ON FRIDAY 24 JUNE
‘LITTLE AMAL’ whose name means “hope” in arabic, comes to Bristol to mark refugee week and Bristol’s status as a City of Sanctuary
About Little Amal
Little Amal is a 3.5-metre giant puppet which was used as the centrepiece of a performance art project called The Walk in 2021. The project was created by The Walk Productions and Good Chance in collaboration with the South African Handspring Puppet Company. With the intention of celebrating human migration and cultural diversity, the puppet was carried during five months from the Syria-Turkey border via Europe to the UK, and walked and took part in locally arranged events in 65 towns and cities along the way.
This year,starting in Manchester on 19 June as part of the city’s now iconic Manchester Day parade, Little Amal’s journey, entitled New Steps, New Friends, includes spending morning at the ancient stones of Stonehenge, walking through the famous docks of Liverpool, exploring the joys that books can bring in Bradford and Leeds, exploring the Old City and Harbour of Bristol, meeting families of many varieties in Birmingham, celebrating with the many festivals of Cheltenham, and dancing in Canterbury and in London. Her journey will end in Folkestone, Kent on 27 June where she arrived in the UK, standing on the shore remembering the life she left behind in Syria and her very first day in her new home.
The giant 3.5m puppet of Little Amal was created by Handspring Puppet Company, the team behind the runaway hit production War Horse, co-directed by Bristol Old Vic Artistic Director Tom Morris.
Presented by Bristol Old Vic and partners The Walk Productions, Bristol City Council and West of England Combined Authority, Little Amal’s walk through the city will be an invitation to everyone to join in and give her a warm Bristolian welcome.
Little Amal’s Bristol journey will begin at 4pm outside Bristol Old Vic on King Street and then via Welsh Back to Bristol’s famous St Nicholas Market and historic Corn Street – hearing music and watching performances by local artists and meeting local communities – before leaving the city at the Harbour.
Full list of acts welcoming Little Amal to Bristol… | Bristol Old Vic
Performances on the day
Check out the full list of activities to welcome Little Amal!
3pm | Bristol Old Vic, King Street | Come along to our free workshop and make your own bird puppet to fly alongside Little Amal as she walks through our city. For anyone aged 7+ (or younger with adult support). |
4pm | Bristol Old Vic, King Street | Music from Syrian Musicians – Dijwar Khalil playing saz and Soufian Saihi playing the oud – supported by Bristol Refugee Festival. |
4:30pm | Bristol Old Vic, King Street | Little Amal arrives at Bristol Old Vic. Bristol’s first Poet Laureate Miles Chambers performs his poem Bristol Bristol! |
4:40pm | Bristol Old Vic, King Street | Bristol Old Vic Community Choir sing three songs from around the world that invoke hope and comfort to children. |
4:45pm | Welsh Back | Performance from DMAC UK drumming, The Bunker Cabaret by Doorstep Arts and acta. |
5:10pm | Corn Street | Late night market stalls run by Refugee support organisations, a wedding ceremony from Made in Bristol Company and a Circomedia performance. |
5:30pm | Centre, Broad Quay | Bristol Samba will perform with Bristol Old Vic Young Company Street Theatre group. |
6pm | Cascade Steps | Join Somalian children’s theatre group, Bristol refugee families and the Lord Mayor of Bristol to wave goodbye to Little Amal, as she leaves on a Bristol Cross Ferry. |