Waiting for Kudu

THE HERDS: Pennington Flash

5 Jul 2025

Free to attend – no booking required

Date: 5 Jul 2025
Venue: Pennington Flash Country Park, St Helens Rd, Leigh WN7 3PA
Tickets

1–4pm

The event is durational, and you are welcome to arrive and leave at any time.

Free to attend – no booking required

Public art meets climate action in THE HERDS – a monumental migration of puppet animals on a 20,000km journey from the Congo basin to the Arctic Circle.

Is that a giraffe on Market Street? An elephant in Heywood? An antelope in Pennington Flash? THE HERDS are on the move…

For the final stop on their Greater Manchester journey, THE HERDS find a fleeting refuge in the wild beauty of Pennington Flash Country Park.

Explore the park’s winding trails, pause in bird hides, and quietly observe as 70 life-sized puppets appear amid the trees and wetlands. A lion stalking through the long grass. A giraffe blending with the canopy. A silent kudu, watching from the shadows. Will your patience – and stillness – be rewarded?

Catch the animals at Pennington Flash before they continue their journey northwards to the Arctic.

THE HERDS at Pennington Flash is part of the Flashes Festival of Nature, which continues on Sunday 6 July. Find out more here.

Photograph: Congo Basin. Berclaire for The Walk Productions.

THE HERDS

Roaming through cities in West Africa and Europe, the animals are fleeing north to escape climate disaster. THE HERDS is a visual dramatisation of the climate crisis and a stark warning of what may come if animals are forced to flee their natural habitats.

THE HERDS is brought to life by the international team behind Little Amal created by The Walk Productions and led by Artistic Director Amir Nizar Zuabi, and brings together leading artists and arts and educational institutions across Africa and Europe.

Find out more →

Credits

THE HERDS Greater Manchester is produced by The Walk Productions in partnership with Factory International.

Greater Manchester events delivered in association with Rochdale Borough Council and Rochdale Development Agency, and Wigan Council.

MIF25 Opening Event created in partnership with Manchester Camerata.

THE HERDS puppets are designed by Ukwanda Puppets & Designs Art Collective (Luyanda Nogodlwana, Siphokazi Mpofu, Sipho Ngxola), Craig Leo, Simon Dunckley, Hansie Visagie, Tundra Dunckley and Amir Nizar Zuabi.

Image: Ant Strack

Access information

The event takes place in Pennington Flash Country Park.

A legacy of our proud industrial heritage, Pennington Flash is now rightly recognised as a national treasure and a stunning example of nature in recovery.

This beloved Leigh beauty spot is one of eight local sites that make up The Flashes of Wigan and Leigh; the first and only National Nature Reserve (NNR) in the whole of Greater Manchester.

Officially designated an NNR by Natural England in October 2022 in recognition of their remarkable natural beauty and immense ecological importance, these precious wetland habitats were originally and uniquely formed by the ‘flash’ flooding of former coal mining sites.

Toilets are available at The Visitor Centre. The What3Words are attitudes.occupy.quack

These include accessible toilets, gender neutral toilets and baby change facilities.

THE HERDS takes place outdoors along the existing trails across the Pennington Flash site.

Flat, comfortable shoes and sun protection or wet weather gear (depending on the forecast) are recommended. Please be aware that due to the nature of site as a nature reserve certain areas and footpaths are uneven underfoot due to the natural terrain. Please proceed with care. Please keep dogs on leads at all times and keep noise levels to a minimum to respect the wildlife inhabiting the reserve.

This is an event which reflects on the current climate crisis. It may include scenes which some might find upsetting.

Assistance dogs are welcome at these events.

The site is wheelchair accessible however please be aware that due to the nature of site as a nature reserve certain areas and footpaths are uneven and less wheelchair friendly due to the natural terrain. Please proceed with care. Wheelchair friendly routes will be highlighted on event information.

On site parking will be restricted to Blue Badge holders only. Other visitors should please utilise public car parks available at Leigh Sports Village and within Leigh Town centre with direct walking routes to Pennington Flash close-by.

Food and drinks are available at The Hide Café from 9am to 6pm.

Drinking water is also available at the Hide Café across the site at various mobile concessions

We will be producing a What To Expect Guide for this event. It will be available from 5 June.

Travel information

Several bus routes serve St Helens Road in Leigh, and information about them is available from Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM). Routes include the 582, 34, and 944, among others. TfGM can be contacted via phone at 0161 244 1000 or email at hello@beenetwork.co.uk

Pennington Flash Nature Reserve is signposted from the A580 East Lancs Road. Follow the signs and turn onto the A579 Atherleigh Way then left onto the A572 St Helens Road. The main entrance is situated on St Helens Road opposite Leigh Fire Station.

Please note: Sat Nav users should use the postcode is WN7 3PA.

For Leigh Sports Village continue down Atherleigh Way and take the second exit at the roundabout onto Sale Way. Leigh Sports Village Car parks and footpaths are signposted from here.

For Leigh Town Centre from Atherleigh Way, turn right onto St Helens Road and follow signs for Leigh Town Centre carparks.

Become a Member

Be first in line for Manchester International Festival 2025 tickets. Become a Member and get priority booking for the festival and beyond. Are you in?

Join now →