Don’t let the name fool you — there’s nothing diminutive about Little Amal. Standing 12 ft tall and prepared for a 6,000-mile journey, this walking piece of performance art is poised to make a major impact on her voyage across the United States.
Meaning “hope” in Arabic, Amal is a puppet resembling a 10-year-old Syrian refugee. She’s the handiwork of Handspring Puppet Company, which created Amal to raise awareness about the experiences of refugees and displaced peoples.
After crossing 15+ countries in recent years, Amal’s 35-city American journey started in Boston yesterday, when she arrived at the Rowes Wharf via boat and took her first steps in Dewey Square. Her interactive travels will take her through East Boston, downtown, Fenway, and Roxbury this weekend, before she advances to Western Massachusetts, Connecticut, and beyond.
Here’s where you can meet Amal throughout her journey:
Friday, Sept. 8
- 12 p.m. | East Boston Public Library, 365 Bremen St. | Help Amal welcome local kindergardners back to school.
- 6:30 p.m. | Central Square Park, 1P William C. Kelly Sq. | Amal embarks on a walk through East Boston that ends at Condor Street Beach. Pro tip: Arrive at 4 p.m. to participate in a puppet-making workshop.
- 8:30 p.m. | 32 Bromfield St. | Amal wanders downtown, guided by “ethereal projections” of her mother’s words.
Saturday, Sept. 9
- 11 a.m. | Egleston Square Branch, Boston Public Library, 2044 Columbus Ave., Roxbury | Amal crosses paths with a fellow (and feathered) migrant, an injured snow goose.
- 1 p.m | 63 Orleans St. | Watch Amal interact with performers from the Veronica Robles Cultural Center on her way to the ICA Watershed.
- 3:30 p.m. | Fenway Park, 4 Jersey St. | Amal throws the ceremonial first pitch as the Red Sox take on the Orioles.
