and inspiring history of supporting young talent in so many fields, for lending their support and their authenticity to this project. Without it we would not have been able to deliver it at the ambitious level that is proving so successful - and indeed, so crucial - to the vigour and the impact of The Herds’ journey so far.

THE HERDS aspire to create a narrative shift within the climate conversation and evoke a vision of what a climate-cooperative future might be; where communities engage in joint action and achieve more than they could imagine on their own.

 For further information about the route and events of THE HERDS please visit  

THE HERDS • Events

June 26, 2025