Ballard Institute and Museum of Puppetry Hosts Free Tours and Performances

As part of UConn Family Weekend, join Ballard Institute and Museum of Puppetry staff for free exhibit tours at noon, 2 p.m., and 4 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 14 and Sunday, Oct. 15. Each day will also feature short performances by UConn Puppet Arts graduate students Carrie Fowler (Saturday) and Tom Tuke (Sunday) at 1 p.m., 3 p.m., and 5 p.m. All events will take place at the Ballard Institute, located at 1 Royce Circle in Downtown Storrs.

Free museum tours will highlight two exhibitions: The World of Puppetry: From the Collections of the Ballard Institute and Tradition and Revolution in Indian Shadow Puppetry. The World of Puppetry displays the global scope of the artform and the rich variety of the Ballard Institute’s collection. Tradition and Revolution celebrates the spectacular South Indian shadow puppet traditions of Tolu Bommalatta and Tholpavakoothu, as well as recent innovations reflecting the changing nature of these forms.

Each day will also include a short performance (approximately 30 minutes) by UConn Puppet Arts graduate students at 1 p.m., 3 p.m., and 5 p.m. On Saturday, Oct. 14, Carrie Fowler will perform Puppets en Pointe, which features ballet-themed pieces in multiple puppetry media. On Sunday, Oct. 15, Tom Tuke will perform Paloma and the Retreat of Death, a tragicomic hand-puppet show.

Reservations are not required. Seating for performances is on a first come, first served basis. For more information, or if you require accommodation to attend this event, please contact Ballard Institute staff at 860.486.8580 or bimp@uconn.edu.

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