Amal Meets Alice

Written by Nadine Kaadan

A journey of hope, featuring giant puppetry, music, and dance across the city of Oxford. Part of The Walk Produced by Good Chance, Stephen Daldry, David Lan and Tracey Seaward in association with Handspring Puppet Company. Presented in Oxford by The Story Museum and partners.

On Tuesday 26 October 2021, Amal will reach Oxford...

Taking inspiration from Lewis Carroll’s Through the Looking-Glass, the story of Amal meets Alice begins in the Garden of Live Flowers where Amal arrives with a bag of memories of her home in Syria – memories that have kept her going on her long and arduous journey – some are happy and some are sad. As Alice and Amal navigate fantastical flowers and the demands of the Red Queen, Amal's memories are spilt out into the city of Oxford…..can Alice help her find them? Through their quest the girls form a bond and learn about each other's worlds.

Amal and Alice, both in giant puppet form, travel across the city from Oxford Botanic Garden to Merton Fields finding Amal's memories brought to life by partner creative and community groups.

This outdoor event and procession will take place across different locations including Oxford Botanic Gardens, the High Street, Broad Street, Cornmarket and Christ Church Meadows. View the event guide and map here or download a PDF.

We suggest joining the event at the following points:

c13.45 Broad Street Event Space
c14.30 Christ Church Meadows

Sing for Amal: Song of Welcome

Musician and Story Museum Artist-in-Residence Holly Khan is composing a Song of Welcome with pupils from St Gregory the Great School and St Barnabas School. We would love for community groups and individuals to learn the song and then sing it at the end of the event in Christ Church Meadow. The song will be available on the Story Museum website from October 15 and we will hold open rehearsals at 2.00pm on Saturday 23 & 2.00pm on Sunday 24, places are free.

Click here to book your place for the rehearsals.

You can also learn the Song of Welcome at home
Click here to hear the song and download the lyrics.

Make for Amal… at home

Taking inspiration from the Garden of Live Flowers from Alice Through the Looking-Glass you can make your very own Damascus Rose flower head dress or badge to wear to the event with materials you will have at home created by artist Sarah Turner. Click on the picture to access the video.

The story of Amal meets Alice

The narrative for Amal's journey through Oxford has been specially commissioned by The Story Museum from author Nadine Kaadan. You can read the full version of Nadine's story here.

Nadine is an award-winning children’s book author and illustrator from Syria now living in London. She is published in several countries and languages and her mission is to champion empowered and inclusive representation in children’s books so that every child can see themselves in a story.

Her books ‘Tomorrow’ and ‘The Jasmine Sneeze’. She has been nominated for a Kate Greenaway Medal, and is the 2019 winner of the Arab British Centre Award for Culture. Nadine was selected as one of The BBC 100 Women 2020’s ‘most influential and inspiring women’, and was featured on their BBC 100 Women masterclass.

Find out more about Nadine and her books

Click here to book tickets to hear Nadine speak about Journeys and Friendship on Monday 25 October at 2.30pm at The Story Museum.

Amal Meets Alice partners include:

Abundance Oxford
Ark-T
Asylum Welcome
Brasenose College
Bodleian Libraries
Body Politic Dance
Dancin’ Oxford
DugOut
Horns of Plenty
Iraqi Women Art and War
Oxford Hong Kong Newcomers
Oxford Ramallah Friendship Association
Oxford Youth Dance Company
St Barnabus School
St Gregory the Great School
Refugee Resource
Sainsbury's Westgate
Tac au Tac Dance Theatre
The Museum of Oxford
The Soldiers of Oxfordshire Museum
Trinity College

Credits

Nadine Kaadan - Writer
Jeremy James - Director
Ameneh Enayat - Producer
Holly Khan - Musician in Residence
Smoking Apples Theatre Co. - Alice Puppeteers and props
Tony Mason - Puppet Maker and props for Alice
Joelle Pappas - Lead Choreographer, Garden of Live Flowers & Lullaby Dance
Yasmin Sidhwa - Mandala Theatre Company Director
Marie-Louise Flexen - Mandala Theatre Company Choreographer
Groovy Su - Welcome Banner Artist
Body Politic Dance - Lobster Quadrille Dance
Oxford Debkeh - Debkeh Dance
Immy Howard - Milliner for Syrian Coffee Cup Hat
Sarah Turner - Flower Crowns and Badges

Cast

Amber Lewis, Yosuf, Kamron Babb, Hannah White, Zakaria Meknas, Alexander Clovis, Fatimah Kposowa, Shauna Copeland, Amelia Johnson

The Red Queen: Amber Lewis

Amal Chorus/Playing Cards Yosef Girmaye, Kamron Babb, Hannah White, Zakaria Meknas, Alexander Clovis, Fatimah Kposowa, Shauna Copeland, Amelia Johnson, Amber Lewis, Holly Hunt

Garden of Live Flowers Roses: Cecilia Baldauf-Clark, Millie Hastings, Alexandra Lloyd-Williams, Oliver Nunn, Indigo Watkins, Tiger lilies, Kitty Abbott, Katie Austin-Baker, Harriet Bowman, Iyla Davis, Rahel Edemariam Dwan, Alfred Green, Poppy Tatton

Lullaby Dancers DugOut & Tac-au-Tac Caroline Bullmore, Janey Carline, Cecilia Macfarlane, Isobel McConnan, Sophia Tickell, Christie Rainbird, Debbie Hastings, Amanda Webb-Johnson, Janine Smith, Fiona Gell, Elly Crowther, Frankie Crowther-Clulow, Andy Solway

Lullaby Choir: Eilin Hlal, Lubna Mahmoud, Sahar Eltouka, Haneen Al-Orany, Diana Al Zoubi, Fatma, Waed Alawed, Shiwan Fattah, Eleen Helal

Farewell Song for Amal Eleen Helal

A special thank you to all the performers, dancers, banner makers, prop makers and singers participating in this event.