As part of its 2026 Fall Puppet Forum Series, the Ballard Institute and Museum of Puppetry at the University of Connecticut will host Making Wildwood: The Craft of Stop-Motion Puppetry on Wednesday, Oct. 28, 2026, at 6:30 p.m. in the in the Ballard Institute Theater, located at 1 Royce Circle in Downtown Storrs.

Join guest moderator Allison Paul, a UConn Associate Professor of Illustration/Animation, as she talks with UConn Puppet Arts alum Maggie Flanagan ’20 (SFA) about what it takes to work in stop-motion animation! Maggie will share thoughts on their creative journey and insights from their time at LAIKA, an independent stop-motion animation company located in Hillsboro, OR, just outside of Portland, which recently produced Wildwood, the longest stop-motion feature film to date. Maggie will discuss what it was like working behind the scenes on Wildwood and the practical skills it took to contribute to the making of the film, from starting in the Puppet Department as a mold maker and silicone caster to working on set with animators as a member of the Puppet Hospital.

Maggie Flanagan is a puppeteer and stop-motion puppet fabricator hailing from Laconia, NH. They work in Portland, OR, most recently wrapping production on LAIKA’s new feature-length stop motion film Wildwood. Outside of their work in stop-motion, they teach puppet-building workshops at conventions around the country and run a small business specializing in custom character puppets. Maggie is a proud alum of the UConn Puppet Arts MFA program.

­­­This event is generously sponsored by The Straighter Fund, UConn Art and Art History, and UConn Digital Media and Design.

Admission to this forum is free (donations greatly appreciated!), and refreshments will be served. For more information or to request an accommodation, please contact Ballard Institute staff at 860.486.8580 or bimp@uconn.edu.

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