Don’t miss the epic finale of Little Amal’s international journey as the giant 11-foot puppet arrives in Manchester.
Little Amal, whose name means ‘hope’ in Arabic, is a puppet of a nine-year-old refugee girl who has ‘walked’ all the way from the Syria-Turkey border.
She was created by Handspring, the same company that made the puppets for the critically- acclaimed War Horse.
Amal will complete her journey in Manchester on 3 November.
Image: Manchester International Festival/Bevan Ross
The puppet’s journey is designed to highlight the risks taken by millions of refugees each year who are escaping from war or violence.
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“Whilst a lot of asylum seekers are adults, many are children, they have no say and often suffer the most so the fact Little Amal represents a young person is very symbolic,” said Mick Taylor, project coordinator at the Support for Wigan Arrivals Project.
Amal’s 5,000 mile trip started this summer and has seen her travel through Greece, Italy, France, Switzerland, Germany, and Belgium, before crossing to the UK.
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Image: Manchester International Festival/UNHCR Sokratis Baltagiannis
Amal’s big Manchester welcome
The finale of The Walk will be marked by a massive free outdoor event called When the Birds Land at Castlefield Bowl at 7 pm on 3 November.
The city will celebrate the end of her long journey with a night of song, dance, live music, and puppetry – as well as some special surprises.
When the Birds Land is directed by Simon Stone, award-winning director of The Dig and The Daughter, and is produced and presented in Manchester by Manchester International Festival (MIF).
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Image: Manchester International Festival/Andre Liohn
Manchester has a proud history of embracing migrants and refugees, and Amal’s arrival is no different – 4,000 people are expected to gather to welcome her.
Before arriving at her new home, Amal will visit Wigan (Sunday 31 October at 3pm) and Rochdale (Tuesday 2 November).
Amal has been welcomed by artists and communities at over 120 events during her journey.
Image: Manchester International Festival/Teatro Pubblico Pugliese
The puppet, operated by three people, has been greeted by some big names along the way, including actor Jude Law on the Folkestone seafront and Pope Francis in Rome.
When she arrives in Manchester she will be presented with a giant quilt as a welcome gift.
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The quilt has been made by volunteers from Rochdale, Longsight, and Wigan, including many refugees and asylum seekers.
Image: Manchester International Festival/UNHCR: Sokratis Baltagiannis
Find more information about the Manchester City Centre event here.
Channel 4 to air exclusive new documentary about the disappearance and death of Lancashire teen Jay Slater
Emily Sergeant
An exclusive new documentary taking an inside look at the the disappearance of Jay Slater is coming to Channel 4.
On the morning of 17 June 2024, 19-year-old Jay Slater – an apprentice bricklayer from the Lancashire town of Oswaldtwistle – disappeared on the island of Tenerife in Spain, after attempting to walk 14 hours back to his accommodation when there was no local taxi service available and no bus due for 90 minutes.
From then commenced one of the biggest missing persons cases in recent British history.
As the world’s media were following the story minute by minute last summer, producers at Channel 4 were in the incredibly-unique position where they had access to the Coronial process in Lancashire, and this has led to the exclusive documentary title The Disappearance of Jay Slater.
From Jay’s post-mortem to Jay’s inquest, the team have been with the family every step of the way over the last year, as they try and understand exactly what happened to Jay outside of the public gaze
Jay was ultimately pronounced dead on 15 July 2024 after Spanish police reported the discovery of a body in the vicinity of the area of interest, but before this discovery and eventual announcement, the internet became awash with public discourse, conspiracy theories, and more.
The Disappearance of Jay Slater is described as being ‘the family’s story’.
Channel 4 will air an exclusive new documentary about the disappearance and death of Lancashire teen Jay Slater / Credit: GoFundMe
The documentary is set to follow them as they search for answers about what happened to Jay, witnessing the conspiracy theories raging online and the subsequent horrific abuse they received as a family – which is an hourly onslaught that continues to this day.
These cameras were the only media in the world granted full access to film both Jay’s post-mortem and inside the church at his funeral.
But the broadcaster claims this documentary is not only the story of Jay’s tragedy, it’s also the story of ‘the new world we live in’ where so-called true crime armchair detectives run wild.
“The story of Jay Slater captured the nation last summer with a fervour and intensity fuelled by armchair detectives and internet culture,” commented Channel 4’s Commissioning Editor, Rita Daniels, ahead of the documentary airing.
“We are so glad to be working on a sensitively handled exploration of the family’s experience, and understanding the impact of being in the middle of a social media storm, amplified by grief.
“The film holds a light up to our current society and is exactly the story that is a necessity for Channel 4 to tell.”
Executive Producer Anna Hall added: “It is appalling what has happened to Jay’s family, and we hope this film will help to bring awareness of the real life consequences of online speculation. It is an unmonitored world where fake news runs rife, and this film shows the devastating impact this has had on one grieving family.”
The Disappearance of Jay Slater is expected to air on Channel 4 later this year, but no official dates have been confirmed as of yet, so keep your eyes peeled.
Featured Image – GoFundMe
News
Section of major Salford road to close for six months while ‘essential works’ are carried out
Emily Sergeant
A section of major Salford city centre road is set to close for six months while ‘essential works’ are carried out.
As part of Salford Rise – which is a key element of the wider £2.5bn 240-acre Crescent Salford masterplan being delivered by the Crescent Partnership, comprising ECF, Salford City Council, and the University of Salford – Frederick Road is set to close from next month to enable essential construction across the carriageway.
The new 220-metre elevated walkway is aiming to provide a traffic-free route over the road for pedestrians and cyclists, all while continuing to improve community connectivity.
The Salford road will be closed to both vehicles and pedestrians between Lissadel Street and Leslie Hough Way while the walkway is built.
A section of a major Salford road will be closing for six months while ‘essential works’ are carried out / Credit: Crescent Partnership
Vehicle diversions will be in place via Lissadel Street, Cromwell Road, Gerald Road, and Seaford Road during the six-month period, and pedestrians will be able to walk up Broughton Road East to get around the closure.
Access to the North of England Robotics Innovation Centre (NERIC), however, will be maintained according to the Council.
Salford Rise is described as being ‘the backbone’ of the Crescent Innovation and a ‘transformational element’ of the wider masterplan.
Frederick Road will be closed for six months starting from 12 July for essential #SalfordRise construction works. The road will be closed between Lissadel Street and Leslie Hough Way to both vehicles and pedestrians as the 220m elevated footway gets built above it 🏍️ 🛻 🚙 pic.twitter.com/6gWXKeNZBG
— Salford City Council (@SalfordCouncil) June 17, 2025
The 29-acre area – which received planning permission last year, and is set to complete in the summer of 2026 – is made up of dozens of new homes and 1.7m sq ft of commercial, academic, and research floorspace built on existing state-of-the-art research and development facilities to drive further economic growth in the city and wider region.
While the work on the walkway is ongoing, there will also be parking restrictions in place on Lissadel Street and Broughton Road East for ‘pedestrian safety’.
“Salford Rise is a key regeneration project that will unlock the potential of the Crescent Innovation zone and better connect our communities with the wider Crescent area,” commented Councillor Mike McCusker, who is the Lead Member for Planning, Transport, and Sustainable Development at Salford City Council.
“These essential works will enable us to continue towards our goal of developing a green walkway and high-quality public spaces, improving accessibility and encouraging active travel as well as creating employment and education opportunities across the Crescent area.”
Rachel Kevern -
29th October 2021 
