Little Amal, the internationally celebrated 12-foot-tall puppet of a 10-year-old Syrian refugee girl, will be arriving in San Diego on Nov. 3-5 as part of her final stop during her epic 6,000-mile journey across the United States this fall. Throughout the two-month trek, which will span more than 35 U.S. cities and towns for 100-plus events, some of the country’s most influential cultural institutions and artists will come together to greet Amal and add their unique color to the rich tapestry of America’s story.

During her stop in San Diego, the Blindspot Collective, Casa Familiar, City of San Diego, Estudio Teddy Cruz + Fonna Forman, Fundación Regalando Amor, Imagine: Brave Spaces, Jewish Family Service of San Diego, La Jolla Playhouse, San Diego Symphony, Tijuana River National Estuarine Research Reserve, University of California San Diego, UCSD-CASA Community Station, UCSD-Alacran Community Station, and the University of California San Diego Center on Global Justice will create a series of theatrical “events of welcome” for Amal.

All events along the route are an open invitation to the people of the towns and cities Amal is visiting. Some organizations and institutions that will share their unique vantage point of the U.S. narrative and take part in the journey include national and local cultural institutions, theaters, community groups, government bodies, arts, civic society, faith groups, and humanitarian organizations. All participating partners are outlined at WalkWithAmal.org/Friends/United-States.

Scheduled San Diego events:

– Amal arrives in San Ysidro, a border neighborhood in San Diego, at Living Rooms at the Border, 114 W Hall, on Nov. 4 at 11 a.m. to collect a message for migrant families living across the border in Tijuana. She walks through the UCSD-CASA Community Station welcomed by the local community and a parade of dancers, musicians, and students.

– La Jolla Playhouse will take Amal on a joyous adventure in Balboa Park starting near The Old Globe Plaza on Nov. 4 from 2-3 p.m. to celebrate the power of theatre and the city’s rich cultural diversity. In partnership with La Jolla Playhouse’s Without Walls program.

– Exhausted from the day’s commotion, Amal is caught between wakefulness and sleep. She can’t believe her eyes when magical creatures appear… Is she still dreaming? In partnership with Imagine Brave Spaces, Monarch School Performance Ensemble, Voices of Our City Choir, Majdal Center, and Chicano Park Steering Committee, Amal will visit Chicano Park on Nov. 4 at 5 p.m.

– Amal is yearning to play with other children at South Mission Beach on Nov. 4 at 6 p.m. when she discovers the remnants of cherished belongings that have been washed ashore. As she listens to the sea, she thinks about the millions of refugee children across the world, who, like her, are searching for a better life. In partnership with Blindspot Collective, Students Rebuild, ArtPower at UC San Diego, and Medecins Sans Frontieres – Doctors Without Borders.

– Join Amal as she takes the final steps of her long journey across the United States. One last chance to say goodbye on Nov. 5 (location and time to be revealed).

People who wish to participate in this movement and are curious to learn about Amal’s story and corresponding themes can peruse a Little Amal reading list, as well as an educational pack for adults will also include a series of “simple acts,” which will suggest ways in which Americans can participate in migrant and refugee-supporting initiatives within their communities.

Additionally, there will be video content available throughout the journey that everyone of all ages can engage with, which will be shared across The Walk Production’s social media platforms @walkwithamal on Instagram, @littleamalthewalk on TikTok, and at walkwithamal.org.

Amal Walks Across America is partnering with Welcome.US, Students Rebuild, Welcoming America, Libraries Without Borders, American Federation of Teachers, and others to involve school-age kids in the journey. Available in English, Spanish, Arabic, and other languages, the free curriculum will be available at WalkWithAmal.org and include activities and challenges that explore Amal’s journey from her home in Syria to the many steps of her migratory journey.

Students Rebuild will continue their partnership with Little Amal through a number of community participatory events along the route where young people will be invited to create art for Amal as part of the Students Rebuild Extraordinary Earth Project. For every piece of art created for Amal, the Bezos Family Foundation donates funds to support community-based organizations serving youth around the world.

“Amal stands for unity and hope, and we couldn’t impart this message without the hundreds of partners, large and small, coming together to support us as we embark on this journey,” said The Walk Productions artistic director Amir Nizar Zuabi. “Each artist, organization, and institution has a story to tell about their unique slice of American history and culture, and is inviting Amal and all Americans to learn about what makes this country’s heartbeat.”

“We’re overwhelmed by the outpouring of interest that we’ve received from partners who wish to welcome Amal to their communities,” said The Walk Productions producer David Lan. “These partners have not only supported on-the-ground efforts to create memorable in-person experiences but also lent their support to our off-route efforts through ‘Amal From Afar,’ which Americans from all 50 states can engage with during the journey.”

Amal Walks Across America is produced by The Walk Productions in association with Handspring Puppet Company, which also guided Amal’s journey through her initial 5,000-mile walk across Europe in 2021 and through all five boroughs of New York City in 2022 in partnership with St. Ann’s Warehouse.

Since beginning her journey, Amal has been welcomed in communities across the globe at various artistic-led events that are authentic and meaningful to the local people she meets. During her travels through Europe, Amal participated in events hosted by prominent cultural organizations and changemakers, including at an installation in Turkey that paid tribute to those who lost their lives crossing the Mediterranean in search of refuge and an appearance at Glastonbury alongside the Refugee Choir Citizens of the World Choir and global rock superstars Elbow. In New York City, she was welcomed at events hosted by world-renowned cultural institutions, including the American Museum of Natural History and the Brooklyn Children’s Museum.

The Walk Productions is led by David Lan and Tracey Seaward. Playwright/director Amir Nizar Zuabi serves as artistic director, Sarah Loader is executive producer, and the associate artistic directors are Khadijat Oseni and Enrico Dau Yang Wey.

The U.S. Producing Partner for Amal’s journey is THE OFFICE performing arts+film, a global producing and production company that leverages art for social good. Amal’s Impact and Outreach will be led by The Soze Agency, a social impact creative agency located in Brooklyn, N.Y. Marketing and advertising for Amal’s journey will be led by Cause Lab, a human-centered advertising agency.

Amal was designed and built by the Handspring Puppet Company of South Africa, creators of the award-winning puppets for the hit show “War Horse.”

Amal is inspired by a character in Joe Murphy and Joe Robertson’s play “The Jungle,” about a refugee camp in Calais, France. The Walk 2021 was a co-production with Good Chance Theatre.