12-foot puppet Little Amal begins her American tour

1 year ago 35

UNDERWAY. JENNIFER YEAH. MARIA LITTLE AMAL’S OFFICIAL ARRIVAL IS TOMORROW AFTERNOON IN CHINATOWN AND TODAY WE SPOKE WITH HER TEAM WHO MADE SURE THAT SHE IS READY FOR HER BIG DAY. SHE’S A LITTLE GIRL ON A BIG JOURNEY WITH AN EVEN BIGGER PURPOSE. STANDING AT 12FT TALL, TEN YEAR OLD SYRIAN REFUGEE AMAL IS LARGER THAN LIFE, EVOKING POWERFUL CONVERSATIONS EVERYWHERE WHERE SHE WALKS. THE WHOLE IDEA OF AMAL REPRESENTING REFUGEES, ASYLUM SEEKERS, MIGRANTS, ESPECIALLY YOUNG ONES, JUST TOOK OFF. AND IT’S BECOME SHE’S BECOME AN INTERNATIONAL SYMBOL OF HUMAN RIGHTS. LITTLE AMAL IS BRINGING HER NEED FOR BELONGING IN UNFAILING HOPE TO BOSTON IN HER SEARCH FOR A WELCOMING COMMUNITY AND A WARM EMBRACE. REGARDLESS OF WHERE YOU COME FROM, WHO YOU ARE, HOW YOU IDENTIFY, IS THAT THROUGH THAT MOMENT YOU REALIZE THAT THERE IS A SPACE FOR YOU. AMAL’S EXPRESSIONS ARE HUMAN, LIKE LETTING US KNOW WHEN SHE’S HUNGRY, SLEEPY, COLD OR LONELY. SHE EVOKES POWERFUL EMOTIONS IN PEOPLE. IT’S THE GENIUS OF THE PUPPET MAKERS AND OF THE PUPPETEERS WHO ANIMATE HER THAT PEOPLE DO FEEL VERY, VERY STRONGLY ABOUT HER ARRIVING. LITTLE AMAL WILL WALK ALL ACROSS BOSTON GREETING STRANGERS AS SHE CONTINUES SEARCHING FOR HER MOTHER, WHO SHE LAST SAW WHEN FLEEING WAR TORN SYRIA. THE SENSE OF JOY IN WELCOMING STRANGERS, OF WELCOMING SOMEBODY. AND BEFORE EMBARKING ON HER 6000 MILE JOURNEY ALL THE WAY TO SAN DIEGO, LITTLE AMAL WILL STOP AT VARIOUS PLACES HERE IN BOSTON FOR THE NEXT THREE DAYS. AND YOU CAN SEE HER AND MEET HER AND WELCOME HER FOR FREE. AND YOU CAN FIND THOSE LOCATIONS ON WALK WITH A MORGUE. WE'

A 12-foot-tall puppet that has traveled around the world to spread a message of hope to displaced people everywhere is about to begin a 6,000-mile journey across the United States in Massachusetts.Little Amal makes her American debut Wednesday in Boston's Chinatown neighborhood, and her trek will end in San Diego on Nov. 5.The larger-than-life puppet was designed and built by Handspring Puppet Company and is at the center of "The Walk," a performance art project intended to celebrate human migration and cultural diversity.Little Amal is a 10-year-old Syrian girl and refugee whose name means "hope" in Arabic, and she evokes powerful conversations everywhere she travels."The whole idea of Amal representing refugees, asylum seekers, migrants — especially young ones — just took off, and she's become an international symbol of human rights," said David Lan, the producer of "The Walk.""Regardless of where you come from, who you are, how you identify, is that through that moment, you realize that there is a space for you," said Enrico Dau Yang Wey, the director of puppetry.Little Amal's expressions are human-like and show when she is hungry, sleepy, cold or lonely."She evokes powerful emotions in people. It's the genius of the puppet makers and of the puppeteers that animate her that people do feel very, very strongly about her arriving," Lan said. "It's the sense of joy in welcoming joy, of welcoming somebody."Little Amal will walk across Boston over the course of three days, greeting strangers as she continues to search for her mother, whom she last saw when fleeing war-torn Syria.After Boston, Little Amal will also be making stops in the western Massachusetts communities of Ashfield and North Adams on Sunday. Click here to see a full list of events during her American journey.

A 12-foot-tall puppet that has traveled around the world to spread a message of hope to displaced people everywhere is about to begin a 6,000-mile journey across the United States in Massachusetts.

Little Amal makes her American debut Wednesday in Boston's Chinatown neighborhood, and her trek will end in San Diego on Nov. 5.

The larger-than-life puppet was designed and built by Handspring Puppet Company and is at the center of "The Walk," a performance art project intended to celebrate human migration and cultural diversity.

Little Amal is a 10-year-old Syrian girl and refugee whose name means "hope" in Arabic, and she evokes powerful conversations everywhere she travels.

"The whole idea of Amal representing refugees, asylum seekers, migrants — especially young ones — just took off, and she's become an international symbol of human rights," said David Lan, the producer of "The Walk."

"Regardless of where you come from, who you are, how you identify, is that through that moment, you realize that there is a space for you," said Enrico Dau Yang Wey, the director of puppetry.

Little Amal

Little Amal's expressions are human-like and show when she is hungry, sleepy, cold or lonely.

"She evokes powerful emotions in people. It's the genius of the puppet makers and of the puppeteers that animate her that people do feel very, very strongly about her arriving," Lan said. "It's the sense of joy in welcoming joy, of welcoming somebody."

Little Amal will walk across Boston over the course of three days, greeting strangers as she continues to search for her mother, whom she last saw when fleeing war-torn Syria.

After Boston, Little Amal will also be making stops in the western Massachusetts communities of Ashfield and North Adams on Sunday. Click here to see a full list of events during her American journey.

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