Little Amal: Syrian refugee child puppet returns to London

Little Amal is back in London to meet and greet fans in the capital

A 12ft (3.7m) puppet of a 10-year-old Syrian refugee has returned to London.

Little Amal is the centrepiece of a performance art project, The Walk, and has come to symbolise human rights and bring hope, the project says.

Since 2021, the puppet has toured 9,000km (5,600 miles) and visited 13 countries including Turkey, Greece, Ukraine, Italy, France and the US.

Now she is back in London where she visited St Paul's Cathedral, Leadenhall Market and Tower Bridge.

After her next stop in Brighton on 30 March, she will be back in the capital again for more community events in north London in early April.

Artistic director of the project, Amir Nizar Zuabi, said: "They designed a girl that is very life-like, she's not a big piece of machinery, she's operated by people, three puppeteers operate her and they need to become her.

"I think she becomes very moving because you can see her thinking, you can see her breathing.

"You interpret the event through trying to decipher what she's going though, which becomes a huge act of empathy and maybe that's part of the project, it makes us empathise and put ourselves in her shoes."

He added: "Being in London is very important for us, it's where the project started so coming back is very moving and today, more than ever, it feels important to be here while there's the debate of how refugees are treated.

"This happens everywhere, it's a current crisis but right now while the debate is happening in the UK, it feels important to be here."

Little Amal greeted friends in Leadenhall Market...

...before testing out the sturdiness of one cyclist's helmet

As lunchtime approaches, Little Amal peaks through a bakery window to scope out a bite to eat

Little Amal's journeys are "festivals of art and hope that draw attention to the huge numbers of children fleeing war, violence and persecution"

Burning off her lunch, Little Amal has a dance with her friends from Das Brass brass band

Artistic director of the project, Amir Nizar Zuabi, says Little Amal's message to the world is "Don't forget about us"

Next stop, Little Amal is welcomed by passers-by at Paternoster Square; she has been welcomed by more than a million people on her travels, the project says

Little Amal gets to know some of the locals

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