S3:E12 The puppet is innocent... Basil Jones & Adrian Kohler in conversation with Stephanie Fortunato

The Three Bells

In the final episode of the 2023 season, our host, Stephanie Fortunato, speaks with Basil Jones and Adrian Kohler, founders of Handspring Puppet Company, whose monumental works include War Horse and Little Amal. They discuss the role of puppetry in storytelling, building new audiences, activism and bridging connections between communities.

The Three Bells podcast is produced by AEA Consulting for the Global Cultural Districts Network (GCDN). Sound mixing and theme music by Artwave Studio.

External references:

• Handspring Puppet Company: https://www.handspringpuppet.com/
• Handspring Puppet Company LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/handspring-puppet-company/about/
• War Horse: https://www.warhorseonstage.com/learning/puppets/
• War Horse: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/War_Horse_(play)
• Life and Times of Michael K: http://www.quaternaire.org/handspring-puppet-co/life-and-times-michael-k
• The Walk (Little Amal): https://www.walkwithamal.org/about-us/little-amal-the-walk/
• Little Amal: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Little_Amal
• The Walk Productions (Little Amal) LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-walk-productions-little-amal/
• Bunraku: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bunraku
• Barrydale Giant Puppet Parade: https://barrydaleparade.wordpress.com/
• The Walk, documentary by Tamara Kotevska: https://www.docnyc.net/film/the-walk/
• Simon Sinacs Ted Talk – How Great Leaders Inspire Action: https://www.ted.com/talks/simon_sinek_how_great_leaders_inspire_action?language=en

Bios:

Basil Jones is the co-founder and Executive Producer of Handspring Puppet Company. Jones completed his BFA at UCT. In 1990, Jones set up a not for profit NGO Handspring Trust, which produced the award winning Spider’s Place, an innovative, multi-media science education series for TV, radio an comic aimed at young learners from disadvantaged backgrounds. The Handspring Trust is involved in a number of projects in urban township and rural areas, using puppetry as a means to educate and empower youth and bring communities together through street parades and performance. He received the Naledi Executive Directors Award (2012), a lifetime achievement award from Tshwane University (2006) and an honorary doctorate in literature from UCT (2012).

Adrian Kohler is the co-founder and Artistic Director of Handspring Puppet Company, and considered to be one of the world’s leading masters of his medium. He gained a BA Fine Art at the University of Cape Town and then spent a year at The Space Theatre and another in Birmingham U.K. at the Canon Hill Arts Centre and Weld Community Arts Centre. Kohler then moved to Botswana to run the National Popular Theatre Programme for three years. He has had a solo retrospective at the National Gallery in South Africa, and groups of his works have been shown at The Barbican Art Gallery, London and The Museum for African Art, New York. Kohler received the Michaelis Prize, a lifetime achievement award from Tshwane University (2006) and an honorary doctorate in literature UCT (2012).

Handspring Puppet Company

Founded by Adrian Kohler and Basil Jones (with Jill Joubert and Jon Weinberg) in 1981, the Handspring Puppet Company continues to explore, innovate and push the boundaries of puppetry and contemporary performance. Deeply inspired by traditional puppetry – such as the Bunraku puppeteers of Japan and the Bamana puppeteers of Mali – Handspring fuses ancient craft, technical innovation and modern dramatic themes. Over four decades, the company has collaborated with world-renowned artists, directors, musicians, actors and theatre groups performing in 295 cities in 30 countries.