Walking With Amal
We took a walk with Amal through central London.
Last weekend London welcomed the arrival of Amal, a nine year old refugee who has walked 8000km from the Syrian-Turkish border. But Amal isn’t quite what you might expect… a 3.5 meter tall puppet, created by Good Chance Theatre and the Handspring Puppet Company (who built War Horse), Amal is a representation of the millions of displaced children in the world.
After an arduous three month journey on foot, Amal finally reached London on Friday, where she was greeted by communities from across the city, with celebrations of music and spoken word all weekend. The Liminal Space walked with her to the Southbank Centre, where she was able to interact with hundreds of children and families who had come to meet her. From here, Amal will continue her walk north to Coventry, Birmingham, Manchester, Sheffield and Barnsley, taking part in theatre shows and engaging with local communities along the way.
For us, Amal represents Nomadic and Accessible: one of the key mindsets in our Museums of the Future report. This mindset envisions museums and cultural events on the move- travelling directly to people and communities that might not otherwise have had access to them. The Walk is a large-scale intervention; a nomadic festival of art and hope that transcends borders and creates an accessible and participatory space- a live exhibition without walls. Migration and the refugee crisis are complex issues, but Amal opens up this conversation and sparks debate. Whilst The Walk raises awareness about something much bigger than ourselves, at the centre of it is just a small girl who wants to tell her story.
Choose Love have launched The Walk’s Amal Fund- a crowdfunding campaign that will help young refugees to rebuild their lives. You can donate here.
