Puppet Arts Vision Statement

The mission of the Puppet Arts Program at the University of Connecticut is to awaken artists and develop leaders in all aspects of the performing arts. With attention to history, theory, and practice the Puppet Arts student develops a vivid imagination, a curiosity for human relationships and a fearless approach toward creative expression.

With innovative classes in performance, directing, technique, design, technology, fabrication, history, production and devising, the faculty of the Puppet Arts Program empowers the students to discover their own artistic voice. This inquiry is supplemented with courses available in the Department of Dramatic Arts and the university.

Through collaboration with the Connecticut Repertory Theater our students gain immediate opportunities to work with peers and professionals from other theatrical disciplines in a practical setting. Additionally, local, regional, national, and international partnerships in theatre, film, television and digital media afford our students and alumni the opportunity to join the global artistic community and to push beyond established boundaries to explore the future possibilities of the Theatre at large.

In conjunction with the Ballard Institute and Museum of Puppetry (BIMP), students participate in acclaimed forums, symposia and international conferences. Puppet Slams, professional performances and student productions provide opportunities to hone the relationship between Creator and Audience. Exhibits drawn from BIMP’s collection of more than 3,000 artifacts, as well as invited and touring exhibitions complement the Puppet Arts Program’s curricular pursuits. The combined libraries of BIMP and the Puppet Arts Program, and their primary source video, digital and paper archives, give the Puppet Arts student access to field related research, which is unequaled in the United States.

It is the desire of the Puppet Arts Program to see our graduating students step into their professional careers with passion and conviction, as well as a confidence in their ability to take on the challenges that lie ahead of them. Alumni of the program form their own touring companies and perform before audiences around the world; they work on Broadway and off-Broadway stages; they contribute to and produce movies alongside the gurus of hi-tech, special effects cinema; they entertain us with television programs and specials; they help business and
industry present new ideas and sell products; they write and illustrate books; they teach our children to read, count and learn how to care for themselves and each other; they develop vibrant educational programs for both teachers and students; they design toys; they discover breakthrough applications in therapy; and they even direct internationally renowned schools and museums.

The efforts of the University of Connecticut’s Puppet Arts Program revolve around the ability to connect and sustain, to dream and imagine. With passion for discovery, innovation and excellence our students endeavor to express the infinite facets of the human experience through the art of the puppet.