Little Amal: Jude Law welcomes War Horse creators' refugee puppet

The trans-European trek of Little Amal has begun its final stage, as the giant puppet of a nine-year-old Syrian girl reached the UK.

Little Amal was greeted by the actor Jude Law in Folkestone, Kent as part of an initiative to raise awareness of the plight of young migrants.

The project, called The Walk, is from the team that reproduced Calais refugee camp The Jungle on stage.

David Lan, a producer, said it had been "challenging" but "amazing".

A crowd of local children were also on the seafront to meet Little Amal, who stands 3.5m high, as she first appeared on UK soil.

Later on Tuesday, Little Amal reappeared on the beach to the sound of bells chiming, before moving on to a disused railway where local choirs and singers met her.

They performed a new work by Anil Sebastian of London Contemporary Voices, using lyrics by members of Kran (Kent Refugee Action Network). Little Amal then walked away along the old railway track.

Little Amal was constructed by the Handspring Puppet Company, which previously made the equine stars of the stage version of War Horse.

Director Stephen Daldry, another producer, said previously that Little Amal was "perhaps the most ambitious public art project ever attempted".

It takes three puppeteers to operate Little Amal; a stilt walker who also brings her face to life and one on each of her arms.

There is a total team of 11 puppeteers, including two from refugee backgrounds. The puppet is crafted from moulded cane and carbon fibre.

Little Amal, whose name means "hope" in Arabic, started her 5,000km journey in Gaziantep, Turkey on 27 July and has travelled across Greece, Italy, Switzerland, Germany, Belgium and France.

The aim was to shine a light on the stories of the millions of displaced refugee children she represents.

After Folkestone, Little Amal will visit Canterbury, London, Oxford, Coventry, Birmingham, Sheffield and Barnsley before the complex 14-week travelling street theatre ends in Manchester on 3 November.

Since leaving Gaziantep, Little Amal and her entourage of about 25 people have had to deal with Covid border requirements to cross over into the next country on their itinerary.

Along the way, they have taken part in concerts, parties and workshops. And in Rome, Little Amal was greeted by Pope Francis.

In London, Little Amal will celebrate her 10th birthday, with a cake designed by the chef Yotam Ottolenghi, on Sunday 24 October at a party at the V&A, to which children from across the capital have been invited.

Artistic Director Amir Nizar Zuabi said the London visit would be "a new adventure".

"This is a bittersweet moment of encountering a city she's heard a lot about, but also a coming of age as she celebrates her first birthday away from her parents."

There will also be events across the city including at St Paul's Cathedral, Westminster Cathedral, the Royal Opera House, the V&A, Southbank Centre, Roundhouse, the National Theatre and Trafalgar Square.

And as The Walk culminates in Manchester there will be a free large-scale outdoor event titled When the Birds Land, produced by Manchester International Festival.

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