Little Amal, the internationally acclaimed 12 foot puppet of a ten-year old refugee girl, visited Halifax on Saturday 21 September, as part of the Yorkshire Integration Festival celebrations.
She led a procession from Halifax Town Hall to the Yorkshire Integration festival at The Piece Hall where she was greeted by refugees, schoolchildren and dignitaries from across the region.
Little Amal’s Yorkshire journey raises awareness of the experiences of refugees and celebrates the resilience of refugee communities.
Calderdale Council’s Cabinet Member for Public Services and Communities, Cllr Danielle Durrans, said:
“On Saturday I enjoyed the wonderful spectacle of Little Amal, who brought her message of hope, togetherness and inclusion to Halifax, as part of the Yorkshire Integration Festival.
“The colourful parade from Halifax Town Hall to the Piece Hall featured other large puppets, including a giant sun, hummingbirds, and swallows. There were also performances along the route, from Calder Valley Voices; our school of sanctuary, Beech Hill Primary School’s choir; the Greyhounds, who brought us some of the repertoire of Opals Comet from earlier in the year; the Ukrainian voices choir; and the beats of Punjabi Roots.
“As Little Amal’s visit coincided with the Anne lister Memorial Weekend, we also saw Anne Lister followers join Amal, wearing top hats to pay homage to Anne’s iconic look!
“It’s estimated that over 1000 people took part in the parade with Little Amal, demonstrating that Calderdale is proud to be a place of kindness and a Valley of Sanctuary that welcomes refugees.
“Little Amal was part of our varied Year of Culture 2024 programme, CultureDale (www.culturedale.co.uk(external link)) and supported its aims, celebrating diversity and inspiring everyone to enjoy and take part in Calderdale’s distinctive culture and communities.”