Little Amal team launch climate change puppet project

Amy Walker BBC News, London The project was launched at Wimbledon College of Arts UAL students with the puppets The team behind the 12ft (3. 7m) puppet of a 10-year-old Syrian refugee have now launched a new public art project to raise awareness of climate change. Called , the latest offering from The Walk Productions is of a growing herd of life-size puppet animals. Next year they will travel north along a 20,000km (12,427 mile) route from the Congo Basin in central Africa to the Arctic Circle in Norway to represent migration due to climate change. Their previous project, , has now travelled to 15 countries since it was launched in 2021. The puppets are made from recycled materials UAL students with the puppets 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 scale and variety, with new species characteristic of each region added, organisers said. The first puppets, which are made from recycled materials including wood and cardboard, have been built and tested by students at the Wimbledon College of Arts, part of 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 at Wimbledon College of Arts have made the puppets according to these specifications. Little Amal was made to raise awareness of refugees escaping war A 12ft (3. 7m) tall puppet of a girl stands in an old shopping centre in London as people look on Mr Nizar Zuabi said it would 'offer audiences across the world a stark artistic image, overwhelming in grandeur and alarm'. It also 'strives to bring a perspective shift to the climate crisis', he added. Jayne Knowles, dean of performance arts at the college, 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, by utilising our expertise in performance, puppetry, design, making and animatronics. ' Listen to the best of BBC Radio London on and follow BBC London on , , and . Send your story ideas to hello. bbclondon@bbc. co.