This giant puppet girl named 'Little Amal' is a refugee from Syria. who is
walking 5,000 miles from Turkey to the UK to raise awareness on the refugee
crisis.
Little Amal (In Arabic it means 'Hope') has woven
out a visual where she is
searching for her mother. The nine-year-old is a Syrian refugee from Aleppo,
who will walk from the Syrian-Turkey border to the UK, in search of her
displaced family. Along the way, each village, town and city she visits, will
welcome her with a slew of events ranging from performances to art
installations. Her aim is to raise awareness about protecting human rights in
general and children's rights in particular, as well as migrant reception and
the culture of diversity. Amal tells the public "don't forget us".
'Amal' forgot the way while entering the city of Gaziantep, then
families, children warmly welcomed her by showing lights. This light was a
symbol of the fact that we would help Amal whenever she felt lost.
With the objective to raise awareness of the plight of young refugees
this 11
feet high giant puppet started its journey on 27 July 2021 from the Turkish city of Gaziantep, which is near the Syrian border.
Now she is going to cover a distance of 8 thousand kilometers in Europe and will reach the UK in November this
year, crossing the distance on foot. The little Amal will cross through 8
countries in 4 months.
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| image shows the route of Little Amal |
Amal's journey has been named
'THE WALK' (which is a travelling festival of art and hope) represents the stories of the millions of
young refugees who are forced to leave their homes and often travel alone
without their parents.
UK theater company
'Good Chance Theatre' has made this
giant puppet called Amal with the help of Amir Nizar Zuabi, Artistic
Director of South Africa's renowned 'Handspring Puppet Company'.
In July this year,
they began this project called
‘THE WALK’ in Gaziantep, Turkey
where they showcased several theatrical and artistic events. Moreover, The Walk
is not just related to the difficult situation faced by children but focuses on
other issues also. Local
artists are also collaborating with their troupe as this giant puppet continues on her
journey.
The
puppet depicts a 9-year-old Syrian girl whose objective is to symbolize all 34
million refugee, affected and displaced children.
Many children have been separated from their families during the conflict and migration.
“It's precisely because the world is
now looking at other issues that it's so important to bring the refugee crisis
back into focus. We want to challenge the perception about the refugees. We
want to talk about them not as an issue, not as a problem, but to talk about
the potential they bring, about the cultural riches they come from and to
honour their experience,” - Amir Nizar Zuabi, Artistic Director
Over 11-feet-tall puppet doll ‘Little Amal’ has been walking nearly 5,000 miles across the European Union and made a stop at the Vatican City on 10 September, where she was met and greeted by Pope Francis who is a strong supporter of the rights of refugees and migrants. Amal's visit comes as thousands of Afghans evacuated by the United States are waiting in so-called transit hubs in countries such as Qatar, Germany, and Italy.
At 3.5 metres, Amal
might appear taller than your average nine year old kid. The Handspring Puppet
Company developed and crafted the physical form of the protagonist over a
two-year period of workshops and testing. “She is made from robust, lightweight
material like moulded cane and carbon fibre, to achieve a puppet that can be
operated for long periods of time in varying conditions, to withstand rain and
heat,” says the team at Good Chance, sharing information both over email and a
recently-held video call from the UK. Interestingly, there are three puppet
Amals, just in case a spare is required. She will also have a team of
puppeteers and technicians who will look after her as she walks.
Amal is being operated by four puppeteers (one for each arm, one for her back, and one actor inside her body, walking on stilts and also operating a contraption called "the harp," a complex system of strings that control the puppet's facial expressions) As she passes by, people rush to watch her in excitement with amazement as they click photos.
During her grand voyage, which began in July this year and after her small break at the Vatican city, little Amal is now calling at 70 towns and cities in Turkey, Greece, Italy, Switzerland, Germany, Belgium, France finally the UK where Little Amal's journey will end in Manchester on 3 November. At each stop, she’s greeted by local festivals and celebrations.
Amal's journey 'The Walk' is a touring festival of art and faith
produced by the British Good Chance Theatre and presented by its creators
-Stephen Daldry, David Lan, and Tracey Seaward, in collaboration with
Handspring Puppet Company. Little Amal is inspired by a protagonist from Good
Chance Theatre's debut performance, The Jungle, a drama about a migrant camp in
Calais. Amir Nizar Zuabi, a theatrical writer and director, joined the team as
artistic director in 2020, spearheading hundreds of international partnerships
along the route.
The Syrian civil war
officially began ten years ago, since then families have suffered during a
brutal conflict that has torn the country apart. About 6.8 million Syrians are
now refugees or asylum seekers and another 6.7 million people have been forced
to leave their homes and now live in poor conditions within Syria. Together
that's more than half of the country's population and about half of the people
affected by the Syrian refugee crisis are children. In such situation, the idea
of Amal will show the arduous condition
for what refugees have gone through.
Cardinal Michael
Czerny, the under-secretary for the Migrants and Refugees Section of the
Vatican’s Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, said, that is
very emotional to welcome a small unaccompanied migrant who is looking for her
family. “Amal reminds us that there are many among us who we do not see. We see
her because she is tall but the others are hidden and we are here to remember
them and recognize those who need help.”
Meanwhile, Amal’s
birthday celebrations are being planned in London, where she will turn 10 on
October 24. The day begins with a dawn chorus performance at the Royal Opera
House followed by a party at the Victoria and Albert Museum, with kids invited
from all across London. In the finale, Amal will successfully reunite with her
mother in Manchester.
Watch these videos to know more about Amal:
Little Amal greeted by pope Francis at the Vatican city
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