The Ballard Institute and Museum of Puppetry and the UConn Puppet Arts Program will present, for the very first time, an online version of its popular UConn Fall Puppet Slam on Friday, Sept. 25, 2020 at 8 p.m. ET on the Ballard Institute and Museum of Puppetry Facebook Live (facebook.com/BallardInstitute/). The 2020 UConn Fall Puppet Slam: Online! will feature short works by professional puppeteers and performers from around the United States and across the world, including Linda Wingerter of the Stringpullers Puppet Company, Flock Theatre, Campfire Tales, House of Funny Noises, and new works by UConn Puppet Arts students and recent alumni.

The 2020 UConn Fall Puppet Slam: Online! will showcase the work of Campfire Tales, a transcontinental company made up of Ali DeRegt, Emma Fisher, and Monica Ila; the UK-based company House of Funny Noises; Derron Wood and Flock Theatre of New London, Connecticut; Bonnie Kim of Keaau, Hawaii; Florida-based puppeteer Jack Fields; Linda Wingerter of the Stringpullers Puppet Company; and UConn Puppet Arts alumni Maggie Flanagan, Esme Roszel, and Austin Costello.

The UConn Fall Puppet Slam will also feature new works by UConn graduate and undergraduate students from the UConn Puppet Arts Program. Funding for the UConn Fall Puppet Slam: Online! is made possible in part by the Puppet Slam Network.

The UConn Fall Puppet Slam is free, but donations are greatly appreciated. These performances are recommended for mature audiences. The UConn Fall Puppet Slam will be available through Oct. 31, 2020 on the Ballard Institute and Museum of Puppetry Facebook page (facebook.com/BallardInstitute/) and the Ballard Institute YouTube channel (youtube.com/channel/UC3VSthEDnYS6ZjOwzT1DnTg). 

For more information about these performances, please contact Ballard Institute staff at 860-486-8580 or bimp@uconn.edu.

For its first online installment of the 2020 Fall Puppet Forum Series the Ballard Institute and Museum of Puppetry at the University of Connecticut will host “Out of the Shadows: the Henson International Puppet Festivals” with Leslee Asch on September 17 at 7 p.m. ET. This forum will take place on Facebook Live (facebook.com/BallardInstitute/) and will be available afterwards on Facebook and the Ballard Institute and Museum of Puppetry YouTube Channel (youtube.com/channel/UC3VSthEDnYS6ZjOwzT1DnTg).

Join famed puppeteer Leslee Asch and Ballard Institute Director John Bell for an in-depth discussion about her new book Out of the Shadows: The Henson Festivals And Their Impact on Contemporary Puppet Theater. Between 1992 and 2000, the Jim Henson Foundation hosted five International Festivals of Puppet Theater in New York City, and developed a national touring program. The Jim Henson Foundation’s International Puppet Festivals brought puppet theater into mainstream American theater. Leslee Asch served as Producing Director, working with Jim’s daughter Cheryl, who served as Executive Producer, to present five award-winning festivals that would equal European festivals and put U.S. puppet artists on the international stage. This year marks the 20th anniversary of the last Henson Festival and the 30th Anniversary of Jim Henson’s death. Taking this timely opportunity for reflection and drawing from a wealth of first-hand experience, in Out of the Shadows Asch presents a visually rich narrative of the festivals and their continued legacy, including a comprehensive look at the contemporary puppet theater landscape. This forum is co-sponsored by the UConn Arts Leadership and Cultural Management program (sfa.uconn.edu/arts-leadership-cultural-mgmt/).

Leslee Asch began her career as a puppet builder and went on to serve as the Director of Exhibitions for Jim Henson Productions, curating and managing exhibitions world-wide. Asch later worked as the Executive Director of the Jim Henson Foundation and Producing Director of the Henson International Festivals of Puppet Theater. Asch has been a long-time trustee of the Jim Henson Foundation. She is a recognized expert in the field and has published articles and catalogs on the subject, including The Art of Contemporary Puppet Theater, for the Katonah Museum of Art.

For more information and to learn about other online programming, email bimp@uconn.edu.

The Ballard Institute and Museum of Puppetry will offer free online toy theater workshops to design and build scenes for a new Women’s Suffrage Puppet Pageant to be performed Saturday, September 26 at 4 p.m. on the Ballard Institute’s Facebook Live as part of the reimagined 17th annual Celebrate Mansfield Festival.

These free theater workshops will take place Saturday and Sunday, September 19 and 20 via Zoom. Registrants will build puppets and theaters on Saturday, Sept. 19 from 10 a.m. to noon ET, and then learn to perform and share their work with other participants on Sunday, Sept. 20 from 2 to 4 p.m. ET. Workshop participants will be invited to perform their short toy theater shows (three to five minutes) in the community Women’s Suffrage Puppet Pageant on Saturday, September 26 at 4 p.m. on Facebook Live.

The theme for this year’s Ballard Institute community pageant for the Celebrate Mansfield Festival is a celebration of the women’s suffrage movement. The year 2020 marks the 100th anniversary of the passage of the 19th Amendment in the United States, which guarantees and protects women’s constitutional right to vote. The Ballard Institute would like to use this anniversary to acknowledge the complex history of the women’s suffrage movement, and leadership of women of color, Native women, working-class women, and immigrant women in the struggle for suffrage; as well as the movement’s intersections with abolitionism and other movements. To honor this milestone we propose to celebrate women’s suffrage heroes and achievements around the world, including Ida B. Wells, Mabel Ping-Hua Lee, Jovita Idar, Zitkala-Sa, Isabella Beecher Hooker, Susan B. Anthony and others, noting the successes of the movement, and also its challenges in the face of racism and the strong forces opposed to suffrage.

No experience is necessary to participate in this two-part toy theater workshop and all ages may participate (adult supervision and assistance is required for children). There is no fee to participate (although donations are greatly appreciated!). Registration will be required by Wednesday, September 16. To register for the workshop, please fill out the registration form found below or here: https://forms.gle/ZcfLxmx9dBc1AiSZ6. Workshop registration will be limited.

This community puppet project is sponsored by the Ballard Institute and Museum of Puppetry at the University of Connecticut and the Mansfield Downtown Partnership, Inc. For more information about the 17th Annual Celebrate Mansfield Festival, visit downtownstorrsfestival.org.

While the Ballard Institute and Museum of Puppetry is closed to visitors, we still want to bring you exciting puppetry-related events online!

We will offer short, puppet-building and craft workshops via Facebook Live every Wednesday and Friday at 2 p.m. ET!

All past workshops are available on our website, Facebook and YouTube.

Upcoming Workshops: 

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+.

Materials needed: paper, tape, scissors, markers, crayons, pencils

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. 

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!)

Wednesday, 6/17: “Clothespin Puppet Workshop” with UConn Puppet Arts senior Elise Vanase

Did you used to pretend that your clothespins could speak? Come turn them into talking puppets with us! Recommended for ages 4+.

Materials needed: cereal box cardboard, hot glue, paint/markers, pipe cleaners, yarn, clothespins

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, 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+.

Materials needed: cereal box, scissors, paint/markers, hot glue, tape, pipe cleaners

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

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 our Facebook page and YouTube channel.