Building Night Fall: Community Storytelling Through UpCycled Art & Puppetry Forum at Ballard Institute and Museum of Puppetry

A discussion with Jeanika Browne-Springer, Bryan Swormstedt, and Alfi Free about the making of Night Fall, Hartford's annual free public production. Moderated by Ballard Institute Interim Artistic Director Matt Sorensen, the forum explores how Night Fall reflects the cultural richness of Hartford through artistic collaboration, community engagement, and performances. Panelists discuss the scripting and design process, including creative reuse of materials to build sets, props, and puppets, plus how artists and community members collaborate on language-free performances examining environmental shifts and complex emotions.