“Little Amal,” a 12-foot puppet, began her nearly 5000-mile journey as part of her theatrical project called “The Walk.”
Amal, whose name means “hope” in Arabic, was made by Handspring Puppet Company, the company behind “War Horse.”
The puppet is crossing 8 countries to highlight the plight of refugees and especially refugee children
She started in Turkey and will finish her journey in England.
She requires four puppeteers to manipulate, one for each arm, one for the back, and one on stilts inside the puppet. The internal puppeteer also operates the facial features using strings called “the harp.”
In each place she visits, local artists will put on cultural programs.
Adrian Kohler, one of the founders of Handspring Puppet Company, said, “Because it’s an outdoor event, ‘The Walk’ has the potential of bringing people together again. At a moment when theaters are struggling to re-open this is something everyone can be a part of.”
