Historic Clayborn Temple Welcomes Amal to a Culture of Love
Historic Clayborn Temple is honored to partner with the Memphis Riverparks and many community organizations to bring an extraordinary project—an embodiment of community, Little Amal, to the I Am A Man Plaza on the afternoon of October 4th at 4 pm. Acclaimed as “one of the most ambitious live artworks ever staged” and “an international symbol of human rights”, Little Amal is known for bringing communities together as she travels alone through unfamiliar cities throughout the world.
Who Is Amal?
Little Amal is the 12-foot puppet of a 10-year-old Syrian refugee child at the heart of The Walk. She has become a global symbol of human rights, especially those of refugees. Between September 7 and November 5, Amal will journey 6,000 miles across the United States. 35 towns and cities from Boston to San Diego and 1,000+ artists and arts organizations will create 100+ events to welcome her. Her journeys are festivals of art and she carries a message of hope for displaced people everywhere, especially children who have been separated from their families. Her urgent message to the world is “Don’t forget about us.” We are honored for Memphis to be included in this international event, lifting the voices and experiences of Amal and our youth.
A Culture of Love
When the Amal team reached out to Clayborn, we immediately connected with Amal’s story and her message as it is reflected in the experiences of our children, bringing possibilities and not just problems in our city. Anasa Troutman, Executive Director of Historic Clayborn Temple, and her Ted Talk, From Justice to Joy, became the springboard to curate our welcoming event. We are welcoming Amal into a Culture of Love.
We certainly can’t be or build a culture of love alone, so Clayborn’s creative team is partnering with organizations across the city to create engagement experiences for Memphis youth and families to build small puppets celebrating their own image to amplify their story, led by nationally acclaimed puppeteer Jeghetto. He will also lead a team of Memphis-based artists who will build an 8-foot-tall puppet representing a Memphis Girl with the same messaging as Amal, “don’t forget about us” and “we bring possibilities to communities”. Youth will be invited to explore Amal’s story, share their Memphis story, and co-create the narrative of Amal's welcome event. The community and youth engagement is taking place throughout September, reaching zip codes across this city through a myriad of partnerships.
Artists That Are Involved
Alicia Ester
Mia Saine
Ekpe Abioto
Righteous Malone
Tracey Zerwig Ford
Ash Love
Jeghetto
Vahisha Hasan
Emily Marks
Sponsors
Historic Clayborn Temple
The Memphis Riverparks Partnership
The Hyde Foundation
ArtsMemphis
TN Arts Commission
The Jack Robinson Gallery
Thank you for all the partner organizations that invited us to make puppets with their children and youth, donated supplies, provided funding, and were so supportive leading up to October 4th.
Invitation
We are certain that by placing Amal, along with our youth, in a powerful place with high visibility, we will challenge the notion that vulnerable, marginalized individuals and communities are to be feared and instead invite communities to embrace and honor them and their possibilities. We hope that Amal’s journeys might encourage advocacy and strengthen awareness, empathy, and conversation and invite our city to re-evaluate the narrative of Memphis youth. It is time to stop seeing our youth as a burden and begin recognizing that all youth in our city, no matter what zip code they are from, are full of possibilities and brilliance. We hope this project amplifies the unique contributions and stories young people bring to our community and create more opportunities of welcome and a culture of love after Amal’s visit.
Don’t miss your chance to experience this once in a lifetime production amplifying the stories of our young people.
Everyone is invited to attend and Walk With Amal.
Participating Organizations
Bridges USA
YAG (Young Actors Guild)
Hyde Family Foundation
Native RITES
Brooks Museum
The Orpheum Theatre
Refugee Empowerment Program
Harriet Performing Arts Center
Princeton James’ Kooler Kids Arts Enrichment Program
Be Institute & Learning Center
Shelby County Schools
Douglas Community Center
The Time Is Now Douglas
Memphis Parks and Recreation
Girls Incorporated
Memphis Youth Arts Initiative
Cooperative Coalition Conglomerate C3
Event Information
October 4, 2023 at 4pm
Clayborn Temple
294 Hernando St
Memphis TN 38126
We will gather at I Am A Man Plaza, directly beside Clayborn.
Little Amal, the Memphis Girl puppet, 1000 Memphis youth, and their puppets will walk alongside one another from Historic Clayborn Temple to Memphis Riverside at Tom Lee Park, spreading the word about Amal's journey and the journey of Memphis youth.
“A Culture of Love” at Memphis is produced by Historic Clayborn Temple.
Amal Walks Across America is produced by The Walk Productions in association with the Handspring Puppet Company. U.S. Producing Partner THE OFFICE performing arts+film. Impact + Outreach The Soze Agency. Marketing Cause Lab. PR + Communications DKC.
Amal Walks Across America was made possible with an inaugural investment from the Doris Duke Foundation, as well as leadership support from the Bezos Family Foundation. Additional generous support was provided by the Backstage Trust, the Barr Foundation, Sunny Bates, Ben & Jerry’s, Bloomberg Philanthropies, CARE, Choose Love, The Conrad Prebys Foundation, the Donald A. Pels Charitable Trust, El-Hibri Foundation, Landry Family Foundation, Ruby Lerner, Lush Cosmetics, the McMillan Stewart Foundation, the Mellon Foundation, Molly Blank Fund of the Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation, the Opportunity Fund, The Shapiro Foundation, Students Rebuild, T. Rowe Price, the Thorne Cox Family Foundation, Barbara Tober in honor of Diane Love, and The W Trust.