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At Collaboraction Theatre, MSLCE Student John Hounihan Sees the Intersection of Arts and Administration Firsthand

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By John Hounihan

Collaboraction Theatre is a mid-size theatre in Wicker Park with a unique take on art and politics: Collaboraction inspires social change through original devised theatre and community engagement that cultivates knowledge, dialogue, and action around Chicago’s most critical social issues.

Collaboraction Theatre, along with the for hire and studio space arms of the organization, makes for a dynamic and flexible organization with very interesting day to day operations. So interesting that it makes for a great spot for a summer internship. (more…)

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A Look at Entrepreneurship with Gregg Latterman

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By Jacob Nelson

Today, we spotlight Gregg Latterman, an MSLCE Adjunct Lecturer, and the Program Lead of Zell Fellows. Latterman’s had an incredibly successful career in arts entrepreneurship, which he drew on during our interview to share advice for aspiring entrepreneurs.

What is the most important skill for an aspiring entrepreneur?

The most important thing is to have an intense drive and passion for what you’re doing. You have to look at it that what you’re doing is something that’s great, it’s what you believe in, and there’s nothing that’s going to stop you from getting it done. It’s the only way to make things work. I started a record label, and I was so driven by what I was doing that nothing would get in my way. It wouldn’t have mattered if someone had said, “You can’t do this,” I didn’t know anything other than I was going to get it done. It’s really the only way to succeed because there are going to be a ton of setbacks. You’re going to get frustrated. That’s part of the journey of the entrepreneur.  (more…)

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MSLCE Students Tackle Teamwork During Collaboration Workshop

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By John Hounihan

When we think of collaborations in the arts, we often think of artistic meetups – two musicians creating a record together or great stage actors tackling a big name play. In reality, though, collaboration in the arts come in a lot of different shapes and sizes.

On the administrative leadership side, collaboration is all about teaming. How do we bring together professionals from widely different backgrounds to meet the needs of an organization efficiently and effectively? (more…)

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MSLCE Student Leslie Zhu Begins Summer Internship at MCA

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Photo credit: Isa Giallorenzo


By Leslie Zhu

The first thing I did after I moved to the Chicago area was to find a contemporary art museum in the city. I still cannot come up with a concrete answer to why I am so enchanted by them. I grew up in a family with no one related to art, and I never imagined this could one day be my career. I guess sometimes there is just no way to explain the impulse.

Eight months later, I am now sitting in the office at the Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago as a social media intern. Everything still seems to be surreal and exciting, and I am still a little “awkward” in the new time and space. (more…)

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MSLCE Student Paige Lester Begins Internship at Turnaround Arts

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By Paige Lester

Greetings from our nation’s capital, Washington, D.C.! I am thrilled to be spending my summer here interning with Turnaround Arts, a program of The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.

At its core, Turnaround Arts focuses on school reform; they are currently in partnership with approximately 70 public schools across the country that are designated priority status (among the lowest performing 5% in that state). In those schools, they work with local coordinators, principals, teachers, teaching artists, and celebrity artists to integrate arts of all kinds into the curriculum, aiming to “turnaround” not only the school, but the entire community.

So, where do I fit into all of this? (more…)

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MSLCE Student Joe Giovannetti Begins Summer Internship at La Jolla Playhouse

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By Joe Giovannetti

The La Jolla Playhouse is a regional theatre just north of San Diego, California, with an ambitious mission: “La Jolla Playhouse advances theatre as an art form and as a vital social, moral and political platform by providing unfettered creative opportunities for the leading artists of today and tomorrow. With our youthful spirit and eclectic, artist-driven approach we will continue to cultivate a local and national following with an insatiable appetite for audacious and diverse work.”

This is the theatre where I will be completing my internship this summer!
(more…)

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MSLCE Course Puts Globalization in Sociological Perspective

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By Leslie Zhu

Growing up, “globalization” meant a geography class with an international focus. But as an international student studying in the U.S., globalization has morphed into the process by which I submerge myself into this diverse country. So what is globalization, really? Through the MSLCE Culture and Globalization course, I found the answer comprises more contexts than I thought before.

A physical location is a synthesis of all the elements that support people’s lives. In the frame of creative fields, a place could include fashion, television, music, movies, fine arts, and the high-end food industry. In this smaller and smaller world, globalization tells the relationships and the synergy among all the different locations. Also, it is also about how different places still keep their characteristics when assimilation is the dominant trend. (more…)

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MSLCE Students Work with Transcultural Exchange in Nonprofit Organization Course

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By Leslie Zhu

“I really like that we can work on a project that is associated with a real nonprofit organization”, said Joe Giovenetti during the last meeting of our Cultural Nonprofit Organizations course. Most students feel the same way.

This course was distinct from our other classes. Our assignment came from an actual client, the Transcultural Exchange, and the whole class worked on it as one team. (more…)

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Northwestern Professor Rick Kolsky Offers Students Invaluable Insight in Brand Management

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By John Hounihan

Conversation. Insight. Problem Solving.

Any MSLCE student will tell you that these are some of Professor Rick Kolsky’s tools for marketing strategy. A bonafide player in the marketing consultation world, his stories of Smucker’s and Discovery Kids bring with them not only the theory of effective brand management and marketing, but the experience of someone who has been in the room for big marketing decisions. (more…)

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Gail Berger Pushes MSLCE Students to Create Their Own Visions for Leadership

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By Joe Giovannetti

“What makes a great leader?”

The students of the MSLCE 2016-2017 cohort pondered this question on the first day of their spring semester elective, “Leading Creative Teams.” Many of the students were excited to enroll in this class, after first meeting Gail Berger in the fall for a Professional Teamwork Seminar. Now, in that moment, they worked together to come up with a list of qualities that make a great leader, and those that make a “not-so-great” leader.
(more…)

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