The Ballard Institute is currently offering workshops in a number of puppetry styles for groups of children and adults. Our workshops are conducive to educators seeking new and inventive ways to incorporate puppetry into their teaching methods, and to student organizations looking to learn more about how to build and manipulate puppets.
Included in our workshops is a tour of the museum exhibits. The workshops can be tailored to suit any age group. We can comfortably accommodate up to 20 students, though have hosted groups as small as 5 and as large as 50. If you would like more information, or to schedule an event with the Ballard Institute, please e-mail Anna at bimp@uconn.edu.
TOY THEATER: Historically, toy theatres were popular in staging operas and large theatre productions in miniature, but they are still a very vibrant style of puppetry today. Students will learn about the history of toy theatres, have the chance to build simple toy theatres of their own, and learn how this form of puppetry can be a powerful and entertaining way to tell stories. Students are asked to bring a cardboard box (no smaller than shoe box size). 2-3 hours, 15 per student
ROD PUPPETS: Students will learn a way to build charming rod puppets out of simple materials. They will learn the basics of how to manipulate them to express emotions and tell stories, and have the chance to create short performances to present to the group. 2 hours, $12 per student
HAND PUPPETS: Students will learn a fun way to make hand puppets. They will learn the basics of speaking and expressing emotions with their hand puppets, and will have the chance to create short performances to present to the group. 2 hours, $10 per student
SHADOW PUPPETS: Shadow puppetry is a very traditional form of puppetry that has existed for hundreds of years in many parts of the world. Students will learn a bit about shadow puppet traditions, have the chance to create simple puppets of their own, and will learn the basics of how to manipulate them using an overhead projector–a popular style of shadow puppetry pioneered here at the UConn Puppet Arts program. 2 hours, $10 per student
MASK-MAKING: Masks are often used in teaching about puppetry because they help performers to understand how to tell stories using their whole bodies, like a puppet would. Students will make masks out of simple materials, practice expressing emotions without words, and have a chance to share their creations with the group. 2-3 hours, $10 per studen