Born on 19 December 1938 in Hull, to parents Horatio, a master mariner and Lucy, a school teacher, John Brian Fox started his education at Hymers College in September 1947, completing his A Levels in 1956.  After completing his National Service in Ghana, he went on to continue his education at University College Oxford, where he studied Education and Philosophy, Politics, and Economics (PPE).

He met his childhood sweetheart, Sue Gill while in Hull and they would become partners in work, as well as life.  Together, they founded the street theatre company, the Welfare State, later to be known as Welfare State International. to reflect its worldwide success.  Their mission was to create "art as an entertainment, an alternative and a way of life",  They preferred to perform in streets and parks, as opposed to theatres, wanting 'eyes on stalks, not bums on seats'.

In the early days of the Welfare State company, its members lived and worked together in a convoy of caravans, including their two children.  Their first show was 'The Marriage of Heaven and Hell' and included stilt-walkers, fire eaters and performing bears.  By the 1970s, the shows shifted to involving elaborate buildings and structures, such as the House of Parliament and a 60ft Big Ben for 'Parliament in Flames' and the Titanic for 'The Raising of the Titanic'.

Inspired following a visit to Japan and witnessing a Shinto-Buddhist lantern festival, they started their own lantern walks, which grew into an annual fesival.  All Lit Up for Glasgow City of Culture lantern festival, launched in 1990 and was the biggest in Europe.

On April Fools' Day 2006, Welfare State International ceased operation after a final performance at Ulverston.  Since then, John and Sue went on to co-author 'The Dead Good' Guides, 'an artistic practice weaved more fully into the fabric of lives'.  They set up courses, wrote books, including John's autobiography and poetry, mounted exhibitions, created ecological sculpture trails and set up the Wildernest project, based around a sanctuary garden on the Cumbrian coastal path and incorporating weathervanes and whirlygigs, poster poems and an observation pod.

As well as writing poetry, John also was a songwriter, played the saxophone and accordion in numerous bands, including the family ceilidh band.

John passed away on 11 March 2025, aged 86 and is survived by his wife Sue, children Dan and Hannah, and five grandchildren.

Related Articles:

• The Guardian: John Fox's Obituary (external website)
• Welfare State International website (external website)
• University College Oxford Profile: John Fox MBE (external website)