What's on: 12-foot-high puppet Little Amal to stop off at Halifax Town Hall and the Piece Hall as part of Yorkshire Integration Festival

Little Amal – an partly-animatronic puppet – represents the story of a 10-year-old Syrian refugee girl and has been travelling the globe, spreading the message about human rights and the plight of refugees.

The puppet will lead a procession on Saturday, September 21 from Halifax Town Hall to the Piece Hall – where the Yorkshire Integration Festival will be taking place and it will be welcomed by refugees, schoolchildren and dignitaries from across the region.

Artists and performers will contribute to both the procession and festival, including performances of Bhangra dance and drumming.

The following day, September 22, the puppet will travel on to Hull where more performances and activities will be taking place.

Little Amal’s appearance in Halifax is part of the artistic production ‘The Walk’, which has travelled to 166 towns and cities in 17 countries since 2021.

The puppet’s arrival will mark the start of a series of events aimed at raising awareness of refugees’ experiences and celebrating the resilience of refugee communities.

The Yorkshire Integration Festival will take place on Saturday, September 21 between 10am and 6pm at the Piece Hall and is free to enter. It has been organised by Migration Yorkshire and will celebrate the integration of refugees with a family-friendly event including music, performances, food, and other activities.

Coun Danielle Durrans, Calderdale Council’s cabinet member for Public Services and Communities, said: “Calderdale is proud to be a place of kindness and a Valley of Sanctuary that welcomes refugees.

“We are excited that Little Amal is part of our varied Year of Culture 2024 programme, CultureDale, sending a clear message of inclusion. One of our aims for CultureDale is to celebrate diversity and inspire everyone to enjoy and take part in Calderdale’s distinctive culture and communities.”

Dave Brown, head of Mmgration Yorkshire, said: “It is our privilege to welcome Little Amal to Yorkshire. Her visit is a powerful and poignant reminder of the struggles faced by refugees around the world, and why it is important that we do all we can to support them in our communities.”