The Ballard Institute Hosts A Conference Celebrating Dr. John Bell

The Ballard Institute and Museum of Puppetry at the University of Connecticut will 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.

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.