Deer appear on the streets of Walthamstow in video art project

A herd of deer has returned to Walthamstow town centre, where once ancient Epping Forest flourished.

The deer could be spotted projected onto walls along the High Street in a project entitled iDeer. They were created by artist Jude Greenaway, who is part of audio-visual arts duo Greenaway and Greenaway.

The deer of Epping forest were once hunted by royalty and poachers alike. The City of London became the Conservators of the forest in 1878, with deer being the only wild animals to be specifically mentioned in the Epping Forest Act.

Today, the main threat to deer now comes not so much from poaching, but from busy roads and human disturbance. Inspired by Walthamstow's closeness to Epping Forest, iDeer was created to highlight environmental habitat erosion, and to offer a playful street interaction.

iDeer was put on as part of the Walthamstow Night Time Enterprise pilot project, funded by local businesses, Waltham Forest Council and the Mayor London.