Little Amal, a 12-foot puppet of a 10-year-old Syrian child, is making her way across the US in a journey to highlight the plight of refugees looking for a home
Amal greets a child on top of her parents shoulders.
Insider/Elias Chavez
Little Amal represents a 10-year-old Syrian refugee spreading a message of hope and solidarity.
The 12-foot puppet began her American tour this week.
Little Amal will travel from Boston to San Diego between September 7 and November 5.
Little Amal, a 12-foot-tall puppet depicting a 10-year-old Syrian refugee, made her debut in Boston last week for the beginning of her US tour.
Amal's journey, produced by The Walk Productions, hopes to spread a message of solidarity.
Little Amal originally journeyed from Syria across Europe to Manchester, England. She traveled over 5,592 miles through 15 different countries.
As Little Amal makes her way across the United States, she and her team will partner with over 1,000 artists and arts organizations and create more than 100 free public events.
The Walk Productions was founded by David Lan, a long-time theater producer, and Tracey Seaward, an English film producer.
Amal means "hope" in Arabic. The aim of her journey through the US is to bring attention to issues surrounding immigration.
Amal and children put on a performance.
Elias Chavez/Insider
The 12-foot-tall puppet was constructed by the Handspring Puppet Company, an organization based out of South Africa.
Amal shakes hands with an onlooker.
Hesther Ng/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images
When David Lan, producer of The Walk Productions, approached the Handspring Puppet Company and told them about the concept of Amal, Lan said their immediate response was, "How tall did you say you wanted it?"
"Once it began to be real in people's imaginations, we had to do it," Lan told Insider.
Little Amal is controlled by a rotating cast of puppeteers. Two people control the arms and hands, and one puppeteer is inside the body.
Amal stands amongst a gathering crowd.
Mark Kerrison/In Pictures via Getty Images
The concept of Amal came to Lan after he helped produce "The Jungle," a play that follows the lives of refugees living in a migrant camp.
Little Amal stands in a tunnel during a parade in London.
Rasid Necati Aslim/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images
Working on that play and listening to the stories of people who had escaped violence, persecution, and warfare, Lan felt driven to do more.
"There must be a way in which, as a theater person, we can make a piece of theater which is adequate to that subject," Lan said.
The Walk Productions wanted her story to be represented poetically.
Amal walks through a field accompanied by children.
Matt Cardy for Glastonbury Festival via Getty Images
For her debut, they chose to have Amal physically travel across Europe to tell the story of refugees looking for a home.
In 2021, Little Amal kicked off her European tour.
Little Amal says hello to patrons of a cafe in Turkey.
Mehmet Akif Parlak/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images
Now, she has started a new journey across the US, beginning in Boston.
Little Amal, the 12-foot-tall puppet, arrives on a schooner.
Brian Snyder/Reuters
Amal arrived in Boston aboard a schooner. The city marked the beginning of her 40-city tour in nine weeks.
Amal was welcomed to Boston by an intertribal singing and dancing group.
Little Amal is welcomed by Neesh La, an intertribal singing and dancing group.
Brian Snyder/Reuters
As a recognition of the history of the US, Amal will interact with and be greeted by Indigenous groups throughout the country.
"We're very keen that she engages with representatives of the nations in America," Lan said.
Little Amal and The Walk Productions have also partnered with arts programs.
Little Amal makes her journey through Boston.
Brian Snyder/Reuters
In the US, Amal will work with over 100 partners in the creative arts space.
In Boston, that included Arts Emerson, American Repertory Theater, Harvard University Committee on the Arts, and other Boston-based art and music groups.
In mapping out Amal's path, The Walk Productions also considered other significant journeys and treks made throughout US history.
Little Amal surrounded by fanfare in Boston.
Brian Snyder/Reuters
"We tried to construct a journey from one coast to the other coast that would take us through a kind of representative collection of places," Lan said.
The Walk Productions considered the Trail of Tears, the Underground Railroad, and the migration from the South to the North following the Civil War.
Since Amal represents a 10-year-old girl, her mission also emphasizes the education and engagement of children.
A child on her parents shoulders holds a sunflower and watches as Amal walks by.
Elias Chavez/Insider
She is expected to greet students. The Walk Productions also created digital educational resources that can be used in classrooms.
The Walk Productions hopes that those who interact with Amal will imagine how they would react if a 10-year-old refugee arrived at their doorstep.
A photo of somebody waiting with their hands behind their back holding a sunflower, waiting for Amal.
Elias Chavez/Insider
Amal also has stops planned for cities including Philadelphia, Detroit, Chicago, Memphis, Atlanta, New Orleans, Austin, and Los Angeles. Her final stop will be in San Diego.
A photo of Amal surrounded by hundreds of supporters and onlookers.
Elias Chavez/Insider
With each visit, Amal will take part in events specific to the local community's history and traditions.
Amal engages in a performance with members of Harvard University Committee on the Arts
Elias Chavez/Insider
In Chattanooga, Tennessee, Amal will learn how to clog at the 3 Sisters Bluegrass Festival; in downtown Houston, she will listen to local mariachi bands.
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