Critical Reflection of the Inquiry plan

This module is about planning a research project/inquiry (that students will later carry out in module 3) that interests a student in a field that relate to their profession. Critical reflection on the course is to encourage student into self evolution of their work both in their professional and in their academic life.

Developing a Line of Inquiry

The module as well as the last module is continuations of learning tools I would need to achieve the ultimate goal. Before I conducted the inquiry I started with some rumination on what my past qualifications and experiences were and my future aspirations. The initial plan was heavily based as a marketing tool (it was meant to be a research tool) Appendix A with too broad and too vague of a subject Appendix B . After my feedback and much deliberation, I decided on the finalised inquiry plan. The targeted age groups for the inquiry are 14 and above.

Researching Ethics

The challenges that I faced during the project was tacking ethical issues that outlined what is required for a research. Initially my focus was on the ethical issues that affect Performing Arts studies and the safeguarding of working with children and young people. Once I gasped the understanding (through my feedback and self reflection techniques I learned from module 1) that it is the ethically issues that relates to conducting a research, I restarted the ethical research process. Once the research was conducted, I realised that I knew some of the ethical issues however; the explanations were not conducted in the correct manner. This was a new learning experience because of the lack of experience in planning and conducting a research and a research plan.  

The Inquiry Tools

Original, questionnaire was one of the research tools that were going to be used in module 3. After my feedback and some contemplation; the questionnaire is now taken out as a research tool, simply because the line of inquiry as been modified and changed and it will not shield any new information to the inquiry. A sample questionnaire was conducted and some questions from the questionnaire are going to be used and altered for the focus group.    

Conducting a sample of the focus group before module 3 would be too complex because writing, (planning a focus group) sending and receiving all the consents forms from parents will be rather impractical at such a short notice and sending all documents relating to the ethical issues about conducting a research will have to be verified by the university officials and the module would have to be passed by myself for this to go ahead. The telephone interview is another tool with many obstacles. The time of year it is in the academic calendar (February-May) is very difficult for academic staff to offer their free time because of exams, assignments and performances for current students and interviews and application process for prospected students.

Questions for the Professional Inquiry

After serious brainstorming, analysing and thinking about the line of inquiry I want to pursuit; I have come up with some questions I think might be befitting to the inquiry and I would like some feedback if that is at all possible. Thanks again in advance.

Who is my market audience?

What are my Unique Selling Points (USP)?

What marketing tools are available?

What marking tools are more effective in developing clients/students interests?

What marketing tools are more cost effective for a new business/performing arts school?

How can these marketing tools communicate the school objectives to potential students/clients effectively?

What period of time should new company cease marketing?

Ethical Issues from personal assumptions

From observation and research (Book: Business on a Shoestring; Working Ethically, authors; L Clifford, T Hindle, N Kettles, C Somers and L Somers, Publishers; A & C Black) it seems like ethical issues in the work place (it doesn’t matter about what field that work belongs to) steams from some form of moral issues and standard. Ethics in the work place really took hold when these animal activists (as well as other protest groups) started protesting against animals been used, exploited and killed for consumers use. Ethics in the workplace is relatively new and only started in the last 30 years or so. As far as I am aware all work places as a standard ethical issues which are:

• Be punctual (time means money)
• Be polite, be friendly
• Be approachable (a smile goes a long way)
• Be neat and tidy (A presentable person is more likely to be taking seriously in the work place)
• Be prepare (as the saying goes: fail to prepare then prepare to fail)
• Be considerate (so a certain extent, because it seems like higher the climber on the work ladder the less this is show)
• Be respectful
• Use your initiative
• Do all the necessary training and gain all the necessary qualifications and knowledge
• Show some interest in the work
• There should be a break after about every 3 or 4  hours of work

These are the basic ethical issues that all work places follows but I know that there are additional ethically issues in different work force depending on the field you works in. From what I am cognisant of in the educational sector and other sectors that deals with vulnerable children and adults there are few ethical issues that are important such as:

ü      Respecting personal space and not to invade it (this is more important with children and young people)

ü      When dealing with difficult situation and examining a patient/client there should be at least two adults

ü      For about every 30 plus pupil in the class room there should be at least two adults

ü      Needing consent forms to publish images or film of a person or a child

ü      Having the right checks (i.e. CRB) to work with children and vulnerable adults.

ü      Not disclosing any personal information or issues and respecting their confidentiality

ü      No sexually or inappropriate relationships should take place  

In the acting and entertaining world there are unspoken ethical or should I say “unethical” issues such as:

v     Never contact the director/producer directly

v     Dress for the part or character

v     Consent/Release forms needed to publish images and motion pictures

v     Put up and shut up about any issues that may occur (because you can be easily replaced)

v     Perform and work through what ever pain, personal and emotional issues you are going through (again because you are easily disposable).

The entertainment industry is still the industry where the line between ethical and unethical issue is still a blur because the competition is high and the replacement of talents (even established talent) can be easily done. Even though there is the Equity union, artist still finds it hard to take action because of names been black listed and reputations getting tarnished.  

Award Title and Line of Inquiry

After some serious catching up, thought about what I want now and what I will want in the future (I am still at a cross-road), my past work experience and enquiring about the award title with past and present Module 2 BAPP students and Alan. I have decided not to limit myself with the award title because life is very unpredictable and the world of the work place is very unstable (think back to when the credit crunch first happened in 2008 and how many people have lost their jobs and made changes to their lifestyle). I am stuck between two award titles, which;

BA (Hons) Professional Practice in Performing Arts and Management

BA (Hons) Professional Practice in Performing Arts with Management

The reason why I came up with these titles is because as a Professional Actress/Performer for the last 5 years or so, I have managed my own career especially the first four years when I did not have any agents. Also as a freelance performing arts instructor, I also had to manage myself, a class full of children, young people and adults (although not all in the same class). I had the opportunity to run my own 2 weeks summer school with Newham in 2009 where I had to manage both young people in a class and a small staff of 3 and designate roles and responsibility to my staff (I did have the centre manager for support). I set up my own Sunday school at my local church from scratch, where I had to ensure that all the necessary paper work was in place to ensure the safety of the children and myself and my staff. I also did all the advertising and marketing with plenty of research.  

I believe that one of these award titles will serve me well because I would like to start my own business and I believe that having a title/titles like this will not only help to secure funding, clients, and business dealings but it will improve my over all image, profile and marketing. Also if I start my business and it didn’t work out or I decide not to start a business and cease myself employ status, I can enter the work force at quite a high position because I would have the qualification to match my experience.

I would like my inquiry to be about; the strategic marketing tools needed for successful Performing Arts school.

I believe that this is an important inquiry because I know many people whose Performing Arts school/stage school are no longer active because of the credit crunch and I want to inquiry about how I can avoid the pit falls in case there is another credit crunch and how my school can stand above the competition.  

Please let me know what you think about the award titles and my line of inquiry.   

Thank you in advance and I appreciate your comments and thoughts.

Blogs and Blogging

Blogging seems to be very popular in the performing arts now. I have notice that many artists and companies are using blogs as well as other social networking sites to promote their work.

I have just started a production company (at its very early stages) with my friend I did a show with last year and the guy that is helping us with our website also suggested that we set up a blog site as well.

I guess blogs is another way to promote, sell and advert oneself, company and work. However, blogs add another dimension to do that because it will allow your audience to give you an instant review and suggestions by commenting on your work (without following you, be friends with you; be a member etc). Where as some social media do not have this facility.

I am very old fashioned because all my work related communications are done with the telephone, text, mail and email. When I seek work I tend to use newspaper adverts and casting website. I have a Facebook account but I tend to use that between twice a year and once a month depending if I am in a production. However, now that I am starting my own production company and writing scripts I am now moving more into the modern aspect of communications. I will join LinkedIn because that is a social network site for professional. I don’t think I’ll be joining Tweeter only because from what I have witness I don’t believe Tweeter is a professional site for business, I believe it is more of a gossiping social site. This is fine but it is not a site I would do my business dealings but, I will consider doing my social dealings with this site.   

An opportunity of a life time for the men

Hi all to the Men on the BAPP course,

I received an email last week from London 2012 for the chance to perform for billions of people and be part of history.
 All the details are below.
Break a leg to all the men who wants to apply to this once in a life time opportunity to perform to the biggest audience ever in the biggest show ever.


 'We are pleased to inform you that we have re-opened the applications to audition for the Olympic Ceremonies. Having completed our first phase of auditions, we now need more men – particularly if they have rhythm!
So if you have a friend, a brother, or a father who could be interested in joining the Olympic experience he can apply and find out more about the commitments involved by following the link:

http://www.london2012.com/games/ceremonies/get-involved/ceremonies-application.php

To be eligible he must be aged 18 years or older on 1^st March 2012 and able to meet the commitments for the rehearsals.

New auditions will be held between February -  March 2012. The closing date for applications is 9^th January 2012.


Kind regards,

London 2012 Ceremonies’

Reflective Theory

I found John Dewey theory about education streaming from experience and how this can cause full engagement to be a productive part of society very interesting. In the entertainment world most concepts, ideas and themes streams from people’s own personal experience to produce an entertaining product for the public. Most of these products can be very educational as well as entertain. However, it can only be educational to the receiver if that concept is relatable.

John Dewey's significance for informal educators lies in a number of areas. First, his belief that education must engage with and enlarge experience has continued to be a significant strand in informal education practice. (http://www.infed.org/thinkers/et-dewey.htm, 5/12/2011). Also refer to the Reader on Reflection

I am in the middle of writing my own play. The setting for the play is in Newham and the cast is aimed at ethnic minorities. Even though the concept of the play isn’t educational, I consciously made the decision to choose this setting and to choose this group of people because my fundamental experience in life was in the London Borough of Newham and my surroundings were with ethnic minority. I could only write about what I know and what I have experience; it wasn’t taught to me in the conventional educational system.  I started to reflect using Dewey’s theories long before I have even heard of John Dewey. His theories will continue to influence my future writing projects and directing projects.

Dewey influence many people and writers with his experience and reflection theories. One of these people is Kolb and his four stages of the learning Circle. Kolb’s learning circle explains the different style of how individual learns and how we approach and relates to these styles of learning depending on the circumstances. He also stated that at some point all the key elements converge (experiencing, reflecting, thinking, and acting) to make a new (learning) experience. Also what makes it a learning experience is the ability to analyze and reflect on the experience and noticing when a new knowledge or experience has been gained.   

Kolb says that ideally (and by inference not always) this process represents a learning cycle or spiral where the learner 'touches all the bases', ie., a cycle of experiencing, reflecting, thinking, and acting. Immediate or concrete experiences lead to observations and reflections. These reflections are then assimilated (absorbed and translated) into abstract concepts with implications for action, which the person can actively test and experiment with, which in turn enable the creation of new experiences. (http://www.businessballs.com/kolblearningstyles.htm, 5/12/2011).

 An example of Kolb’s learning circle from Google image search (5/12/2011).

As an actress I am constantly using Kolb’s learning circle. I use Reflective Observation (watching other people perform or other performances will give me access to new skills and will inspire my own performance to be better); Abstract Conceptualisation allows me to constantly scrutinize my character, my performance and other’s performance to give me the knowledge on how to improve my work for the better. Active Experimental is done during the rehearsal process. Getting up and exploring the character, the scene and the play that allows me to find the right emotion, right movement and right tone for the character, the scene and the play. This, with the Abstract Conceptualisation is probable the most important sections of the learning circle for an actor/actress. Concrete Experience is the fun part of the whole acting process. I am always using the learning circle, is just that I wasn’t aware of it until I did the BAPP course. I also need to learn how to use it in other area’s of my life.
Schon and Kottcamp’s ideas about ‘reflection in action’ or ‘reflection on action’, is very important in both of the profession I am in. It is all about self reflection and self analyzing to improve the work that is being produce. When I am in rehearsing (present to the future), I am always asking myself, what ways can I say this line to make it more real to the character and the scene?  How can I make my movement more natural and more connected to the character? After a performance (past to the future), I would ask; How can I make my reaction with other characters and the scenario more believable? What improvement do I need to make to my character, line, etc, to allow the audience to relate more to my character and believe the story? I also use this idea with my teaching. How do I need to explain and demonstrate tasks better? How do I deal and handle difficult children/situations? How can I make the lesson more fun and engaging?       

Garner theory about people using ‘different ways to engage in learning and understanding’, is very interesting. This theory has got me thinking about all the different methods I use for my student (all with different levels and attention span) to engage them in their learning and get the most out of the class. One of the questions I ask myself is; how do I improve my interpersonal skill? Garner has giving me the name of a skill, I would like to explore further in my teaching work (I use this in my acting work) and that is intrapersonal skill. Once I’ve learn to integrate this skill in my teaching work I think this will improve my teaching skills and make me a more rounded teacher.