I am a communications consultant and trainer.
Originally from Ryazan, Russia, I am now living in Portugal. I work with startups, NGOs and activist groups from around the world, helping them reach and engage their audiences.
I do online and offline workshops, strategic planning sessions, consultancies and mentorship for non-profits and social startups.
I equally enjoy working with large and renowned international organisations and newly establish local initiatives.
What I Do
Some articles on communication strategy I wrote for for TE-ST.
An Interview on anti-war campaign strategy I did with human rights activist Igor Blazevic in Russian and English.
Scafander Games Studio which I created to help NGOs use the power of interactive storytelling in their work.
Storytelling
Storytelling is not just another marketing fad. People have been using stories to inspire, educate, warn and convince each other for thousands of years. If there’s a brand you love or an organisation you trust, chances are they have told you a good story, maybe even without you noticing it.
I started to explore the power of storytelling not as a writer, but as an activist. As I read, learn and experiment with stories myself, I transform and simplify storytelling theory to make it useful for activists and entrepreneurs.
You can check out my webinar on storytelling here (in English).
Communication Strategy
A good communication strategy should be so simple that you can outline it on a scrap of paper. Achieving this simplicity can be complicated though.
Back in 2012, while working for Amnesty International I came up with a set of basic communication strategy schemes which I have been using even since to design, analyse and evaluate my own and others’ projects. This is what I teach.
If you have done strategic planning before, and the result of it was a 30-page document which you later never opened, you’ve probably done it wrong.
Check out my webinar on communication strategy here (in Russian).
Creative Thinking
I have lost count of times I heard workshops participants saying “I am not a creative person”. The very same people an hour later were bubbling with truly innovative ideas.
I am not a creativity coach, but I teach a few tried-and-true techniques teams can use to reinvent their projects, products and content.
I do offline creative thinking sessions and workshops for groups of various size, from 5 to 50.
Project Evaluation
When I worked for local NGOs I was writing grant applications and reports. When I worked for donor organizations, I was evaluating them. Knowing the process from both sides, I can read between the lines of project documentation, and give feedback which empowers both the donor and the grantee.
I have been doing project proposal and report evaluation for Open Society Foundations, ILGA Europe, Prague Civil Society Centre and other international organisations.
Clients, partners and friends
I work with international NGOs as well as with activist groups and startups from Armenia, Belarus, Canada, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Poland, Portugal, Russia, Serbia, Sweden, Tajikistan, Ukraine, the United Kingdom, and the USA.
I am happy to do pro-bono work for small self-funded initiatives whenever I can.
Get in touch
seredamaria@gmail.com
@tormashki
+351 933950972
