Amal From Afar Making Campus Stop
The Missouri Valley College School of Arts and Humanities will present Amal from Afar at 8 p.m. on September 28 on the Quad of the Missouri Valley College campus to help celebrate the journey of Little Amal, the internationally-celebrated 12-foot-tall puppet of a 10-year-old Syrian refugee girl, who is making her epic 6,000-mile journey across the United States this fall. Throughout the two-month journey, which will span more than 35 U.S. cities and towns for 100+ events, some of the country’s most dynamic cultural institutions and artists, in collaboration with local community groups, will come together to welcome Amal.
All events along the route are an open invitation to the people of the towns and cities Amal is visiting. Some of the organizations and institutions that will share their unique vantage point of the U.S. narrative and take part in the journey include: national and local cultural institutions, theaters, community groups, government bodies, arts, civic society, faith groups and humanitarian organizations.
Missouri Valley’s event will take place between Baity Hall and the Tech Centers and will consist of a brief multimedia performance developed and performed by MVC faculty and students under the guidance of Professor of Theatre, Harold Hynick..
“Amal stands for unity and hope, and we couldn’t impart this message without the hundreds of partners, large and small, coming together to support us as we embark on this journey,” said The Walk Productions Artistic Director Amir Nizar Zuabi. “Each artist, organization and institution has a story to tell about their unique slice of American history and culture, and is inviting Amal and all Americans to learn about what makes this country’s heart beat.”
“We’re overwhelmed by the outpouring of interest that we’ve received from partners who wish to welcome Amal to their communities,” said The Walk Productions Producer David Lan. “These partners have not only supported on-the-ground efforts to create memorable in-person experiences, but also lent their support to our off-route efforts through ‘Amal From Afar,’ which Americans from all 50 states can engage with during the journey.”
Starting in Boston, Mass. on September 7 and culminating on November 5 in San Diego, CA, the journey will take Amal through the nation’s capital, the Midwest, the South and along the Southern border.
Amal Walks Across America is produced by The Walk Productions in association with Handspring Puppet Company, which also guided Amal’s journey through her initial 5,000-mile walk across Europe in 2021 and through all five boroughs of New York City in 2022 in partnership with St. Ann’s Warehouse.
Since the beginning of her journey, Amal has been welcomed in communities across the globe at various artistic-led events that are authentic and meaningful to the local people she meets.
Amal is inspired by a character in Joe Murphy and Joe Robertson’s play The Jungle, about a refugee camp in Calais, France. The Walk 2021 was a co-production with Good Chance Theatre.