Little Amal is the 12-foot puppet of a 10-year-old Syrian refugee child. She was created by the British production companies The Walk and Good Chance, in collaboration with the South African Handspring Puppet Company.  She has become a global symbol of human rights, especially those of refugees.  

Since July 2021, Amal has travelled to 160 towns and cities in 15 countries and been welcomed by two million people on the street and by tens of millions online.    

Her journeys are described as festivals of art and hope that draw attention to the huge numbers of children fleeing war, violence and persecution, each with their own story. Her urgent message to the world is “Don’t forget about us”. 

Little Amal visited Glasgow for the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26). 

Using Little Amal’s visit as inspiration, artists and community facilitators worked in residence with six schools across Glasgow and Perthshire. Using a range of artforms, including creative writing, and visual art, the workshops explored issues such as environmental justice, migrant justice, land justice, as well as youth and creative activism. 

In the weeks leading up to COP26, the pupils followed Little Amal’s journey and preparing for this event responding to the cause of young people across the world who will experience forced migration due to the climate emergency.  

The project culminated at an event on Wednesday 10 November where the pupils accompanied Little Amal down by the River Clyde. 

After the event, Catrin Evans, our Head of Creative Learning and creative lead on the project, reflected, “The young people connected deeply with Little Amal and the forced journeys of young and old that she represents. The joy in encountering her was palpable. They care about her, and they care about the kind of world they are growing up in. It has been inspiring to work with them and the artistic team. I hope the experience stays with them and encourages them to keep raising their voices in creative ways and to demand space to be heard.” 

This project was produced and facilitated by the National Theatre of Scotland, the Citizens Theatre and Perth Theatre in collaboration with Good Chance Theatre and The Walk. Partners worked with St Teresa’s, St Alberts, Blackfriars and St Joseph’s Primary Schools in Glasgow and Grandtully and Comrie Primary Schools in Perthshire.