On Monday 27 June, school students and the public are invited to join Little Amal, the 3.5 metre-tall living artwork of a young Syrian refugee child, as she makes her return to the University’s Canterbury campus for a special event that will include the opportunity to dance a Dabke with her.
School students will be able to learn how to do the dance in a special workshop from 1-2pm. Please note this workshop is open to those aged 13-18 years only. Teachers interested in bringing a group of students can register here.
The public event will take place at 2pm.
Little Amal set out from Turkey’s Syrian border in July 2021 before passing through Greece, Italy, France, Switzerland, Germany and Belgium on a walk that aimed to focus attention on the urgent needs of millions of young refugees worldwide and the need to change the narrative around human movement. Kent is the only UK University to have hosted a stage of The Walk. Since July 2021 Little Amal has travelled over 8,000km in support of refugees.
Dr Bahriye Kemal, from the University’s Migration and Movement Signature Research Theme, said: ‘We are delighted to be welcoming Amal back to our University. Like Amal, many young people have had a period of displacement and difficulty, with learning online and learning lost. This event is a platform for us to heal through movement with Amal – a moment to express ourselves, a moment to express ourselves, exchange learning and our shared lived experiences, and embody different cultures and communities through music and dance.’
(Images: Matt Wilson)
