OCTOBER 4, 2023
Clayborn walks with Amal
Historic Clayborn Temple is honored to announce our partnership with the Memphis Riverparks and key 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.
Joining Little Amal will be over 1000 puppets created by Memphis youth who will walk alongside one another from Historic Clayborn Temple to the riverside at Tom Lee Park, spreading the word about Amal's journey and the journey of Memphis youth. The event will also premiere our new “Memphis Girl” 8-foot tall puppet, created by Nationally acclaimed puppeteer Jeghetto. You've seen puppets before, but you've never seen puppets like this. 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 to participate in her walk. More details to come soon. We recommend registering for the event, which will have regular updates on parking and a map of the walk route.
This local production was made possible by Historic Clayborn Temple, in partnership with The Memphis River parks Partnership with support by The Hyde Foundation, Arts Memphis, and The Jack Robinson Gallery.
Local Creative Team : Anasa Troutman, Vahisha Hasan, Ash Love, Emily Marks, Jeghetto
Participating Artists : Alicia Ester, Kaitlyn Martin, Mia Saine, Tracey Zerwig Ford, and more TBA
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 Memphis children and youth.
On October 4, 2023, Little Amal, the Memphis Girl puppet, 1000 Memphis youth, and their puppets will walk alongside one another from Historic Clayborn Temple to the riverside at Tom Lee Park, spreading the word about Amal's journey and the journey of Memphis youth.
We are certain that by placing Amal, along with our youth, in a powerful place with high visibility, we 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 this project.
We need your support to amplify this powerful and impactful artistic expression project for Memphis youth.
Your donation will pay for supplies, production support as well as over 20 local artists who are helping us with this project.
Your support will have an impact on thousands of young people and express a much-needed positive narrative about our city's youth. Donate below, or contact Emily Marks at 512-809-7799 for additional ways to sponsor, give, and partner.
Sponsors
Participating Organizations
Founded in 2016, The Memphis Cultural Coalition is a group of Arts Leaders working together to strengthen and support Memphis’ arts and culture community. By building community, sharing ideas, and collaborating deeply, we ensure visibility and resource for all of Memphis based artists and arts orgnaizations.
Join us for the Memphis Mayoral Arts Forum!
Monday, August 28th Playhouse On The Square - 66 S. Cooper
Supporting The Arts: A Memphis Mayoral Arts Forum Hosted by the Memphis Cultural Coalition. You'll hear directly from candidates in the 2023 Mayoral race about how they would incorporate the arts sector into their vision for Memphis.
You can submit questions for the candidates in advance through the registration for. Just click the link below. Join Memphis' creative community in supporting the arts and helping to shape our city's future.