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Sarah S

- Research Program Mentor

MA at Carnegie Mellon University

Expertise

Business, Marketing, Social Media Marketing, Social Media Marketing, Public Relations,Playwriting, theatre for social change

Bio

I'm Sarah Schreck, a digital marketing professional with experience working in the non-profit arts sector. I graduated from the University of Central Florida after completing an undergraduate thesis exploring the impact of public relations practices on theatre audiences, and after seeing through the production of multiple original plays. I am eager to share my knowledge of these processes. In graduate school at Carnegie Mellon University, I studied arts management with a focus on marketing for non-profits. I worked full time at a non-profit arts organization for a few years, and part-time at other institutions during those years, before moving to New Haven and making the switch to a digital paid ads agency. It's no surprise to learn that I love the arts and seeing shows, but my hobbies also include practicing yoga, rock climbing, or cooking the most unusual things I can find at the grocery store. I love mentoring young playwrights (or young people doing pretty much anything), fostering connections between strangers, and learning about immersive marketing and entertainment.

Project ideas

Project ideas are meant to help inspire student thinking about their own project. Students are in the driver seat of their research and are free to use any or none of the ideas shared by their mentors.

Comprehensive Marketing Campaign

If you have passion for connecting people with products, services, or experiences they'll love, you may want to explore creating a comprehensive marketing campaign! As a student, you may want to tailor this to an industry you care about, or find a local business you can work with to get real-time feedback and hands-on experience. A comprehensive marketing campaign may include: - A product or service analysis for what you're promoting - A SWOT analysis of marketing elements - A target audience analysis - Marketing goals, objectives, and strategies - A budget and analysis of key metrics to measure success - Creative deliverables (billboards, radio ads, press releases, etc.) - Process reflection You'll learn a lot by doing in a project like this, adding in bits of research along the way.

Write a 10-Minute or One-Act Play

Ten minutes doesn't sound like much time - and it's not too many pages, either. However, a ten minute play can be in the works for months before it realizes its potential as a highly concentrated theatrical work. The same can be said for a one-act of 40 minutes or less. A student interested in writing a short theatrical work may expect to: - Explore the basics of playwriting, major tenants of theatre history, and the context in which the student writes (this is what is known as dramaturgy) - Conduct research concerning their chosen setting or context for a play - Extensively, creatively, brainstorm and challenge convention - Write the play, of course - Edit the work based on feedback from professional sources, and/or anticipated audiences - Learn the standards of formatting convention for playwriting - Witness a reading of the work and take note of its impact and opportunities for growth - Be encouraged to share the work on the National New Play Exchange, or a different platform or publisher of choice This experience may be challenging, but the project may also be exceptionally rewarding. Whether a lighthearted piece or a somber one, there is much to be gained in seeing one’s imaginary friends take to the stage!

Graphic Design Activism Coffee Table Book

Let's say you enjoy traveling the world, and have a passion for the environment and graphic design. What better way to celebrate your interests than to design a coffee table book with great information about ecotourism? You'll study different aspects of tourism, ecology, and the wonders of the world, while learning how to construct a digital book, ready to be printed and perched in your living room.

Crisis Communication Case Study Analysis

When something big goes wrong in your organization, how do you handle it? Expert crisis communicators know how to handle the most dramatic situations, and you'll find them working at - or consulting for - some of the largest businesses in the world. The bigger they are, the harder they may - or may not - fall. A crisis communication case study is a research project analyzing one or more crises experienced by a public organization using different public relations and advertising techniques to come to conclusions about strengths and weaknesses of the recovery effort. This is a writing-heavy project that should leave the researcher with a broad set of tools and knowledge for handling communications in a time of crisis.

Teaching experience

My prior teaching experience involves: 1) Guest lecturing in graduate school and undergraduate settings regarding social media marketing 2) Brief mentorship for competitors in the International Thespian Society as part of feedback in the areas of vocal performance, production marketing, and playwriting 3) Theatre for social change and playwriting for students in elementary and middle school in a summer camp setting I've also given a TEDx talk about parasocial relationships!

Credentials

Work experience

The Swell Squad at IMPACT (2023 - Current)
Designer
Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council (2018 - 2022)
Marketing Manager
Orlando Fringe Festival (2017 - 2017)
Festival Administrative Intern
Crank Communications (2015 - 2016)
Social Media Manager

Education

University of Central Florida
BA Bachelor of Arts (2018)
Majors: Advertising and Public Relations, Theatre Studies. Minors: Creative Writing (Script), Performing Arts Administration
Carnegie Mellon University
MA Master of Arts
Arts Management

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