The Giant Puppet Amal: Between Penetrating Public Space and Protesting the Condition of Refugees
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.35560/jcofarts1704Keywords:
public space, artistic resistance, giant puppets, forced displacementAbstract
The concept of resistance has emerged in various intellectual and artistic practices within public spaces, aimed at raising public awareness and urging individuals to take stances against numerous humanitarian issues. Among these is the phenomenon of refugee children resulting from genocidal wars. Such humanitarian concerns have become a revolutionary preoccupation, manifesting in numerous artistic and expressive practices in various forms, to showcase the freedom of individual creativity and its collective interaction in public spaces. The giant puppet "Amal" is one such project that conveyed the suffering of refugees worldwide, particularly children who are forced by wars and conflicts to leave their homes and become separated from their families. This puppet became a symbol of struggle and a form of protest, penetrating the visual field towards areas of common public thought, turning its journey through the streets into a space for engaging the audience and confronting them directly with these pressing issues.
References
Adorno, T. W. (1995). Théorie esthétique. (M. Jiménez., Trad.) Paris: Gallimard.
Ahmed, N. M. (2008). Preparing Theatre Puppets for Nurseries and Kindergartens. . Alexandria: Dar Al-‘Ilm wa Al-Iman for Publishing and Distribution.
Ajmi, H. M. (2022). Theatre and Society,. Arab Studies Journal, Faculty of Arts, Minia University, 46(4).
Alawi, B. (2019). Anthology of Street Theatre. Jordan: Dar Ibn Al-Nafis Publishing and Distribution.
Al-Kashef, M. (2020). The Actor’s Body Between Daily Movement and Expressive Movement. . Egypt: Sharm El-Sheikh International Youth Theatre Festival.
Ashhab, A.-S. (2013). The Ethics of Discussion in Habermas’s Philosophy of Communication. . Jordan: Al-Urdunniyah for Publishing and Distribution.
Ayari, M. A. (2023). Public Space and the Question of Freedom: the Habermas, Honneth, and Frasier Debate. Tabayyan, 11(44), 35-65.
Benchikha, O. (2023). Philosophy in the Public Space: Toward a Democracy of Minds. Tunis: Arkadia Publishing.
Bergeron, P. (2018). La petite Sirène: Essai scénique autour des relations dramatiques entre une marionnettiste–danseuse et ses marionnettes–appendices . Master’s thesis. Université du Québec à Montréal.
Bouch, R., & Obada, N.-H. (2020). Refuge: Its Social, Economic, Political, and Security Impacts,. Al-Bahith in Human Sciences,, 12(3), 17-26.
Bouflega, K. (2024, 10 1). Critique of Habermas's Concept of the Public Sphere. Al-Hikma Journal for Philosophical Studies, 12(3), 764-777.
BritishTheatre. (2025). The Jungle - Playhouse Theatre. Consulté le 12 11, 2025, sur BritishTheatre: https://www.britishtheatre.com/shows/the-jungle-playhouse-theatre
Caygill, H. (2022). On Resistance: A Philosophy of Defiance. (M. Y. Imran, Trad.) Syria: The Syrian General Organization Of Books.
Deleuze, G., & Guattari, F. (1997). What Is Philosophy? (M. Safadi, Trad.) Centre for National Development,.
Deneault, A. (2020). The System of Triviality. (M. Hajri, Trad.) Beirut: Dar Al-Su’al.
Erdener, J. (2024). Prefigurative Politics at Bread and Puppet Theater. Cultural Politics, 20(1), 92–111. doi:https://doi.org/10.1215/17432197-10969240
Global Migration Group. (2010). Mainstreaming Migration into Development Planning: A Handbook for Policy-Makers and Practitioners. . Geneva: International Organization for Migration (IOM).
Habermas, J. (2003). Science and Technology as Ideology. (H. Saqr, Trad.) Germany: Al-Jamal Publishers.
Hammadi, A. (2015). Summary of the DSM-5 Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. Arab Scientific Publishers.
Hammouri, M. A., Bani , K., Suleiman, A., & Tishtoush, R. (2024). Assessing the Psychological and Social Impacts of the Refugee Crisis on Host Communities: A Survey of Jordanian Society. Journal of Educational and Psychological Studies, 18(1), 16-30.
Handspring Puppet, C. (2020, 10 7). Creating Little Amal. Récupéré sur Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dwoy0ve3b1g
Hejazi, M. (2006). Mental Health. Arab Cultural Center, 3rd ed.
Ibrahim, A.-Z. (2009). Anthropology and Cultural Anthropology: Faces of the Body. Damascus: Dar Al-Dirasat wa Al-Nashr wa Al-Tawzi.
Jaeger, F. (2021, 10 21). Amal la marionnette. Récupéré sur Youtube : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kgq-2Y_tp0o
Jouriya, T. F. (2011). The Psychological and Educational Effects of War Trauma on Children. Beirut: Dar Al-Nahda Al-Arabia.
Kant, I. (2009). The Critique of Judgment. (S. Al-Ghani, Trad.) Al-Jamal Publishers.
Kaufmann, W. (1993). Tragedy and Philosophy. (K. Y. Hussein, Trad.) Beirut: Arab Institute for Research and Publishing.
Kotevska, T. (2024, 10 18). The Walk. Récupéré sur le Grand Bivouac d’Albertville: https://www.grandbivouac.com/evenement/1416-the_walk.html
Leclerc, G. (2008). Sociology of Intellectuals. (G. Kattoura, Trad.) Beirut: Dar Al-Kitab Al-Jadeed Al-Muttahida.
Marcuse, H. (1979). The Aesthetic Dimension. (G. Tarabishi, Trad.) Dar Al-Tali‘a.
Massoudi, H. (2020). Contemporary Murals in Public Space and Shared Visual Perception. Journal of Cultural, Linguistic and Artistic Studies Democratic Arab Center, 4.
Mechelelli, A. (1993). Identity. (A. Watfa, Trad.) Damascus: Dar Al-Waseem.
Meskini, F. (1997). Philosophy of the Newly Sprouting. . Beirut: Dar Al-Tali‘a.
Morel, M., & Owona, É. (2025, 6 1). Aesthetic engagement and cultural citizenship: what challenges do we face today? Journal of Teaching in Arts, Fashion, and Design, 9(2). doi:https://doi.org/10.5965/25944630922025e7001
Mujaydil, A. (2019). Psychological and Educational Support Guide for Displaced Children in War and Disaster Conditions. . ALECSO.
Nietzsche, F. (2010). On the Genealogy of Morality. (F. Meskini, Trad.) Tunis: Dar Sinattra, National Translation Centre.
Noueihey, S. (2001). Fuzzy Logic: A New Science for Future Technology. Cairo: Academic Library.
Orenstein, C., & Cusack, T. (2025). Puppet and Spirit: Ritual, Religion, and Performing Objects. New York: Routledge.
Plummer, S. (2024). Good and Radical Bread: Bread and Puppet Theater’s Sourdough Traditions. Liminalities: A Journal of Performance Studies, 20(4).
Samet, I. (2024). A Semiology reading of the rupture of the subjective structure within gregarious societies through an analysis of the painting " Deserter /Out from the herd" by Tomasz Alen Kopera. Simiayaat Journal, 19(1), 139–155.
Sayyid, N. A.-S. (1997). The Gray Truth. Egyptian General Authority for the Book.
Sharif, A. M. (2022, 9 5). Robot Theatre: Future and Ambition. Masrahna Magazine, 784(5).
Tlili, H. (2022). Theatre and Public Space: The Possibility of Critical Discourse. Tunis: Dar Shama Publishing.
Wakajan, G. (1946). The Social Function of Art. (A. Madanat, Trad.) Beirut: Dar Ibn Khaldoun Publishing and Printing.
Zarai, M. M. (2009). Spatial Construct in Phenomenology,. A‘lamat Journal, 32.
Zarai, M. M. (2016). Philosophy, Resistance, and Creativity. Tunis: Dar Mohamed Ali Publishing.
Zennar, H. (2009). Meaning and Anger: An Introduction to Cioran’s Philosophy. Algeria: Ikhtilaf Publishing.
Zuabi, A. N. (2021, 08). Walk with Little Amal, a theatrical journey celebrating the refugee experience. Récupéré sur TED: https://www.ted.com/talks/amir_nizar_zuabi_walk_with_little_amal_a_theatrical_journey_celebrating_the_refugee_experience/transcript
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Imen Samet Arous
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
