Follow the HERD!

Ready for something unlike anything you’ve ever seen or heard!?

If you’ve been getting your daily steps in, travelling to work or school or just simply having a day out across Kirklees this week and have found yourself seeing (and hearing!) some rather ‘larger than life’ sheep – don’t panic, you’re not imagining it! HERD is the ground-breaking collaboration between artists, musicians, schoolchildren and community members that has arrived in Kirklees this July. 23 uniquely designed sheep sculptures will appear in various locations across the region and sing to the countryside over six fantastic days from Tuesday 11^th to Sunday 16^th July 2023. 

HERD’s purpose is to celebrate Kirklees; a district and community proud of the richness and diversity of its musical heritage. From Huddersfield based artist Dave Young designing musical sheep to incorporate the influence that such have had on this area of Yorkshire and its roots in the textile industry, right through to the soundscape tracing the region’s cultural and industrial story, knitting together the multicultural musical traditions and identities inspired by the woollen trade and those who came from different locations to work in textile mills in the area – HERD is the flagship project of the Kirklees Year of Music 2023.

The sheep are led by Mother Sheep, Aina, who can be found located in St George’s Square, Huddersfield, all week. From here, Aina will sing original compositions to the landscape and await the rest of her herd to travel across land and water to join her for an epic free-to-attend finale event with 350 bands, musicians and choirs on Sunday 16^th July.

So, whether you’re planning a stroll along Meltham Greenway, exploring Oakwell Hall and Gardens or even treating yourself to lunch at The Three Acres, make sure to keep your eye out… there might just be some unexpected friends joining you! Find out more about where you can find the herd this week, and all the details you need for Sunday’s finale, here.

Here at The John Smith’s Stadium, we were absolutely delighted to host Aina and her herd last week as they initially gathered on our St Andrew’s Road Car park before embarking on their individual journeys across this fantastic area of West Yorkshire! We are proud to be supporting HERD and The Kirklees Year of Music 2023 as it aims to bring the richness and diversity of Kirklees’ musical heritage to life; inviting everyone to experience world class music from across the district and beyond in a yearlong celebration that showcases the extent to which this fantastic community lives and loves the music it produces.