Last summer, Ashfield sponsored and welcomed with open arms a family of Afghan refugees coming to the U.S. This year a different refugee is coming to town. She is a 10-year-old Syrian refugee girl and she takes the form of a 12-foot-tall puppet. 

Little Amal, the internationally celebrated puppet, will come to Ashfield and then North Adams on Sept. 10 as part of her 6,000-mile journey across the United States this fall. Throughout the two-month trek, which spans more than 35 U.S. cities and towns for over 100 events, influential cultural institutions and artists will come together to greet Amal and add their unique color to the rich tapestry of America’s story. The tour travels from Boston to San Diego, California, over several months. 

“I forget that she is a puppet when she is brought to life. Through beautiful partnerships it really builds out a narrative that the audience gets emotionally connected to,” Khadijat Oseni, one of the producers of Amal’s American tour, told the Recorder.

Little Amal was birthed in the theater world four years ago. She has gone on multiple tours, starting in Europe, and traveling through many different countries including Ukraine and Poland. Her performances are far-reaching and tell many different narratives but all shine a light on the issue of the refugee crisis across the world, especially how it impacts children. This is her second time visiting the United States. 

During her stop in Ashfield, Double Edge Theatre, Jupiter Performance Studio, Ebony Noelle Golden, and the Ohketeau Cultural Center will create a series of theatrical “events of welcome” for Amal.

“I am looking forward to her connecting with the Nipmuc nation,” Oseni said. “When you think about water, especially for people who had to move in water in a traumatic way, being able to connect with it in a restorative way will be powerful to see.” 

In Amal’s tour this fall, local institutions and artists were invited to construct performances and narratives around her visit. Visits can look like a large parade, a performance of the puppet looking for food and shelter, or something more imaginative — bringing the creativity of a 10-year-old to a theatrical performance. 

In Ashfield, the performance will start at 12:30 p.m. on the town common. She will be taken through a farm and to a river where participants will see the performance the local artists have constructed for her visit. 

Oseni explained while planning the tour across America, organizers intentionally planned to take the puppet to rural as well as urban environments. With a new interest in refugees in the community with the influx of Haitian refugees living in Greenfield, the performance will have an added relevance for viewers this weekend. 

“There is an opportunity for people who may be existing invisibly in their own land to be seen. She (Amal) is a great mirror for disconnection and expanding the perception of what disconnection and humanity could look like,”  Oseni said. 

The puppet is operated by three puppeteers, one inside her body on stilts and two other operating her arms. With Amal’s vast range of motion, Oseni explained she is incredibly emotive. 

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 organizations, civic societies, faith groups and humanitarian organizations. All participating partners are outlined at WalkWithAmal.org/Friends/United-States/.

People who wish to participate in this movement and are curious to learn about Amal’s story and corresponding themes can peruse a Little Amal reading list, as well as an educational pack for adults, which also includes a series of “simple acts,” suggested ways in which Americans can participate in migrant and refugee-supporting initiatives within their communities.

Additionally, there will be video content available throughout the journey that everyone of all ages can engage with, which will be shared across The Walk Production’s social media platforms: @walkwithamal on Instagram, @littleamalthewalk on TikTok, and at walkwithamal.org.

Amal Walks Across America is partnering with Welcome.US, Students Rebuild, Welcoming America, Libraries Without Borders, American Federation of Teachers, and others to involve school-age kids in the journey. Available in English, Spanish, Arabic and other languages, the free curriculum will be available at WalkWithAmal.org and include activities and challenges that explore Amal’s journey from her home in Syria to the many steps of her migratory journey. Students Rebuild will continue their partnership with Little Amal through a number of community participatory events along the route where young people will be invited to create art for Amal as part of the Students Rebuild Extraordinary Earth Project. For every piece of art created for Amal, the Bezos Family Foundation donates funds to support community-based organizations serving youth around the world.

“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.”

Reach Bella Carmela Levavi at 413-930-4579 or blevavi@recorder.com.