Are you in a choir? Do you sing? Would you like to take part in one of the most adventurous public artworks ever attempted?
On Tuesday 19 October, the people of Folkestone and the South East of England will welcome the 3.5 metre tall puppet, Little Amal, to Folkestone - her first UK stop on a journey across Europe from the Syrian border in Turkey to Manchester International Festival.
Major cultural institutions and humanitarian groups have helped Amal along the way and Creative Folkestone and Folkestone Fringe are planning to welcome her to our shores with a specially composed song by London Contemporary Voices Director and Folkestone resident, Anil Sebastian.
As Amal arrives, hundreds of voices will greet her in a song of welcome. This is a pivotal moment that will see community choirs, school choirs, professional singing groups and individuals come together in a spectacular choreographed singing event that will be broadcast worldwide.
How Does It Work?
Simple parts will be circulated in advance of the live performance day. Workshops will occur both physically and digitally to ensure that people from all over the South East can take part with ease. We will all come together to rehearse on the day before the performance begins.
Timetable
From Monday 20 September Music distributed to choirs. Digital workshop online and a limited number of in-person workshops available with Anil Sebastian or a member of London Contemporary Voices.
Saturday 9 October, 10am - 1pm & 2pm - 5pm
Open song circle workshops with Anil Sebastian and London Contemporary Voices for independent singers to learn the song parts. No experience necessary, just come along and lend your voice to the throng! Choir members are welcome to attend.
Sunday 17 October, 10am - 1pm & 2pm - 5pm
Open song circle workshops with Anil Sebastian and London Contemporary Voices for independent singers to learn the song parts. This will be a repeat of the workshops on 9 October. You are welcome to come along to all the workshops or just one. The format will be the same for each of the workshops, but they will be different depending on who turns up. Choir members are welcome to attend.
Tuesday 19 October, 2.30pm
Choirs and singers gather in East Yard on Folkestone Harbour Arm for rehearsal and positions ready for Amal to arrive at 4pm. The event will be filmed and last no more than 1 hour.
Interested in taking part?
Please contact Louella Ward louellaward@creativefolkestone.org.uk to register your interest as a choir or an individual singer or to ask any questions about taking part.
Background information
Following the international success of The Jungle, Good Chance Theatre in collaboration with world-famous Handspring Puppet Company present an extraordinary project: The Walk is a travelling festival of art and hope in support of displaced people from around the world.
Little Amal, a young refugee, embarks on a remarkable journey across Turkey and Europe. To find her mother. To get back to school. To start a new life. Will the world let her do this?
From the Syria-Turkey border all the way to the UK, The Walk brings together celebrated artists, major cultural institutions, community groups and humanitarian organisations to create one of the most innovative and adventurous public artworks ever attempted. At its heart is Little Amal; a 3.5 metre tall puppet of a 9 year old refugee girl.
At this time of unprecedented global change, The Walk is an extraordinary artistic response: a cultural odyssey transcending borders, politics and language to tell a new story of shared humanity and to ensure that the world doesn’t forget the millions of displaced children, each with their own story, who are now more vulnerable than ever.
Amal’s time in the UK
On Tuesday 19 October, Amal will arrive in Folkestone, her first UK stop. Over the following two weeks she will visit Dover, Canterbury, London, Oxford, Coventry, Birmingham and Sheffield for a finale in Manchester on Wednesday 3 November.
Major UK cultural institutions and humanitarian groups will be partners in celebrating Amal’s arrival in ten cities all along the route. Amal’s arrival in Folkestone is hosted by Creative Folkestone and Folkestone Fringe with support from Kent Refugee Action Network and Creative Lives.