HERD begins with a single giant Mother Sheep, Aina, broadcasting her soundscape into the distance in St George’s Square, Huddersfield.
Over six days, 23 larger-than-life musical sheep will appear across Kirklees, each singing their own individual soundscape, before they join their Mother Sheep in St George’s Square on Saturday night.
Look out for appearances in Meltham, Marsden, Thornhill Rectory Park and Oakwell Hall, Mirfield, Milnsbridge, Slaithwaite and elsewhere and listen out for them along the canals. Or, come and see the whole HERD in St George’s Square on Sunday, 16 July from midday and stay for the grand finale with 350 musicians, choirs and bands performing live from 17:00.
See full details for all locations 11-16 July below.
Find the whole HERD of oversized, singing sheep in St George’s Square from 12:00 on Sunday, 16 July. The live performance begins at 17:00.
From 17:00 on Sunday, 16 July the free-to-attend grand finale of HERD will fill historic St George’s Square in the heart of Huddersfield with live music, colour and extraordinary sheep like none you’ve seen or heard before.
Join us to see 350 local musicians, choirs, bands and schoolchildren come together to perform five, euphoric new songs for Kirklees live in St George’s Square, Huddersfield. You do not need a ticket to attend.
PROGRAMME NOTES – HERD Finale, 5 – 6pm
(All information correct at time of going to press, but may be subject to change)
PART 1:
Thabo Mkwananzi: Calls
Amber Wood: What next?
Ruby Wood vocals, Martin Chung guitar: The future is in our hands
Skelmanthorpe & Hade Edge Brass bands, conducted by Martin Heartfield: Future Fanfare
Thabo Mkwananzi, Rob Bradley vocals, Noah Burton percussion Skelmanthorpe & Hade Edge Brass bands: Tomorrow’s World
PART 2:
Huddersfield Choral Society conducted by Ellie Slorach: Jerusalem Revisited, Huddersfield Community Gospel Choir, led by Edwin Baker; Shepley Singers led by Bryony Griffiths; Boliyaan group, led by Swarnjit Kaur: Dreams of the Future
Huddersfield Choral Society: Jerusalem Revisited Skelmanthorpe and Hade Edge Brass Bands: Calls
Boliyaan Group: Work Song Medley
Huddersfield Community Gospel Choir, led by Edwin Baker: Hold On
Supriya Nagarajan lead vocals, Martin Chung guitar: Morning Dew
PART 3:
Children of Whitechapel Primary, Headlands Primary, Newsome Primary: Sheep Herding & Yan Tan Tethera
Testament, Sunil Kaliyan, Rob Bradley: vocals
Seyed Mohammedreza Beladi, dammam, Jaydev Mistry, timbau: The Song of Chaos
Alice Jones, Bryony Griffiths, Thabo Mkwananzi, Ruby Wood, Amber Wood: vocals, Huddersfield Choral Society, Huddersfield Community Gospel Choir, Shepley Singers, Boliyaan group, Skelmanthorpe & Hade Edge Brass bands, conducted by Ellie Slorach: The future is in our hands
There will be a number of toilets available for public use.
We’re filming and taking photographs during HERD from 11 – 16 July. If you would prefer not to be photographed, please avoid cameras and notify a member of our team.
During the finale event on Sunday 16 July, wheelchair users can view the performance from a signposted wheelchair access area.
Fully accessible. The Square can be accessed by vehicle from John William Street in front of the George Hotel.
Please email Access@artichoke.uk.com if you have any questions.
There are plenty of options for food and drink near St George’s Square. Explore some recommendations in the local area here.
Except for the Station Car Park all other car parks will be open as usual on Sunday. You can find parking spaces including where there are disabled parking bays in Huddersfield at kirklees.gov.uk/beta/transport-roads-and-parking/parkingspaces/.
For information on public transport please visit wymetro.com/plan-a-journey/
Use the map below to find out where the HERD will be throughout week, open to the public from 11:00 – 20:00 each day.
The sheep appear at each location for one day only. Check the information below to see where they are on which days.
Click the audio play button on the map markers to hear what the sheep are singing at each of the locations across Kirklees.
Listen out for the HERD of sheep in various locations across the district of Kirklees either solo or in small groups on the following days…
To find the exact location of the sheep, download the What 3 Words app for free in the App Store or Google Play and use the links below.
Outside of urban areas, What 3 Words is a more accurate way of pinpointing locations and ensuring people are able to find the sheep. You don’t need to download the app just click on the What 3 Words next to the location and it will open the map on their webpage.
You can find Aina, the Mother Sheep, in St George’s Square, Huddersfield, all week singing her soundscape to the rest of the HERD.
Castle Hill
what3words address: ///slows.loft.loving
The Old Mill, Calder River in Brighouse, near the Premiere Inn
what3words address: ///warm.added.meals
ACCESSIBLE: Plenty of car parking space with dedicated disabled car parking and paved access to viewing point.
Deffer Wood – On a walking trail and there is no parking available nearby
what3words address: ///coveted.subsets.reconnect
Deffer Wood is a 1.7 mile (4,000-step) route located near Denby Dale, Huddersfield, England. This route has an elevation gain of about 318.2 ft and is rated as medium.
Eastergate Bridge – On a walking trail and there is no parking available nearby
what3words address: ///random.indulges.syndicate
The walk is approximately 4.5km and is pretty flat other than a small climb out of Standedge.
Marsden
what3words address: ///pool.punctured.shuttered
The sheep will appear on Peel Street in the centre of the village. Peel Street is closed from 09:00 – 21:00.
Meltham Greenway
what3words address: ///dockers.hounded.blur
Meltham Greenway is a popular walking route in Meltham. The nearest public parking belongs to Morrisons. There’s an accessible path from Morrisons carpark to Meltham Greenway.
Oakwell Hall & Gardens
what3words address: ///hoping.orange.intro
ACCESSIBLE: Find the sheep inside the walled garden. This is a council owned facility with parking including disabled parking spaces and café during normal working hours.
Thornhill Rectory Park
what3words address: ///grumbles.simulator.stray
ACCESSIBLE: There is a path downhill from the Park car park to the location of sheep on the other side of the park, with an uphill climb on the return. For wheelchair users we advise street parking on Hall Lane and entering park from there.
The Three Acres Inn & Restaurant, Roydhouse
what3words address: ///tulip.windmills.diets
ACCESSIBLE: Parking available
Bank Bottom Mill
what3words address: ///dollars.optimally.shower
ACCESSIBLE: There is street parking in Marsden close to Bank Bottom Mill.
Slaithwaite Lock
what3words address: ///soups.raves.sized
ACCESSIBLE: There is on street and dedicated carparks available within village. Please note that parking bays directly in front of the sheep will be suspended.
Milnsbridge Lock
what3words address: ///kinds.images.unity
ACCESSIBLE: There is street parking available on Tanyard Rd. It is an accessible route from Tanyard Rd along the canal path.
Mirfield Newgate Weir
what3words address: ///passwords.space.crouching
Mirfield Newgate Weir near the centre of town. Parking within town. There is a ramp to the towpath leading from Station Road (it is ramped from Station Road). Please note towpath is quite narrow, and steep under the bridge for Newgate Road. Around a 5-minute walk.
Keep an eye out for some floating friends on canal boats along the narrow and broad canals between 11:00 and 20:00 on Friday 14 July!
One of the sheep isn’t following the rest of the HERD…
Punk has a long history in Huddersfield, where The Sex Pistols did their last-ever gig. Look and listen out for Jiggit, a Vivienne Westwood-inspired punk sheep with a soundscape made by young musicians (aged up to 19 yrs) from Kirklees, roaming wild across the district from 14 – 16 July. Find out more about the songs in Jiggit’s soundscape via the button below.
Friday 14 July
13:00: Passing nearby Mirfield Newgate Weir
14:00: Passing nearby Milnsbridge Lock
15:00: Meltham Skate Park, 16 Thomas Wroe Way, Meltham, Holmfirth HD9 5AN
16:00: Passing by Slaithwaite Lock
17:00: Slaithwaite Youth Centre, The Civic Hall, The Civic, 15A New Street, Slaithwaite, Huddersfield HD7 5AB
18:00: Jiggit returns to Meltham Skate Park
Saturday 15 July
Jiggit joins the rest of the HERD to travel through the towns of Batley, Dewsbury and Cleckheaton to join the Mother Sheep in St George’s Square, Huddersfield at 20:00.
Some of the HERD will travel on vehicles from 12:00 – 17:00 through the towns of Batley, Dewsbury and Cleckheaton on their way to join Aina, the Mother Sheep, and the rest of the HERD in St George’s Square, Huddersfield. The timings are approximate and subject to change.
Cleckheaton 12.00 -12.50
Heckmondwike 13.00 – 13.30
Batley 13.30 – 14.30
Dewsbury 14.45 – 15.45
Mirfield 15.45 – 16.20
Huddersfield 16.30 with arrivals in St George’s Square from 17.00
The sheep will sing themselves to sleep in St George’s Square in Huddersfield from 20:00 to midnight.
From 12:00: From midday the whole HERD will come together in St George’s Square, Huddersfield to join Aina, the Mother Sheep.
17:00 – 18:00: Live finale event in St George’s Square. More than 350 singers, musicians, members of choirs, gospel groups, brass bands, come together to perform five future songs for Kirklees. Free-to-attend, no ticket required.
HERD is a free-to-attend musical and sculptural odyssey of epic proportions.
Devised by composer Orlando Gough and produced by leading arts production company, Artichoke, HERD will take place in various locations around Kirklees during July 2023 as part of Kirklees Year of Music.
This KYOM23 flagship project is a ground-breaking collaboration between artists, musicians and hundreds of schoolchildren and community members.
Tuesday, 11 – Sunday, 16 July 2023
The Mother Sheep, Aina, will be in St George’s Square, Huddersfield from Tuesday, 11 to Sunday, 16 July.
Her flock of oversized sheep will appear in different places across Kirklees during the week and come together in St George’s Square, Huddersfield on Saturday evening 15 July, where they will sing themselves to sleep from 20:00 to 24:00. On Sunday 16 July, you can visit the HERD in St George’s Square from 12:00 midday and stay for the grand finale from at 17:00.
HERD is a major new event produced by Artichoke as part of Kirklees Year Music. The project is supported by Kirklees Council, Arts Council England and the National Lottery Heritage Fund and many other funders and supporters. Please see our supporters page here.
Yes, the event will be completely free for the public to attend.
No, HERD is free to attend and no tickets are needed during the week or for the finale.
On Friday 14th July, some sheep will take to the water on the Broad and Narrow Canals around Huddersfield. On Saturday 15 July, several sheep will travel on top of vehicles through Batley, Cleckheaton and Dewsbury. The whole HERD will arrive in St George’s Square on Saturday evening, and sing themselves to sleep from 20:00-00:00 (midnight). Come and join them!
On Sunday 16 July, you can visit the HERD in St George’s Square, Huddersfield, from 12:00 midday. Don’t forget to stay for the HERD grand finale, which will take place in St George’s Square on Sunday 16 July at 17:00, with hundreds of performers singing five new songs for Kirklees.
Outside of urban areas, What Three Words is a more accurate way of pinpointing locations and ensuring people are able to find the sheep. You don’t need to download the app just click on the What Three Words next to the location and it will open the map on their webpage.
Aina, the Mother Sheep, in St George’s Square is every 15 minutes. The sheep out in wild will be constant from 11:00-20:00. Soundscapes are generally 20-25 mins long on constant loop
On Sunday 16 July, at 17.00 around 350 musicians, choirs and bands, all of whom have been involved in recording the HERD soundscapes, will come together to perform five new songs for Kirklees. Don’t miss it!
Huddersfield has a wide selection of cafes, restaurants and bars to choose from. Explore some recommendations in the local area here.
Please bear in mind that some of the HERD locations around Kirklees are off the beaten track and no refreshments will be available.
Dress for the weather and wear comfortable footwear. Please bring your own water and use refillable containers.
If you have a query about HERD, and can’t find the answer here, please email HERD@artichoke.uk.com ,which is regularly checked.
Businesses and residents that may be affected by the event have been contacted directly by letter.
There will be road closures in place on Peel Street in Marsden on Thursday 13 July and around St George’s Square on Sunday 16 July. Residents and businesses affected by the closures have been contacted with details of how they will be impacted.
We encourage visitors to use public transport wherever possible. If arriving by car is unavoidable, there are short and long stay car parks located a short distance away at Huddersfield Bus Station, Bath Street, Brook Street and Cambridge Road. There are further car parks located near to St George’s Square.
Where possible we strongly advise that you use public transport to arrive at HERD. Car parking is available. There will be road closures around St George’s Square.
You can find our interactive map and full details of the locations on the Plan your Visit page.
Public toilets will be available adjacent to St George’s Square on Sunday 16 July.
Please bear in mind that some of the HERD locations around Kirklees are off the beaten track and there may not be public toilet facilities available.
Join the HERD mailing list by visiting the HERD website homepage and clicking ‘sign up’.