‘Little Amal Walks’ 12-Foot-Tall Syrian Refugee Puppet Begins Her New York City Journey This Fall

From September 14th through October 2nd, Little Amal, a giant puppet of a ten-year-old Syrian refugee girl, will travel to New York City, arriving at JFK Airport and exploring the five boroughs. Little Amal Walks NYC, in partnership with St. Ann’s Warehouse, is a city-wide event where the puppet will meet with artists, civic leaders, community groups and audience members of all ages. Little Amal has already traveled 9,000km across 12 countries since July of 2021, representing all children fleeing war and persecution. The puppet requires four puppeteers and was designed and built by Handspring Puppet Company. It is crafted from materials such as carbon fiber so that it can be operated in different conditions. The Company also created the puppets used in the play War Horse.

I spoke with Yazmany Arboleda, Creative Producer of Little Amal Walks NYC, and Amir Nizar Zuabi, Artistic Director of The Walk Productions.

Risa Sarachan: Can you tell me about the origin of Little Amal?

Amir Nizar Zuabi: The Amal story began with many conversations with people who had made the courageous journey fleeing from war or persecution across vast distances looking for refuge. As theatre people, we were keen to find a way to honor this experience which has been shared and continues to be shared by many millions. We decided to recreate a journey made by Syrian and other refugees across Turkey and Europe to the U.K. and decided that the main character in this gigantic work of theatre should be a very large puppet of a refugee child.

We commissioned Handspring Puppet Company of South Africa because we knew how successful they are at creating puppets that generate an emotional response because of the detail of their design and their authenticity. We invited artists and arts organizations along the route to welcome Amal as she entered their village, town and city. The tremendous response she had from hundreds of thousands in the streets and millions more online led us to plan further journeys and further festivals of art and love for her to lead.

Sarachan: Why is it important to bring Amal to New York City?

Zuabi: New York, like the United States as a whole, is a vast network of immigrants. The United States is an experiment in how to create a society in which each individual is valued in their own right and for their own specific qualities. We are confident that New York City will welcome Amal with enthusiasm. We have already had tremendous evidence of this. We feel it is important for the world to see through a theatrical event how a great city can open itself with compassion to those who are vulnerable and in need.

Sarachan: How did this partnership with St. Ann’s Warehouse come to be?

Zuabi: One of our producers, David Lan, has twice brought his productions from London to St Ann’s (A Streetcar Named Desire and The Jungle). He was confident that they would be a powerful and like-minded collaborator in bringing Amal to New York City. He invited St. Ann’s Warehouse Artistic Director Susan Feldman and General Manager Erik Wallin to join Amal in her journey in Paris and London, and the decision was taken to launch Amal’s New York adventure together.

Sarachan: How did you select where she will go throughout her journey through the five boroughs?

Yazmany Arboleda: New York City is a vast mosaic of neighborhoods and communities that together form the most diverse and vibrant city in the world. Little Amal symbolizes the urge to build a better life for yourself, your family and your neighbors, and that story resonates with so many new yorkers. The desire to live together in peace and to celebrate what unites us in our diversity is alive in every block of this great city, so we had many options. We chose to focus on the places that have inspired and continue to inspire immigrants around the world, and to collaborate with numerous organizations that are committed to elevating what it means to be a New Yorker. I hope to acknowledge the past and write together the next chapter in the story of this city. Each moment is grounded in the sense of duty to our community, a commitment to weaving bonds that make us stronger, fairer, and better for the people of today and for the next generation. We have been blessed to receive the support of countless local organizations, some world famous and some known more locally, to build a journey for Little Amal that is reflective of the intricate richness of our community.

Sarachan: How do you hope this walk educates New Yorkers on the refugee crisis?

Arboleda: We want Amal’s walk to highlight both the plight and the promise of immigration today. New York City has always been a beacon for immigrants around the world, a living symbol of what is possible when we are able to embrace each other’s differences and live in harmony, but many people seem to have forgotten that. Amal’s journey is an opportunity to highlight commonalities between the successful history of immigration to America and the opportunities and challenges faced today by the millions of people who live in fear and poverty, including victims of war, climate change or tyranny. Immigrants around the world today have the same drive as Americans to build a good life for their children, to give back to communities that recognize their shared humanity and welcome them in their midst. Refugees from distant lands may seem very foreign to us, but ultimately we share the same values and the same dreams – we all just seek a home where we feel like we belong.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.