The Walk with Amal in Cheltenham
Refugee Week 2022: Hope and Healing in Cheltenham
The Walk is an art festival reminding us all of displaced children worldwide, it is a reminder to think about all the people who are forced to leave their homes, often fleeing war or violence and the long scary journey they take to find safety - represented in the captivating, expressive, gentle beauty of a 3.5 metre-tall puppet – Amal, a Syrian refugee. From July to November 2021, CWR excitedly followed Little Amal’s journey as she travelled over 8,000km from Syria, to Turkey and through Europe, visiting 12 countries and 70 cities.
So we couldn’t believe it when we heard that Little Amal would come to visit us in Cheltenham in 2022! It was a huge honour to welcome her to Cheltenham, and hundreds came out to greet her! The streets were filled with people of all ages, showing their support for those seeking refuge and safety. The crowds included local families from Syria who had come out to see Amal, and were able to witness the open hearts of the Cheltenham community.
The beautiful spectacle of Amal parading through our town was accompanied by an incredible programme of activities all put together by the Everyman Theatre, that included music and poetry, and a rap by Ibrahim, a young man from the CWR community. You can catch up on the BBC coverage of the event here.
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In 2021, before Little Amal set off on her walk, we hosted an online event with Naomi Webb, Executive Director of Good Chance Theatre, and Emily Webb, Head of Poetry at Good Chance Theatre.
They spoke about Good Chance Theatre’s groundbreaking work with artists from across the world and the 8,000km journey of the 3.5 metre-tall puppet of Amal.
We also welcomed Camille Cowe, Community Arts Manager of the Everyman Theatre, who has been leading the local work for the Walk with Amal in Cheltenham. Thanks to Mark Goucher, CEO of the Everyman Theatre, the Walk could visit Cheltenham. Catch up on the event here.
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While Amal was the highlight of Refugee Week 2022 in Cheltenham, we had a wonderful week overall - we were thrilled to be allowed to ‘take over’ Parkrun in Pittville Park on 18th June. Our volunteers marshalled, and a number of our wonderful supporters ran the course for CWR. The atmosphere was brilliant and we had great fun. What a start to Refugee Week 2022!
We concluded Refugee Week with a celebration of mindfulness on Saturday 25th June: stretching in gentle yoga sessions with Andrew and Jan from OrangeYoga, meditating with Kathryn from Spacious Mind, and writing letters of welcome with Megan from Eye for Detail.
Refugee Week this year had the theme of “Healing” - those who come to us seeking safety have much to overcome and all our events through the week gave us the chance to reflect on both personal and global needs for healing and to prioritise taking action in both areas. We wish healing for every person who has been harmed and it was wonderful to use Refugee Week 2022 to offer opportunities for healing at all our events, through exercise, care, reflection and friendship.
