Little Amal in the City of Sanctuary

As part of the extraordinary project The Walk, Sheffield welcomed Little Amal, a 3.5m puppet of a 10-year-old refugee girl, as she neared the end of her international journey from the Syria-Turkey border to Manchester. As the first City of Sanctuary, it marked a special moment for Sheffield.

It was Friday 29 October 2021 when she arrived here via boat on the canal into Victoria Quays, from where she walked up to Tudor Square and then into the Peace Gardens. Working in partnership with Sheffield Theatres and Good Chance - a charity who work with refugees, artists and local communities to tell stories of hope and humanity - the city put on a host of activities, performances and displays including contributions from Sheffield People’s Theatre, Globalmama, One World Choir, Tin Soldiers, Juwon Ogungbe, Patrick Amberand Nisha Lall Dance. Also coordinating these were The University of Sheffield and Off The Shelf, Sheffield Hallam University, Canal and Rivers Trust, DINA, Stand & Be Counted Theatre, and Yellow Bus Events.

John Tomlinson, Producer at Sheffield Theatres said:

‘We’re incredibly honoured to welcome Little Amal to the city we’re all so proud of: her visit to Sheffield amplifies the welcome our proud City of Sanctuary offers, and extends open arms to anyone who resonates with what The Walk represents, through the shared language of visual art. Her presence in our communities will resonate with the feeling of togetherness which thrives in Sheffield.’

Photos by Becky Payne