Swallow’s Kiss Welcomes Little Amal to London’s South Bank

What an honour it was for Swallow’s Kiss to be chosen by the Southbank Literature Festival and Good Chance Theatre as a welcome story for Little Amal.

In an incredibly heartening afternoon of storytelling, music, drama and song families gathered in the Clore Ballroom to make wishing birds from Swallow’s Kiss, watch the animation ‘Footsteps on The Wind’- the story of unaccompanied refugee children, watch a beautiful storytelling directed by Pooja Ghai and performed by Amaka Okafor, members of Islington Refugees and Migrants choir and designed by Rosa Maggiora.

Illustrator Jane Ray and myself in awe at seeing our story about welcoming refugee children, written on a London bus, performed on stage for the first time at The South Bank Literature Festival.

Amaka Okafor plays ‘Blessing.’ On stage with members of Islington Centre for Refugees and Migrants choir led by choir leaders Romain Malan and Denise Dobson of Songworks N8.

Jane Ray and myself thanking all the people who made it such an incredible afternoon. Here we are outside the set of the Blue Door at the Islington Centre for Refugees and Migrants where we have worked together in the art and writing class for many years as artist and writer in residence.

To place the community at the heart of this event really was a dream come true. I echo Blessing’s wish…

I place my finger to my lip

close my eyes and make a wish

that one day

refugee children will be welcome too…

Swallow’s Kiss is published by Pop Up Festival , edited by Dylan Calder and designed by Elorine Grant. It is one of #10storiestomakeadifference . These stories and storytellers will be performing at The South Bank over half-term 2021.

Find out more about all #10storiestomakeadifference here