Ideas Matter

By Jackie Fermo and Colin Douglas

War. Repression. Climate disaster. In the 24/7 news cycle, these global crises form the backdrop of everyday life. There is danger of overwhelm and compassion fatigue: how can we make sense of, and respond to, the suffering of millions of people around us?Fortunately, we have art. And, in particular, Handspring Puppet Company. For four decades, Handspring’s creations have told the stories that need telling by connecting with audiences on a deep, emotional level. In fact, founders Adrian Kohler and Basil Jones often refer to puppets as “empathy machines.”

Many people associate Handspring with the beloved character Joey in War Horse, the National Theatre’s internationally acclaimed production, which was seen by more than 8 million people in 11 countries. Audiences responded with huge empathy as they experienced the horrors of combat in World War I through Joey’s eyes.

More recently, the puppet Little Amal captured hearts and minds across the world. Her appearances call global attention to the plight of refugees, many of them children. Amal has travelled over 6,000 miles to 100 towns and cities in 15 countries and has been welcomed by more than a million people on the street and tens of millions online. At the time of writing, Amal is walking across the United States in one of the largest free, public festivals ever created. In recognition of their contribution to the art of puppetry, Kohler and Jones were awarded honorary doctorates by the University of Toronto in June 2023. A few weeks later, Douglas Knowledge Partners had the pleasure of hosting a panel discussion to celebrate this honour and to unveil the new Handspring website at our London office.

“Breath is a universal language. And the rhythm of that language is an expression of our thoughts and emotions.”

— Dr. Basil Jones, co-founder Handspring Puppet Company

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