From Grief To Puppetry: How Adversity Shaped An Educator’s Life with Tony Gee

Send us Fan MailA sudden loss can set the course of a lifetime. Malcolm sits down with master puppeteer and educator Tony Gee to trace the unexpected path from a father’s death in Singapore to world-record puppet shows, radical youth work, and a philosophy of making that places imagination at the centre of community life. What begins as a story of bereavement opens into a practical guide to meaning: build things together, tell honest stories, and let participation reshape what education can be.Tony describes stumbling into puppetry through a Chilean allegory and discovering that the craft was never just about puppets. It was about autonomy, voice, and collective creation. He shares how a failed but formative nursery project in Brixton sharpened his commitment to participatory learning, why workshops became his chosen medium, and how thousands of children have co-authored performances that change the confidence of schools from the inside out. Along the way, we explore research into workshop practice, the power of story-led facilitation, and the delicate balance between structure and spontaneity.The conversation doesn’t flinch from the hard edges: intergenerational trauma, an abusive stepfather, disinheritance, and the slow work of accepting “insolubles.” Tony speaks to synchronicity, the felt presence of loved ones, and the artist’s task to metabolise experience through making. If you care about creative education, community arts, grief, resilience, or how large-scale participatory events can heal a culture, this episode offers grounded insight and humane inspiration.If this resonated, follow the show, share it with a friend, and leave a review so more listeners can find these conversations. Tell us: what are you building with others right now?This Podcast is sponsored by Onlinevents