The Ballard Institute is pleased to host Annals of Object Performance: A Conference Celebrating the Contributions of Dr. John Bell on Saturday, Oct. 18, 2025 from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. in the Ballard Institute Theater, located at 1  Royce Circle, Storrs, CT, and online via Zoom.

This hybrid international conference celebrates Dr. John Bell’s remarkable contributions to puppetry. Throughout his career, Bell has shaped the field through museum curation, academic scholarship, and community-based performance. Conference presentations by North American and European artists and scholars will highlight Bell’s influential research and productions, culminating in a keynote where he reflects on his decades of performance, curatorship, and scholarship. Together, we’ll honor his legacy and envision a flourishing future for puppetry.  

This conference is free to attend in-person or virtually, but registration is required. Events with an asterisk can only be attended in person. The listing below denotes which panels will be in-person or hybrid.

9:00–9:15 AM: Arrival & Registration 

9:15–9:30 AM: Opening Remarks (in-person speakers)

9:30–10:45 AM: Session 1: Puppetry Research and Practice (hybrid speakers)

11:00 AM–12:15 PM: Session 2: Exhibiting Puppets (hybrid speakers) 

1:15–2:15 PM: Session 3: Puppet Modernism (hybrid speakers)

2:45–3:30 PM: Making Meaning in Puppetry Book Launch (in-person speakers)

3:45–4 PM: Toy Theatre Performance by Felicia Cooper (in-person performer)

4:15–5 PM: Annals of John Bell (in-person speakers)

5–5:30 PM: John Bell Keynote (in-person speaker)

5:30–6 PM: Great Small Works Performance

6:00–8:00 PM: Celebration! *

To learn more about the speakers and schedule and to register to attend in person or virtually, visit https://www.ticketleap.events/tickets/bimp-0/john-bell.

This event is co-sponsored by the UConn Humanities Institute. For more information or if you require accommodation to attend a forum, please contact Ballard Institute staff at 860.486.8580 or bimp@uconn.edu.

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