As part of the 2017 Fall Puppet Forum Series, and in conjunction with its current exhibit Obstreperous Puppets: The Puppeteers Cooperative, the Ballard Institute and Museum of Puppetry at the University of Connecticut will present a discussion with Sara Peattie, co-founder of the Puppeteers Cooperative, entitled Building Community with Puppets: Boston’s Puppeteers Cooperative on Thursday, September 21, 2017 at 7:00 p.m. in the Ballard Institute Theater, located at 1 Royce Circle in Storrs Center.

Based on her years of nation-wide work with professional and amateur puppeteers, community and civic organizations, and schools, Sara Peattie will explain how and why making giant puppets with and for communities can be a spectacular success. Co-founded by Sara Peattie and George Konnoff in 1976, the Boston-based Puppeteers Cooperative is one of the most prolific, yet un-acclaimed, puppet companies in New England. Peattie, Konnoff, and their colleagues have designed and built puppets with community groups for pageants and celebrations across the United States, including Boston’s famed First Night, the Downtown Mansfield Festival in Storrs, and the Greenwich Village Halloween Parade in New York City. Many of these creations are also lent to the general public through the Puppeteers Cooperative’s Puppet Free Library, located in the basement of Boston’s Emmanuel Church.

Admission to this event is free (donations greatly appreciated!), and refreshments will be served. Come early, and view Obstreperous Puppets, an exhibition celebrating the work of the Puppeteers Cooperative, as well as The World of Puppetry, drawn from our global collections. Visitors can park in the Storrs Center Garage located at 33 Royce Circle. Parking in the Storrs Center Garage is free for the first two hours and $1 per hour thereafter, with a daily maximum charge of $8. Forums will be broadcast via Facebook Live. Call 860-486-8580 for more information.

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