A 12-foot-tall puppet is coming through Tennessee. What to know about Little Amal.

Jordan Green, Memphis Commercial Appeal
·3 min read

An internationally celebrated 12-foot-tall puppet depicting a 10-year-old Syrian refugee will be in Tennessee from Oct. 4 to Oct. 7 as part of the puppet's tour across America.

Little Amal, designed by the Handspring Puppet Company of South Africa, has been making her way across the country since Sept. 7 on a journey of 6,000 miles across the United States. On this 40-city voyage, Little Amal will make three stops in Tennessee − Memphis, Nashville and Chattanooga.

The puppet is a symbol of human rights, especially those of refugees, according to organizers. "Her journeys are festivals of art and hope that draw attention to the huge numbers of children fleeing war, violence and persecution, each with their own story."

Light shines through the torso of Little Amal as she makes her way across the Roebling Bridge to Cincinnati on Friday, Sept. 22, 2023.
Light shines through the torso of Little Amal as she makes her way across the Roebling Bridge to Cincinnati on Friday, Sept. 22, 2023.

Amal Walks Across America is produced by The Walk Productions in association with the Handspring Puppet Company of South Africa.

Here is all you need to know about Little Amal visiting your area.

Little Amal comes to Memphis

The puppet will be working with the Historic Clayborn Temple, The Orpheum Theatre Group and the Memphis River Parks Partnership at Tom Lee Park. Families will be able to see Amal on Oct. 4 from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. as she moves through the Downtown area.

The first stop at the Historic Clayborn Temple will have Amal meet with Memphis youth who have made their own puppets where families can learn about the temple and the 1968 Sanitation Workers' strike. Then, she will walk around the I Am a Man Plaza accompanied by Memphis Girl, an 8-foot-tall puppet made by Jeghetto. Little Amal will then move to the Orpheum where students from the Refugee Empowerment Program will welcome her with personal messages. The final stop at Tom Lee Park will feature Amal receiving a gift from the Memphis community.

Little Amal will visit the students of Crosstown High School at the Crosstown Concourse in the morning. This event is put on by the students to celebrate Little Amal.

Little Amal stops in Nashville

On Thursday, Oct. 5, Little Amal will make her way to Nashville as the 20th stop on her 40-city journey.

The celebration will consist of a performance choreographed by Shabaz Ujima and Thea Jones. The performance will depict Amal's journey of weathering a storm as she tries to find home.

Little Amal, a 12-foot-tall puppet of a 10-year-old Syrian refugee girl, gives Daria Nimbee, 26, of Detroit a hug during a live art performance at the Bagley Pedestrian Bridge, in Southwest Detroit on Wednesday, Sept. 27, 2023. The U.S. tour began in Boston on Sept. 7 and will conclude in San Diego on Nov. 5.
Little Amal, a 12-foot-tall puppet of a 10-year-old Syrian refugee girl, gives Daria Nimbee, 26, of Detroit a hug during a live art performance at the Bagley Pedestrian Bridge, in Southwest Detroit on Wednesday, Sept. 27, 2023. The U.S. tour began in Boston on Sept. 7 and will conclude in San Diego on Nov. 5.

The festivities will begin at 5 p.m. on the west side of Centennial Park's Great Lawn and will end in a community gathering.

Little Amal's Tennessee journey ends in Chattanooga

Little Amal's final stop in Tennessee will be in Chattanooga on Saturday, Oct. 7.

Amal will make her first appearance at the 3 Sisters Bluegrass Festival at 3 p.m. where people will learn about her message and meet her. The festival is free for all to attend.

Later that day, Little Amal will be welcomed by the Chattanooga community on the Walnut Street Bridge. Join Amal and local artists and culture organizations with a lantern for this event. Registration is required to attend this event.

Jordan Green covers trending news for The Commercial Appeal. She can be reached via email at Jordan.Green@commercialappeal.com or on Twitter @_green_jordan_

This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Little Amal giant puppet touring US with stops in Memphis, Nashville