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.