Leftover materials create playful installation for children

A Hull‑based theatre company transformed leftover set materials from a major television show into a playful, imaginative installation for children as part of the Bradford City of Culture programme – giving a second life to props originally seen on TV.

The Herd Theatre in Hull, which creates shows, installations and play experiences for early years children, used reclaimed materials donated from Sky’s longest‑running, BAFTA-winning TV show A League of Their Own to help build REPLAY, a large‑scale play installation designed entirely from repurposed materials.

The Herd took the rehomed materials to Bradford, where REPLAY was installed as part of the Bradford City of Culture programme, inviting children and families to climb, build, explore and play in an imaginative space created without the need to buy expensive new materials.

The television set materials – originally used as part of A League of Their Own’s 15-year run over 20 seasons – included rolls of red and blue carpet, rugby posts, wooden flats, foam board, football locker‑room seating, chain‑link fencing, rope and foam light sticks. Once used as part of A League of Their Own’s iconic games and physical challenges, they became part of the carefully crafted walls, tunnels, climbing features and play structures for children to safely play on and explore.

REPLAY is part installation, part adventure playground, designed to show how creativity and play can flourish by giving props used on TV a second life. The project reflects The Herd Theatre’s long‑standing interest in sustainability, imagination and rethinking ideas of waste, particularly in work made for young audiences. Its appearance as part of Bradford’s City of Culture programme once again showcased Hull‑based creative talent on a major cultural stage.

Sky and CPL Productions partnered with sustainable production experts PropUp Project to redistribute the materials to The Herd Theatre as part of a wider donation of more than 5,600 items from A League of Their Own, after the show aired its final episode in December 2025.

Top-of-the-range sports equipment, set materials and other unusual props were rehomed with community groups, charities and creative organisations across the UK in a donation worth £50,000, part of Sky’s wider ambition to build a more sustainable television and film industry where items and materials used on-screen are reused off-screen to reduce waste.

Fiona Ball, group director Bigger Picture & Sustainability at Sky, said: “A League of Their Own has always been about big characters, big moments and not taking itself too seriously – so it feels fitting that some of its most memorable props are now bringing joy in completely different ways. Seeing items that once lit up the studio go on to support local communities, charities and even a dogs’ rescue centre is a brilliant example of how the legacy of a show doesn’t have to end when the final episode airs.”

Kate Allan, co-founder & director at PropUp Project said: “We’re proud to have worked with Sky and CPL Productions to show how the screen industry can lead by example. This collaboration demonstrates that sustainability and community impact can go hand in hand, turning production materials into lasting local benefit. The props we see on screen every day can become vital resources for people and truly have the power to change lives, so we’re incredibly grateful to Sky and CPL Productions for helping make that possible.