Join the Ballard Institute for our twelfth Summer 2020 Online Puppet Forum Series event on Facebook Live! These forums, hosted by Ballard Institute director and puppet historian John Bell, will consist of discussions with notable scholars and practitioners around the world about the past, present, and future of puppetry and puppetry studies.
On August 27 at 4 p.m. ET, join Ballard Institute director John Bell and Dassia Posner as they discuss the nature of “The Puppet and the Director.” She will speak first about early 20th-century Russian puppeteer Nina Efimova, as an early director of puppet theatre whose work is particularly responsive to materials. The discussion will then focus on later puppet directors, and productions into the contemporary era.
Dassia N. Posner is a theatre historian at Northwestern University specializing in Russian avant-garde theatre, the history of directing, production dramaturgy, and world puppetry history and performance. She teaches undergraduate courses in Theatre and in Slavic Languages and Literatures and graduate courses in the MFA in Directing and the Interdisciplinary PhD in Theatre and Drama (IPTD). She is currently Director of IPTD and Vice President for Awards of the Association for Theatre in Higher Education. Posner’s award-winning books include The Director’s Prism: E. T. A. Hoffmann and the Russian Theatrical Avant-Garde; The Routledge Companion to Puppetry and Material Performance (co-edited with Claudia Orenstein and John Bell, 2014); and Three Loves for Three Oranges: Gozzi, Meyerhold, Prokofiev (co-edited with Kevin Bartig and associate editor Maria De Simone; under contract with Indiana University Press). Her web-based archive companion to The Director’s Prism features over a hundred multimedia Russian theatre sources: www.fulcrum.org/northwestern. Her current book-in-progress, The Moscow Kamerny Theatre: An Artistic History in Political Times, examines the Kamerny Theatre’s innovations and international influence in the artistic and political context of the Soviet 1920s and 30s.
Forums will be available afterwards on ourFacebook page andYouTube channel.
Join the Ballard Institute for our twelfth Summer 2020 Online Puppet Forum Series event on Facebook Live! These forums, hosted by Ballard Institute director and puppet historian John Bell, will consist of discussions with notable scholars and practitioners around the world about the past, present, and future of puppetry and puppetry studies.
On August 20 at 4 p.m. ET, join Ballard Institute director John Bell and Dr. Raphaèle Fleury, the director of Research and Innovation at France’s famed Institut International de la Marionnette, in a discussion about current French and European puppetry studies, the development of digital resources via the PAM web portal she oversaw, and her recent anthology Marionnettes & Pouvoirs: censures, propagandes, resistances (Puppets and Power: Censorship, Propaganda and Resistance).
A Doctor in French Literature and Civilization from Paris Sorbonne University, Raphaèle Fleury is director of Research and Innovation at the Institut International de la Marionnette in Charleville-Mézières, France, where she developed the PAM web portal of puppetry arts (lelab.artsdelamarionnette.eu) to create a new international digital perspective on puppetry. She is a co-founder of the “Innovation in Circus and Puppetry” research program of the National Center for Circus Arts and the Institut International de la Marionnette; and, with Julie Sermon co-edited the 2019 anthology Marionnettes & Pouvoirs: censures, propagandes, resistances (Puppets and Power: Censorship, Propaganda and Resistance). She has also worked as a dramaturg and librettist, for the Opéra National de Paris and the Angers Nantes Opéra, and her earlier research focused on dramatist Paul Claudel’s theater and the history of French puppetry in the 19th and 20th centuries.
Forums will be available afterwards on ourFacebook page andYouTube channel.
Join the Ballard Institute for our eleventh Summer 2020 Online Puppet Forum Series event on Facebook Live! These forums, hosted by Ballard Institute director and puppet historian John Bell, will consist of discussions with notable scholars and practitioners around the world about the past, present, and future of puppetry and puppetry studies.
On August 13 at 4 p.m. ET, join Ballard Institute director John Bell and his UConn Puppet Arts colleague Dr. Matthew Cohen for “Wayang: Indonesian Puppet Traditions in Global Modernity.” They will discuss Dr. Cohen’s ongoing work as a historian and anthropologist of Southeast Asian theater and world puppetry, his training and practice as a dalang, or puppeteer in the Indonesian tradition, and his work as a Visiting Senior Research Fellow at the Yale University Art Gallery, where he has been researching and helping to curate the Dr. Walter Angst and Sir Henry Angest collection of over 20,000 Javanese rod puppets and shadow figures—the world’s largest collection of puppets.
Matthew Isaac Cohen is a professor in the Department of Dramatic Arts at the University of Connecticut. His research concerns Indonesian performing arts, traditions of puppetry in global modernity, and international theatre. He is currently working on a visual history of Indonesian puppetry which takes as its primary source material the Dr. Walter Angst and Sir Henry Angest Collection of Indonesian Puppets at Yale University Art Gallery, the largest wayang collection in the world and the largest collection of puppets in North America. He also performs wayang on occasion under the company banner Kanda Buwana. Before arriving at UConn in August 2019, he was professor of international theatre at Royal Holloway, University of London, where he was the founding director of the Centre for Asian Theatre and Dance and an active contributor to the UK’s puppetry scene.
Wednesday, 8/19: “Puppets for the Screen Performance Workshop” with Felicia Cooper and Elise Vanase
We’ve spent so much time this summer building puppets! Let’s let them do what they do best—perform! Learn tips and tricks for performing puppets on screen in this age of virtual meetings and performances. Recommended for ages 5+.
Materials needed: Peepers! If you don’t have a pair, that’s okay! Puppeteer Hobey Ford will show you how to quickly make a set here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tZejPKU683Y
Friday, 8/21: “Painting Puppets Workshop” with Elise Vanase
**Our final Summer Online Puppet-building Workshop!
Painting is an important part of the puppet-making process! Learn how to effectively paint a puppet for theater, as well as how to create cool textures with what you have around the house. Recommended ages 4+.
Materials needed: paint, paint brushes, newspaper, plastic wrap, something to paint (papier-mâché or newspaper and masking tape heads are great), optional: netting, old toothbrush, sponge
Past Workshops:
Wednesday, 3/25: “Paper Puppets” led by Ballard Institute graduate assistant and UConn Puppet Arts student Felicia Cooper
Using paper, tape, and scissors, create fun and funky characters! Recommended for ages 4+.
Friday, 3/27: “Fun Toy Theater Workshop!” with Ballard Institute Director John Bell
Make and perform a miniature 2-D puppet spectacle about anything your heart desires, using household materials and re-purposed images. See Great Small Works’ “Short, Entertaining History of Toy Theater” here: https://vimeo.com/41259631. Recommended for ages 7+.
Materials needed: a cardboard box (any size will do; small is good); cardboard (cereal box cardboard is best); colored paper; images from magazines, newspapers, or the internet; tape; gluestick or white glue; coathanger wire, barbecue skewers, pencils, or other like objects; scissors; if you want to get fancy: hot glue gun, pliers, string or fishline
Wednesday, 4/1: Simple Dinosaur Marionette Workshop led by UConn Puppet Arts graduate student Abby Bosley
Make a simple dinosaur or dragon string puppet using things you have laying around your home. Recommended for ages 7+ (adult help may be required as there may be poking sharp things into paper or plastic cups).
Materials needed: 2 toilet paper rolls (or a paper towel roll cut in half) or 2 paper cups (plastic also works); string, yarn, or ribbon; popsicle sticks, straws, sticks, or pencils; something for feet like bottle caps from soda bottles, washers, buttons, beads; masking tape; paper; pen; hole punch; scissors; markers; anything else to decorate your puppet (pipe cleaners, beads, tissue paper, fabric, etc); hot glue is optional
Friday, 4/3: Hand Shadows Workshop led by UConn Puppet Arts student Tracy Becker
Have you ever made hand shadows on a wall? Learn how to create hand shadow shows with shadow people, animals, and more! Recommended for ages 5+.
Materials needed (besides your hands!): light source (flashlight, phone light, or lamp will all work, as long as the light is projected somewhere); wall or floor space to project shadows; paper and scissors is helpful for some puppets, but not required
Wednesday, 4/8: “Paper Shadows Workshop” with Tracy Becker
Make and perform simple paper shadow puppets with materials you already have at home! Recommended for ages 6+.
Materials needed: light source (flashlight recommended, but a lamp or phone light will also work); wall or floor space to project shadows; paper; scissors; handles for the puppets (this can be skewers, chopsticks, pencils, straws, popsicle sticks); tape or glue to attach handles; markers, crayons, or colored pencils can be fun but aren’t required; white fabric (can be hung up to make a shadow screen, but isn’t required ); optional to play with: any object that might have an interesting shadow, plastic wrap and markers are optional supplies to use as an alternative to lighting gel
Friday, 4/10: “Anything Can Be A Puppet! Object Performance Exploration!” with Felicia Cooper
Use household objects to explore movement, expression, and storytelling! We’ll discover movement patterns and gesture, working towards character development. Recommended for ages 6+.
Materials needed: anything around you (check in with a grown up if it doesn’t belong to you)
Wednesday, 4/15: “Rod Puppet Workshop” with Abby Bosley
Make a simple rod puppet with materials you have lying around your home! Recommended for ages 6+.
Materials needed: newspaper; tape; a toilet paper roll or paper cup: markers; string, yarn, or ribbon; 3 chopsticks, skewers, straws, or pencils (for your rods); scissors; hole punch; colored paper, fabric, pipe cleaners, cardboard, beads, or anything else to decorate!; optional: Hot glue
Friday, 4/17: “Sock Puppet Workshop” with Maggie Flanagan
Make a fun sock puppet with your stray socks and a few items you can find around your house! Recommended for ages 6+.
Materials needed: sock; cardboard and felt; construction paper or markers; items to use for eyes (buttons, plastic Easter eggs, ping pong balls, or egg carton); any decorations you’d like to add: feathers, pompoms, and beads; hot glue; optional: you can use bits of fluff and cut up rags to make puffy noses/heads/bumps
Wednesday, 4/22: “Mask Making Techniques” with Abby Bosley
Learn to make two different types of masks: one using folded paper or cardboard and one that is made up of just a single cereal box and glue! Recommended for ages 5+.
Materials needed: cereal box (or any box); hot glue, but any glue will work; scissors; scrap paper; tape; hole punch; string or elastic; scissors; anything else to decorate (paint, markers, etc); optional materials: X-Acto blade or box cutter
Friday, 4/24: “Stop-Motion Workshop” with Tracy Becker
Learn how to make your very own stop-motion movie at home! Recommended for ages 5+.
Materials needed: phone or tablet; objects for stop motion (This can be anything! Toys, clay, paper, or any type of puppet will all work); optional additional materials: cardboard, a tripod, lamps or flashlights, or any other decorations you might want to use; recommended apps: Stop Motion Studio Free Version: https://www.cateater.com/ or StikBot Studio 2.0: https://stikbot.toys/app/
Wednesday, 4/29, Friday, 5/1, Wednesday, 5/6: “STEAM Workshops!” with Felicia Cooper
Join us online on Wednesday 4/29, Friday 5/1, and Wednesday 5/6 for a three-session exploration of STEAM in Puppetry! The culmination of an independent study by graduate student Felicia Cooper, these workshops will give an overview of the engineering principles that appear in the puppet design process. Learn about simple machines, methods of attachment, three-dimensional sketching, and using repurposed materials. In the spirit of the maker movement, we will engage in the iterative process and creative thinking as we celebrate the intersection of puppetry and STEAM education! Participate in one, two, or all three of the sessions. Recommended for ages 7+.
4/29: Session 1: design with recycled materials and work from two dimensions to three to make a prototype puppet! We’ll talk about dimensions and the planning process. For this one, you’ll need tape, recycled materials, cardboard, newspaper, paper, pencil, and a ruler.
5/1: Session 2: Learn about simple machines and how they’re used in puppetry! We’ll engage in an iterative process and think through problem-solving together. You’ll need a spoon, a cup, recycled materials, and a curious mind.
5/6 : Session 3: We’ll apply what we’ve learned in sessions one and two to create a puppet that waves hello! In this session, we’ll discuss methods of attachment, design feedback, and weight transfer. You’ll need recycled materials, newspaper, tape, a dowel or stick, and scissors.
Friday, 5/8: “Ask A Puppeteer!” with Abby Bosley and Tracy Becker
Have you ever wondered what it’s like to be a professional puppeteer? Now is your chance to ask soon-to-be UConn Puppet Arts graduates Tracy Becker and Abby Bosley any puppetry-related questions you might have! We encourage you to send questions in advance via email (bimp@uconn.edu) or Facebook! Tracy and Abby will also be showing off puppets they have made and explaining some of their favorite materials to use. Wednesday, 5/13: “Paper Fortune Teller Puppets” with Elise Vanase
Do you remember making paper fortune tellers in school? Come see how this classic game can be turned into a puppet! Recommended for ages 7+.
Materials needed: paper (preferably thicker); paint or markers; scissors; hot glue (best option, but glue stick or tape will also work)
Friday, 5/15: “Picasso-Inspired Abstract Masks” with Elise Vanase
Embrace the world of abstract in puppetry! Inspired by the iconic painted faces of Picasso, we will create funky handheld masks out of geometrical shapes. Anything goes in creating these—you can’t mess it up! Recommended for ages 7+.
Materials needed: cereal box/thin cardboard; paint; paint brushes; hot glue (best) or glue sticks; scissors
Wednesday, 5/20 and Friday, 5/22: “Two-Part Ping-Pong Ball Hand Puppet Workshop” with Elise Vanase
Hand puppetry doesn’t have to be complicated! In the first part of this series, learn how to make an effective hand puppet using just a ping-pong ball (or other available object) on your finger. We will also explore methods of personalizing this puppet! Hold on to what you created because in the second session of this series, we will explore performance techniques for these puppets using fun exercises! Recommended for ages 5+ (with adult supervision when using the X-Acto knife).
Materials needed: ping-pong ball (if you don’t have a ping-pong ball, you can sculpt a head using newspaper and masking tape!); X-Acto knife; things to decorate (such as permanent markers, paint, googly eyes, paper, yarn, etc.)
Wednesday, 5/27: “Colorful Coffee Filter Dancers” with Elise Vanase
Make a basic stop-motion figure out of coffee filters and pipe cleaners! Recommended for ages 5+.
Materials needed: pipe cleaners, scissors, coffee filters, elastic bands, tray/plate for coloring, markers, water, a stop-motion app (such as Stop Motion Studio https://www.cateater.com/, it has a free, basic version or paid plans)
Friday, 5/29: “Make a Milk Jug Head!” with Elise Vanase
Learn how to make a large puppet head with just a milk jug, paint, and a dash of creativity! Recommended for ages 5+.
Wednesday, 6/10: “Jellyfish Puppet Workshop” with UConn Puppet Arts senior Elise Vanase
Make an ethereal jellyfish with life-like movements out of just a paper bowl and a plastic bag! Recommended for ages 5+.
Materials needed: paper bowl, scissors, plastic bags, paint or markers, yarn, tape or hot glue
Friday, 6/12: “Make a Puppet of Your Pet!” with UConn Puppet Arts senior Elise Vanase
Do you love your pets as much as we do? Come make a rod puppet of one of them! Recommended for ages 7+.
Materials needed: newspaper, masking tape, paint, yarn or string, 3 one-foot-long sticks (chopsticks, skewers, unused pencils, or even straws will all work!)
Friday, 6/19: “Toilet Paper Roll Marionette Workshop” with UConn Puppet Arts senior Elise Vanase
Start making use of all of those finished toilet paper rolls and turn them into a marionette! Recommended for ages 6+.
Materials needed: two toilet paper rolls, spare cereal box cardboard, three popsicle sticks/skewers, hot glue, yarn/string, pipe cleaners, markers/paint
Wednesday, 6/24: “Cardboard Party!” with UConn Puppet Arts graduate student Felicia Cooper
Cardboard has unlimited possibilities! Learn methods of attachment, ways of folding, scoring, and slicing that can be used in a variety of ways! This will be an exploration of material and techniques, and we’ll build a simple puppet from a cereal box! Recommended for ages 8+ (or adult supervision-potential sharp stuff!).
Materials needed: cardboard, hot glue, tape, utility blade, scissors, water, and markers
Felicia is leading this workshop with the support of the Department of Economic and Community Development/Connecticut Office of the Arts.
Friday, 6/26: “Trash Monster Puppet Workshop” with UConn Puppet Arts senior Elise Vanase
Make a gnarly monster that looks like it came straight from the trash can (in a cool way!). Recommended for ages 8+.
Materials needed: two small cardboard boxes (granola bar boxes work well), newspaper, hot glue, masking tape, paint/markers, clean trash that can be used for decoration (plastic bags, garbage bags, bottles, cans, wrappers, etc!)
Wednesday, 7/1: “Paper Maché Workshop” with Ballard Institute graduate assistant and UConn Puppet Arts student Felicia Cooper
Paper maché and puppetry go together like PB&J. Paper Maché Professional Felicia Cooper will share her time-tested techniques. Recommended for ages 6+.
Materials needed: brown paper bags/craft paper, newspaper, toilet paper, cornstarch, vinegar, baking soda, white glue
Felicia is leading this workshop with the support of the Department of Economic and Community Development/Connecticut Office of the Arts.
Friday, 7/3: While no new workshop will be posted on Friday, 7/3, we encourage you to revisit past workshops posted on our Facebook and YouTube channel!
Wednesday, 7/8: “Direct Manipulation with Stuffed Animals!” with Abby Bosley (pre-recorded)
Join us for a pre-recorded workshop led by UConn Puppet Arts Program alumna Abby Bosley as she shows us how to turn your stuffed animals or toys into puppets! This workshop is a great two-person activity, so bring a friend! Recommended for ages 5+.
Materials needed: stuffed animals or toys (preferably ones that can be manipulated or moved)
Friday, 7/10: “Toy Theater Aquarium Workshop” with Elise Vanase
Don’t want the responsibility of owning fish? Come make your very own toy theater aquarium and fish out of a cereal box! Recommended for ages 7+.
Wednesday, 7/15: “Puppets for Demonstrations Workshop” with Felicia Cooper
With so many opportunities to use striking images, voices, and sounds in public spaces, here’s a way to make it even louder! Perfect for neighborhood parades or activist events in your community, puppets have been a significant part of public demonstrations throughout history! Recommended for ages 9+.
Materials needed: big sticks, paper maché, cardboard, tape, newspaper, scissors, glue, fabric, and an idea!
This workshop is made possible with support from the Department of Economic and Community Development, Connecticut Office of the Arts.
Friday, 7/17: “Nature Puppets Workshop” with Elise Vanase
Make some simple, beautiful puppets out of natural materials you can find in your own backyard! Recommended for ages 6+.
Materials needed: sticks, leaves, yarn, hot glue or tape, paint, googly eyes
Wednesday, 7/22: “Let’s Get Crankin!” with Felicia Cooper
A crankie uses a pulley system to create a scrolling image or moving panorama. Create an analogue movie to show your pals! Recommended for ages 7+.
Materials needed: paper (long scroll preferred, but pieces of paper taped together is okay too!), box, utility knife or scissors, tape, crayons/pencils/markers, dowels or sticks
This workshop is made possible with support from the Department of Economic and Community Development, Connecticut Office of the Arts.
Photo by Kitoko Chargois.
Friday, 7/24: “Fish Puppet Workshop” with Elise Vanase
Make a wriggly fish puppet that glides through the air with two control rods! Recommended for ages 6+.
Materials needed: egg carton, paint, hot glue, two sticks/skewers, yarn or string, scissors
Wednesday, 7/29: While no new workshop will be posted on Wednesday, 7/29, we encourage you to revisit past workshops posted on our Facebook and YouTube channel!
Friday, 7/31: “Edible Puppets Workshop” with Elise Vanase
Who said you shouldn’t play with your food? Make some puppets you can take a chomp out of! Recommended for ages 6+.
Friday, 8/7: “Ask a Puppeteer!” with Felicia Cooper and Elise Vanase
Ask Felicia Cooper, a UConn Puppet Arts graduate student, and Elise Vanase, a UConn Puppet Arts undergraduate student, all about being puppeteers and students during these trying times! They will be open to questions about materials, performance, and construction techniques as well as their experience as students of puppetry. They will discuss their upcoming projects this year in addition to how they will continue their studies effectively online. Recommended for ages 6+.
Materials needed: none!
Wednesday, 8/12: “Storybuilding Workshop” with Felicia Cooper
Puppets are a wonderful way to tell stories, but where to start? Take it from Felicia, certified Bad Writer™, how to put together stories that make sense. We’ll go over some exercises, ways to think about structure, and inspiration exaltation! Recommended for ages 5+.
Materials needed: timer or watch, note cards, pen, and paper
This workshop is made possible with support from the Department of Economic and Community Development, Connecticut Office of the Arts.
Friday, 8/14: “Literal Glove Puppet Workshop” with Elise Vanase
This isn’t your average glove puppet! Come make a funky puppet out of your recycled gloves. Recommended for ages 6+.
Materials needed: glove (rubber, cloth or dishwashing gloves all work), yarn, hot glue, googly eyes, permanent marker
Follow the Ballard Institute on Facebook, Twitter, orInstagram for updates on upcoming performances, forums, and workshops online!
Join the Ballard Institute for our tenth Summer 2020 Online Puppet Forum Series event on Facebook Live! These forums, hosted by Ballard Institute director and puppet historian John Bell, will consist of discussions with notable scholars and practitioners around the world about the past, present, and future of puppetry and puppetry studies.
On August 6 at 4 p.m. ET, join Ballard Institute director John Bell in a discussion with anthropologist Frank Proschan, editor of the ground-breaking 1983 issue of Semiotica, devoted to “puppets, masks, and performing objects”–the first time these forms received a cohesive scholarly analysis. They will discuss the legacy of this initial study of performing objects, as well as Dr. Proschan’s work as an ethnologist and folklorist in Southeast Asia, and his work helping implement UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage programs across the globe.
Frank Proschan is an anthropologist and folklorist who has worked as a curator at the Smithsonian Institution and a research professor at Indiana University. In 1983 he edited a special issue of Semiotica titled “Puppets, Masks, and Performing Objects from Semiotic Perspectives,” the first scholarly study of puppetry and object performance, which included essays by semioticians, puppet historians, anthropologists, and linguists. He has worked for decades with colleagues in Vietnam, Laos, Thailand, and Cambodia in collaborative research on languages, folklore, and ethnology, as well as conducting capacity building for safeguarding intangible cultural heritage and for museum development. In 2006, he took up a position at UNESCO, assisting in the global implementation of the 2003 Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage until his retirement in 2015. In 2019-20, Proschan was a Fulbright Scholar and visiting lecturer at the Department of Anthropology, University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vietnam National University of Hanoi.
Forums will be available afterwards on ourFacebook page andYouTube channel.
Join the Ballard Institute for our ninth Summer 2020 Online Puppet Forum Series event on Facebook Live! These forums, hosted by Ballard Institute director and puppet historian John Bell, will consist of discussions with notable scholars and practitioners around the world about the past, present, and future of puppetry and puppetry studies.
On July 30 at 4 p.m. ET, in a forum entitled “The Aesthetics of the Puppet,” Steve Tillis, author of the ground-breaking book Toward an Aesthetics of the Puppet , will speak with John Bell about the ways we understand puppetry’s relationships with actors theater, mass media, and other contemporary cultural phenomena; and how we have developed our understanding of puppetry as a theater art.
Steve Tillis began his career in puppet theatre with Dr. Edison’s Travelling Medicine Show, the “sole purveyors of Dr. Edison’s Electric Elixir, the great melancholia remedy.” Over the years he has worked with numerous puppet companies and found himself singing opera in Humperdinck’s Hansel and Gretel and dancing ballet in Ravel’s L’enfant et les sortilèges. He received his Ph.D. in Dramatic Arts from the University of California, Berkeley, and, in addition to Toward an Aesthetics of the Puppet, is the author of Rethinking Folk Drama and the forthcoming The Challenge of World Theatre History. Professor Tillis teaches at Saint Mary’s College of California.
Forums will be available afterwards on ourFacebook page andYouTube channel.
Join the Ballard Institute for our eighth Summer 2020 Online Puppet Forum Series event on Facebook. These forums, hosted by Ballard Institute director and puppet historian John Bell, will consist of discussions with notable scholars and practitioners around the world about the past, present, and future of puppetry and puppetry studies.
In a pre-recorded forum released on July 23 at 4 p.m. ET entitled “Puppetry, Anthropology, and Animation” Teri Silvio will speak with John Bell about the intersections of Chinese hand-puppet traditions, Japanese manga and anime, cosplay, religion, fan culture, and Pili Multimedia Company’s globally popular Thunderbolt Fantasy series.
Teri Silvio is an associate research fellow at the Institute of Ethnology, Academia Sinica in Taipei, Taiwan. She has conducted ethnographic research on puppetry, animation, design, fandoms, theater, and gender and sexuality in Taiwan, Hong Kong, China, and Southeast Asia. Her most recent book is Puppets, Gods, and Brands: Theorizing the Age of Animation from Taiwan.
Forums will be available afterwards on ourFacebook page andYouTube channel.
Join the Ballard Institute for our sixth Summer 2020 Online Puppet Forum Series event on Facebook Live! These forums, hosted by Ballard Institute director and puppet historian John Bell, will consist of discussions with notable scholars and practitioners around the world about the past, present, and future of puppetry and puppetry studies.
On July 16 at 4 p.m. ET, in a forum entitled “A Long and Unexpected Love Affair (with Puppetry),” puppeteer and scholar Penny Francis will speak with John Bell about her work creating the Puppet Centre Trust in London, her book Puppetry, a Reader in Theatre Practice; her translation of Henryk Jurkowski’s ground-breaking History of European Puppetry; her puppetry teaching at London’s famed Central School of Speech and Drama; and her long-standing work with the international puppetry organization UNIMA.
Penny Francis is England’s pre-eminent figure in the international world of puppetry. A longtime teacher at London’s Central School of Speech and Drama puppet program, she is also the author, editor, and translator of many acclaimed books and publications about puppetry, and has played an essential role in the work of UNIMA, the world puppetry organization. Queen Elizabeth II decorated her as a Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (M.B.E.) for her services to puppetry in 1998.
Forums will be available afterwards on ourFacebook page andYouTube channel.
Join the Ballard Institute for our sixth Summer 2020 Online Puppet Forum Series event on Facebook Live! These forums, hosted by Ballard Institute director and puppet historian John Bell, will consist of discussions with notable scholars and practitioners around the world about the past, present, and future of puppetry and puppetry studies.
On July 9 at 4 p.m. ET, in a forum entitled “Woman Behind the Shadows: My Journey with Puppets and Tradition in Bali and Beyond,” Professor Jennifer Goodlander of Indiana University will speak with John Bell about her research on traditional and contemporary puppetry in Bali, including the roles of women in the form, and how puppetry in helps define cultural and national identity in Southeast Asia.
Jennifer Goodlander is an Associate Professor at Indiana University in the Department of Comparative Literature, where she teaches classes on Indonesian and global theater, literature, and other arts. Jennifer has published numerous articles and two books: Women in the Shadows: Gender, Puppets, and the Power of Tradition in Bali (Ohio University Press, 2016), and Puppets and Cities: Articulating Identities in Southeast Asia (Bloomsbury Methuen Drama, 2018). Her current research looks at transnational Southeast Asian identities as expressed in performance, literature, and art. Jennifer is also the current President for the Association of Asian Performance.
Forums will be available afterwards on ourFacebook page andYouTube channel.
Join the Ballard Institute for our fifth Summer 2020 Online Puppet Forum Series event on Facebook Live! These forums, hosted by Ballard Institute director and puppet historian John Bell, will consist of discussions with notable scholars and practitioners around the world about the past, present, and future of puppetry and puppetry studies.
On July 2 at 4 p.m. ET, in a forum entitled “Thinking through the Puppet,” Professor Claudia Orenstein of Hunter College and CUNY Graduate Center will speak with John Bell about her research on women in puppetry, puppets and spirituality, contemporary Indian puppetry, how people watch and understand puppet performance, and how puppetry studies might be taught.
Claudia Orenstein is Professor of Theatre at Hunter College and the Graduate Center, CUNY. She has spent over a decade writing on contemporary and traditional puppetry in the US and Asia, and her recent publications include the co-edited volumes Women and Puppetry (with Alissa Mello and Cariad Astles,) and The Routledge Companion to Puppetry and Material Performance (with John Bell and Dassia Posner). With John Bell she has co-organized three editions of the Critical Exchange forum series at Puppeteers of American National Festivals; and with Dassia Posner, Alissa Mello, and Lawrence Switzky, heads up the Puppetry and Material Performance Working Group for the Association for Theatre in Higher Education.
Forums will be available afterwards on ourFacebook page andYouTube channel.
We’ve spent so much time this summer building puppets! Let’s let them do what they do best
Painting is an important part of the puppet-making process! Learn how to effectively paint a puppet for theater, as well as how to create cool textures with what you have around the house. Recommended ages 4+.
Using paper, tape, and scissors, create fun and funky characters! Recommended for ages 4+.
Make and perform a miniature 2-D puppet spectacle about anything your heart desires, using household materials and re-purposed images. See Great Small Works’ “Short, Entertaining History of Toy Theater” here: 
Make a simple dinosaur or dragon string puppet using things you have laying around your home. Recommended for ages 7+ (adult help may be required as there may be poking sharp things into paper or plastic cups).
Have you ever made hand shadows on a wall? Learn how to create hand shadow shows with shadow people, animals, and more! Recommended for ages 5+.
Make and perform simple paper shadow puppets with materials you already have at home! Recommended for ages 6+.
Use household objects to explore movement, expression, and storytelling! We’ll discover movement patterns and gesture, working towards character development. Recommended for ages 6+.
Make a simple rod puppet with materials you have lying around your home! Recommended for ages 6+.
Make a fun sock puppet with your stray socks and a few items you can find around your house! Recommended for ages 6+.
Learn to make two different types of masks: one using folded paper or cardboard and one that is made up of just a single cereal box and glue! Recommended for ages 5+.
Learn how to make your very own stop-motion movie at home! Recommended for ages 5+.
Join us online on Wednesday 4/29, Friday 5/1, and Wednesday 5/6 for a three-session exploration of STEAM in Puppetry! The culmination of an independent study by graduate student Felicia Cooper, these workshops will give an overview of the engineering principles that appear in the puppet design process. Learn about simple machines, methods of attachment, three-dimensional sketching, and using repurposed materials. In the spirit of the maker movement, we will engage in the iterative process and creative thinking as we celebrate the intersection of puppetry and STEAM education! Participate in one, two, or all three of the sessions. Recommended for ages 7+.
Have you ever wondered what it’s like to be a professional puppeteer? Now is your chance to ask soon-to-be UConn Puppet Arts graduates Tracy Becker and Abby Bosley any puppetry-related questions you might have! We encourage you to send questions in advance via email (
Do you remember making paper fortune tellers in school? Come see how this classic game can be turned into a puppet! 
Embrace the world of abstract in puppetry! Inspired by the iconic painted faces of Picasso, we will create funky handheld masks out of geometrical shapes. Anything goes in creating these—you can’t mess it up! 
Hand puppetry doesn’t have to be complicated! In the first part of this series, learn how to make an effective hand puppet using just a ping-pong ball (or other available object) on your finger. We will also explore methods of personalizing this puppet! Hold on to what you created because in the second session of this series, we will explore performance techniques for these puppets using fun exercises! Recommended for ages 5+ (with adult supervision when using the X-Acto knife).
Hold on to your empty cardboard egg cartons, because they can be cut up and rearranged into interesting puppet heads! Recommended for ages 5+.
Make an ethereal jellyfish with life-like movements out of just a paper bowl and a plastic bag! Recommended for ages 5+.
Do you love your pets as much as we do? Come make a rod puppet of one of them! Recommended for ages 7+.
Did you used to pretend that your clothespins could speak? Come turn them into talking puppets with us! Recommended for ages 4+.
Start making use of all of those finished toilet paper rolls and turn them into a marionette! Recommended for ages 6+.
Make a gnarly monster that looks like it came straight from the trash can (in a cool way!). Recommended for ages 8+.
Paper mach
Don’t want the responsibility of owning fish? Come make your very own toy theater aquarium and fish out of a cereal box! Recommended for ages 7+.
With so many opportunities to use striking images, voices, and sounds in public spaces, here’s a way to make it even louder! Perfect for neighborhood parades or activist events in your community, puppets have been a significant part of public demonstrations throughout history! Recommended for ages 9+.
Make some simple, beautiful puppets out of natural materials you can find in your own backyard! Recommended for ages 6+.
A crankie uses a pulley system to create a scrolling image or moving panorama. Create an analogue movie to show your pals! Recommended for ages 7+.
Make a wriggly fish puppet that glides through the air with two control rods! Recommended for ages 6+.
Who said you shouldn’t play with your food? Make some puppets you can take a chomp out of! Recommended for ages 6+.
This isn’t your average glove puppet! Come make a funky puppet out of your recycled gloves. Recommended for ages 6+.