Creative half-term activities aim to raise awareness of biodiversity and climate change through puppetry, storytelling and community building.
Families in Bexley are invited to take part in an exciting global arts project this May half-term as The Exchange brings The Herds — a visionary public art and climate initiative — to the heart of Erith.
Running throughout the school holidays at the Old Library, The Herds offers a series of creative workshops where children and families can learn about endangered species, climate change, and the natural world through imaginative puppet-making sessions and interactive arts experiences.
The Herds is a global initiative that sees life-size animal puppets travel more than 20,000 kilometres — from the Congo Basin to the Arctic Circle — raising awareness of biodiversity loss, habitat destruction, and the impacts of climate change. The project connects communities across the globe through locally-rooted creative responses to environmental threats, using the power of art and storytelling to inspire action.
Thanks to support from the Art Fund, The Exchange is now able to bring this extraordinary programme to Bexley for the first time.
Sarah Batten, founding co-director of The Exchange, said: “The Herds is an incredible and beautiful campaign that unites people across the world in a joint creative response to the risks of climate change, initiating locally rooted projects that respond to very different habitats and possibilities. We are so pleased to have gained support from the Art Fund enabling Bexley to join The Herds.”
The series of workshops — all held at the Old Library in Erith — will give participants the chance to create their own animal puppets, explore the lives of creatures such as hedgehogs, puffins and sea turtles, and even meet some of the professional artists contributing to the wider international project.
Scheduled activities include:
- Happy Homes for Hedgehogs – Saturday 24 May, 11am
- Puffin Finger Puppets – Wednesday 28 May, 10am
- Puppeteer Films – 28–31 May (during venue opening hours)
- Build a Hedgehog Home – Wednesday 28 May, 10.30am
- Save the Sea Turtles – Friday 30 May, 10am
In a unique collaboration with the local Men in Sheds group, The Exchange is also running woodwork sessions to build real-life hedgehog houses. Once completed, these will be installed throughout Bexley, offering permanent homes to the borough’s spiny residents and helping to bolster urban wildlife habitats.
Cafer Munur, Cabinet Member for Place Shaping, praised the initiative, saying: “I’m delighted The Exchange have been able to bring The Herds to Bexley, giving local people a chance to take part in this landmark project that creatively responds to the important issue of worldwide climate change. I highly recommend a visit to the Old Library in Erith, where there is a wealth of arts, crafts and cultural events.”
The programme forms part of #CelebratingBexley, the borough’s campaign to highlight and promote its vibrant cultural life, local creativity, and commitment to community-led engagement. The campaign aims to spotlight the people and places that make Bexley a special and inspiring place to live and visit.
Whether through puppet-making, nature-themed workshops, or hands-on construction with Men in Sheds, Bexley residents now have a unique opportunity to be part of a global movement — and to make a creative, lasting impact right in their own backyard.
More details, including how to participate in individual events, can be found on The Exchange’s website and through Bexley’s #CelebratingBexley programme listings.
