Little Amal to celebrate city's refugees

Little Amal will visit Hull in September

A 12ft (3.7m) puppet of a 10-year-old Syrian refugee is coming to Hull.

Little Amal will form part of the Yorkshire Integration Festival in September.

The festival aims to raise awareness of the experiences of refugees while celebrating resilience, the city council said.

Hull’s Lord Mayor, Councillor Mark Collinson, said: “As a city of sanctuary with a long and proud history of supporting people who have had to flee from their homes through war, persecution, or natural disasters, we are honoured to welcome Little Amal to Hull."

He added: "She [Amal] is a symbol of hope, understanding and solidarity. Hopefully, she will help to raise awareness of the obstacles faced by refugees to live in safety and make a positive contribution to their new communities. I hope to be able to meet her myself.”

On 22 September, Little Amal will be in Pearson Park, where she will help celebrate diversity.

'Global symbol'

Among those welcoming the puppet will be Hull’s Freedom Chorus, children from local schools and youth organisations, and volunteers from other organisations.

There will be stalls, games, food, music, and dancing "evoking the culture and heritage of many of Hull’s refugees", according to Hull City Council.

To date, Little Amal has travelled to 166 towns and cities in 17 countries, where it has been welcomed by millions of people.

The authority said Amal had "become a global symbol of human rights".

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