Antwerp giantess Little Amal with extensive progr… (Antwerp)
Little Amal will come to Antwerp on Friday 8 and Saturday 9 October. The giant doll represents a Syrian refugee girl. The Scheldt city lies on her journey from Syria to England, an electronic city in search of her mother. We summarize here where you will be able to see her and what they will do in Antwerp.
Source: Press city of Antwerp
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In July, Little Amal started her journey of more than 8,000 kilometers through Europe. In every town she stops, she, together with the theater companies Good Chance and Handspring Puppet Company, draws attention to the plight of young refugees, who are often separated from their parents and family. The City of Antwerp, Atlas (integration and integration Antwerp), De Reuzen vzw, the Borgerhout district and hetpaleis provide a warm welcome in Antwerp in the form of an extensive programme.
Theater maker Hussein Al-Khalidi is the driving force behind Amal’s passage through Antwerp. He worked as an actor and director in Iraq until he fled to Belgium in 2015. Today he is an artistic collaborator at Madam Fortuna and collaborates with many other Antwerp theater and youth activities.
Kites full of dreams
The giantess rises Friday 8 October at 6.30 pm to Antwerp. The performing arts house hetpaleis is the first to draw attention to the story of little Amal.
Upon arrival at the Opera Square the young giantess becomes lonesome and the memories of her mother, until a parade of children and kites takes her to Theater Square. There, thanks to the Red Star Line museum, she receives a lucky charm that can strengthen her for the rest of her journey.
“When the kite takes off and gradually floats higher and higher, the child gets a euphoric feeling. He takes all her wishes and dreams into the air”, Al-Khalidi already gives a glimpse of the veil of that evening.
Partying with De Reuskens
on Saturday 9 October around 4.15 pm Meet Little Amal De Reuskens van Borgerhout during the closing of the Giant Procession on the Moorkensplein. The procession leaves at 2 pm with more than 35 groups in the Garden District, passes along the Centers and Turnhoutsebaan and arrives at the district hall on Moorkensplein.
There the four Reuskens will welcome Reuzin, Kinnebaba, Dolphin and Reus Amal with flowers and the traditional Giant Dance. As a thank you for the Borgerhout hospitality, she answers with the Syrian dance ‘dabke’ that she teaches the public. The Reuskens ask everyone who comes to Moorkensplein on Saturday 9 October to pbring some flower for the young giantess.
Atlas in the Square
in return for 5 pm leave Little Amal towards the laar in Borgerhout for ‘Atlas op het Plein’, Atlas’s annual meeting party. During her walk on the Turnhoutsebaan she is accompanied by artistic birds from puppetbuskers De Wolk from Ghent.
In the atmosphere of the party Little Amal will be musically received by a choir and musicians will be on the Laar. During this closing moment, Amal receives a parting gift from the city. To 6 pm she goes to sleep in the church on the Laar. Those who still want to go to bed cannot enjoy music and performances during Atlas op het Plein.