“Amal” means “hope” in Arabic. Little Amal is a 3.5-meter-tall puppet representing a 10-year-old Syrian girl, a refugee in search of a better tomorrow. Since 2021, the heroine of The Walk project has become a global symbol of human rights, especially the rights of refugees. Since July 2021, Amal has visited 160 cities and towns in 16 countries, greeted by two million people on the streets and followed by tens of millions online. For Amal, 440 unique events have been created in every community she visits, involving thousands of artists and local leaders. She is coming to Poznań to celebrate the new opening of the Malta Festival.

Michael Wamaya is a dancer and activist, nominated for the prestigious Global Teacher Prize. Through talent and determination, he escaped the slums of Kenya. Despite his career taking off and the opportunity to conquer the world, he chose to return to Kenya to give children what helped him break free—dance. Now, he runs Project Elimu, an art school where children from Kibera—one of the largest slums in the world—learn ballet. Dance gives them dignity, education, and confidence, helping them escape their challenging environment.

Mike Wamaya and his group of students are coming to Malta Festival at the invitation of Dominika Kulczyk as part of the 11th anniversary of the Kulczyk Foundation. The Kenyan dancer will lead daily, free Afro-dance workshops at the Polish Dance Theatre (9:00 AM, September 9-13). During their visit to Poznań, the group will meet peers from the Poznań General Ballet School, participate in dance classes with the Polish Dance Theatre, perform in the Sun & Sea project, and most importantly, invite Poznań and Little Amal to a dance happening on the Old Market Square.