Little Amal

Little Amal is the 12 foot puppet of a 10 year old Syrian refugee child at the heart of The Walk. She has become a global symbol of human rights, especially those of refugees.

Since July 2021, Amal has travelled to 160 towns and cities in 16 countries and been welcomed by two million people on the street and by tens of millions online. 440 events unique to each community that she visits have been created for her by thousands of artists and civil society and faith leaders.

The puppet of Little Amal was designed and built by Handspring Puppet Company.

VIEW AMAL'S EVENTS

Events of Welcome

Everywhere Amal goes she is greeted with events that are authentic and meaningful to the local people she meets.

This could be a parade through a city centre, playground games with children at schools, a visit to a place of worship, an outdoor theatre or dance performance, a musical concert, a whole-city art installation, intimate encounters with children and families or ceremonies of welcome led by city mayors or other senior civic officials.

Since she began her journey in July 2021 Amal has been welcomed at more than 440 unique events in 160 cities, towns and villages.

Creating Little Amal

The puppet of Little Amal was designed and built by Handspring Puppet Company, who created the puppets for the international hit play War Horse, establishing them as one of the most important puppet companies in the world.

Little Amal was designed great distances crossing many contrasting terrains. To build a puppet capable of such a physical challenge, Handspring carefully crafted Little Amal from robust but lightweight materials such as cane and carbon fibre so that she can be operated for extended periods in varying conditions.

It takes four puppeteers to bring Little Amal to life: one on each arm, one supporting her back and one inside walking on stilts. This fourth puppeteer also controls ‘the harp’, a complex tapestry of strings that animate Little Amal’s face, head and eyes.

WATCH: THE MAKING OF AMAL