By Miya Williams Fayne
Jing Zhang’s parents encouraged her to play an instrument as a child as they believed it would positively impact her future. At eight years old she chose the Chinese zither, a traditional string instrument, and has been playing ever since. She loves that playing an instrument makes people “more sensitive” and opens up areas for personal discovery. “It is a really good way for me to share my personality,” she said. “My passion for music will always be there.”
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Blog
By Thomas Wall
What do the famous shower scene from Alfred Hitchcock’s Pyscho and baby lotion have in common? More than you might think.
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By Brenna C. Cronin
A significant theme in our Master of Science in Leadership for Creative Enterprises (MSLCE) coursework this fall is the power of pathways and networks. On Thursday, October 18, our cohort, along with a number of others, attended a Speaker Series event with three titans of the film industry. Each accomplished in their own right, they spoke to the unique and varied paths they took that brought them all to a similar place—leading with influence, creativity, and passion.
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By Miya Williams Fayne
Claudia Encinas grew up in a musical family. Both of her parents are classical musicians and she often attended their concerts and spent time backstage during rehearsals. “Music was and is my entire world since birth,” she said.
By Alyssa Holcomb
A panel full of creative content connoisseurs shared their insight on the film and television industry in the “Creative Writing Panel | Content, Creativity and Change: The Future of Entertainment.” The event, hosted in the Norris Center, was open to School of Communication students (including the MSLCE cohort) interested in content and the constantly evolving industry.
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By Miya Williams Fayne
Hannah Arata’s childhood was “very saturated in the arts.” She pursued her interest in music by attending musical theatre camp and playing saxophone. She also enjoyed dance, writing and painting classes. These experiences helped lead her to her career interest in arts nonprofits.
“The arts have always been an integral part of shaping who I am,” she said in a recent interview. “So it’s a natural step forward for me to pursue a career path within this field.” (more…)
By Daniel Grambow
Last weekend Chicago brought the world’s brightest talents to the screen at the 54th Chicago International Film Festival. In partnership with The Illinois Film Office, Chicago Film Office and IFP Chicago, the festival hosted Industry Days alongside a myriad of films, documentaries and virtual reality experiences. If you ever wanted to know how to pitch a concept, distribute your film independently, raise your seed money or even explore the worlds of virtual reality, Industry Days was the ticket for you. (more…)
By Tate Glover
When I started working at Lucky Plush Productions at the beginning of this past summer, I was excited to learn more about the inner workings of a nonprofit arts organization. What I didn’t expect was how invested and interested I would become, not only in the well-being of the company, but in the people who support and are supported by the work Lucky Plush produces. (more…)
By Nick Roman
My internship with Lookingglass Theatre Company this past summer was nothing short of amazing. My primary goal with this experience was to reinforce and leverage my professional background in arts education and develop new skill sets by working across several departments of the organization. Not only did I provide administrative support in operations for Lookingglass’ theatre education summer programs serving 300 families, but I also worked on a strategic plan with Marketing, data collection with Development, and observed weekly financial operations with the Business Office.
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By Adrian Alea
This summer, I have had the opportunity to act as the Community Impact Coordinator for The Public Theater’s Public Works production of Twelfth Night which featured a community ensemble of over 100 artists from all five Boroughs of New York City. It’s been beautiful to see how the community ensemble has transformed over the course of a 4-week rehearsal period and 5-week run. I am so grateful to be a part of this community and vision of a unified city.
More Photos from Adrian’s experience below!
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