Tuesday 26 November 2013

Blogger bogged down under!

So first of all I just want to send my apologies for being so off the radar the last few months. 
First off all my lack of correspondence is due to me delaying this module until next semester thanks to a new job. 

Early July I was offered a job dancing with Princess cruises which led to me flying out the country with in three weeks to start and intense rehersal schedule in LA. It was a great experience and now I am floating around between Australia, NewZealand and Fiji on one of their ships doing several shows a week! As I haven't worked on a cruise ship before I decided that until I knew my working environment it may be sensible to delay module 3. Now I have began to settle into more of a routine I have decided to undertake the first few steps of re visiting my plan and ironing out any creases. 

I look forward to looking at some of the blogs that have been uploaded in the past few months, sadly it will take longer than usual as the wifi here is awful! So until I'm in port and situated in a good cafe with a better connection it will have to wait. Although I am beginning to suss out the better places in each port for wifi so hopefully can get on top of that soon. 

Please don't think I'm rude if I ignore or don't reply to anything on Facebook, I will try to as much as I can but like I said the wifi here makes things very hard! If anyone else has deffered to I will keep an eye out so we can correspond next term too. 

Like I said I'm going to try and attempt the first few stages so would love some comments and I look forward to seeing everyone's plans and inquiry's take place. 

That's all for now..... Until the next decent wifi connection!

Monday 20 May 2013

The day has come!!

Submission day is upon us!! After reading Paula's blog about the holiday pictures I decided I had the perfect one to fit the bill. I sent all my stuff of a little early as I am currently on holiday in Italy. I feel this image sums up last term and my journey so far, reflection!




Wednesday 8 May 2013

Critical Reflection on Professional Practitioner Inquiry


Critical Reflection on Professional Practitioner Inquiry

Having finished Module one with a sense of achievement, I was ready and raring to undertake Module 2. I felt I was embarking module 2 as a more rounded professional due to the skills I brought with me from the previous task. (Appendix 1)

Due to the nature of this task it required us to rely on others, not only for input and ideas but also for support. I found this notion daunting as time management is a big part of the task so when you have to rely on others this could perhaps become an issue as it’s out of your hands. (Appendix 2)

Principles of professional Inquiry

Reader 4 acted as food for thought enabling us to understand the theories behind Inquiry and encouraging us to focus on areas of interest. By forming “SIGS” (Significant Interest Groups) with fellow BAPP members we could engage conversation and allow our questions and Ideas develop, finding a clear concise open question seemed vital. (Appendix 3) During the process of my Inquiry I had an important shift in thinking, I was able to take a step back and realise that instead of trying to prove something I needed to find out something new. I  developed that thought and decided the new direction of my Inquiry. (Appendix 4)

Ethics

Reader 5 brought ethics to the forefront of my mind. Although I applied them in my daily life, after reading reader 5 my viewpoint has shifted and I am now fully aware of the code of ethics within my professional practice.(Appendix 5) Being more aware and understanding of ethics it had allowed me to explore my Inquiry in a more safe manner. It is vital when undertaking my Inquiry I apply ethics in order to produce and ethically sound Inquiry. Not only to protect myself as a professional but also to protect those participating. (Appendix 6 - Highlighted section under Research Ethics)

Tools

To fully understand which Inquiry tools would work best for me, I undertook several pilots then reflected on the way each of them worked along with the pro’s and con’s. By engaging this activity with my SIG it allowed me to explore ideas with their support and input. (Appendix 7)

By doing this I came to the conclusion that I would use several methods in order to obtain a mixture of both qualitative and quantitative data as I feel both types of data lend themselves to my Inquiry.

Conclusion

Throughout this module I have constantly been asking questions. I feel as though I am developing not only as a professional but as a person too. This module has allowed me to expand my thoughts, opinions and skills onto another level.

The purpose of our Inquiry is to find out something more, explore things we don’t know and ultimately to grow as a professional, which is what I intend to do.

Module 1 acted as a stepping stone to achieve module 2, therefore in order to give myself the best tools and knowledge I wanted to take all I could from this current module as I know this is my stepping stone to the final and most challenging task yet.










Appendices

Blog extract ;

I feel as though module 1 has allowed us to grow as professionals and has given us the skills in order to undertake this vast task in front of us. I am starting this module with a very positive attitude as I feel we have everything in place to get started. I am also excited to see what I can take from completing this module as I know from the last module there will be a lot of learning along the way, both professionally and personally.

Blog extract ;
Although another thing which I think will play a big role within our Inquiry is relying on others.
Time management is going to be important but when trying to arrange things with other people and waiting for the likes of feedback it always proves a challenge. I think its vital we all understand this and try our best to keep on top of everything especially when not only yours but others Inquiry's will be relying on it.

Blog extract ;
I have been thinking about suitable questions that link with my professional practice. Also ones that would interest me as we have to stick with our line of enquiry for a long time.
I was getting stuck in a rut but the campus session helped open my eyes to what I could look into.
Having also spoken to members of my SIG I have come to the conclusion that we must find a question which is very clear and concise. We want open questions that give themselves to plenty of answers and paths you can go down, you do not want a pseudo question which leads to a dead end!

Skype with Adesola

This morning I had a Skype session with Adesola which has opened my eyes into my Inquiry. The session stemmed from me sending her a small drafted part of my inquiry proposal, and the Skype session was to discuss questions and feedback.

Adesola opened my eyes and by discussing the draft with her I was able to reflect on what I had written and look to see what I can improve on.

First and foremost I have decided to take a different approach to my inquiry looking into something I actually don't know anything about rather than looking for evidence to prove something. Not only will it mean I can now find out something new and exciting, I will also be engaged with the project, as reflecting on my previous inquiry subject which I knew a lot about this new subject will be completely new territory so anything I discover will be very interesting. I want to gather information that I don't know is out there, Adesola gave a great example of the fact If you want to find out that the sky is orange there's always someone out there who will tell you it is. So it's better to go into this Inquiry with my eyes and ears open to see what is there to be discovered.

We also discussed the fact that there is no such thing as an un biased question no matter how hard you try. You can't rely on the idea you can ask something pure and get an honest reply. First of all I will be asking the questions, also I have made them up. You have to consider how you will appear when asking questions, for example I would get a different response to that of a Middle Aged man asking the same question. Also the behaviour that I conduct with in the interview will have an impact on the responses I gain.

I found a piece of literature which sparked an interest with me. I have already analysed it as one of my literature reviews. It is a theory by Malcolm Gladwell who suggests that to become a successful professional in your chosen field you need to have practiced for 10,000 hours or more! I feel this could be a good basis for an interesting inquiry. As I don't know whether this is the case with dancers or not? It also brings to light the relationship between success and being a professional which is becoming more muddy in this day and age.

I would be really interested to hear your thoughts and comments.

References -

Gladwell, M. Outliers
Gladwell, M. (2008) Outliers. New York: Little, Brown and Co..




These are what I originally came up with. I then started a discussion with Mel and we continued to talk about a lot of them linking them in to professionalism and how you should conduct yourself within our industry. Many of the points are common sense and not only do they apply to our industry they also apply across the bored. Before engaging with the reader I would have said although I apply ethics in my everyday life I wasn't fully aware of them. However know they are in the forefront of my mind and I am actively thinking about them. I am excited to look into task 5B and too see what is brought up!

Extract from task 5c ethics ;
Research Ethics

Due to the nature of my inquiry I felt it was a very vital part of the reader. Considering I have never undertaken a professional inquiry in the manner I am planning to do so I should pay close attention to the ethos that I should adhere to.

First of all the reader brought to light that its a good idea to look at the motivation behind the idea and also if its going to bring benefits to the greater good. As a researcher we will carry a mountain of responsibilities from participants to truthfully analysing the data. We are solely responsible for making sure that this inquiry is carried out with an ethically sound method. In order to reduce the risk or harm to both the participants and you the researcher. The reader points us towards BERA which highlights the main tasks and precautions we should undertake.I found these extremely helpful guidelines, you can find these either on page 18 of the reader or on their website.

From indulging in this reader I have become more aware of several ethical issues and now realise how important it is to adhere to ethics while undertaking my inquiry. There is one main point and responsibility from BERA that has really stuck with me and whenever I need reminding of how to conduct my research and evaluate my date I am going to remind myself of it. It is;

“To provide accurate, truthful and complete reports, and disseminate the research outcomes through authorised and agreed channels, and ensuring that the work is available for critical review.”
BERA M.u., Reader 5, p.18,2012

References -
Bera.ac.uk, Home | British Educational Research Association
Bera.ac.uk (2013) Home | British Educational Research Association. [online] Available at: http://www.bera.ac.uk/ [Accessed: 29 Apr 2013]




Extract from blog ;
I have got two evenings this week set aside to meet up with a few members of my SIG Mel Brown and Chelsie Johnson, in order for us all do our pilots. I am currently in the process of designing them and finding it harder than I thought. I am hoping that by engaging in this activity with my SIG members we can compare and contrast results, as well as discuss our findings. By doing this we can support each other and also explore which tools we plan on using within our Inquiry.


References

M, U. Middlesex University. Reader 4 Developing Lines of Professional Inquiry 2012-13

M, U. Middlesex University. Reader 5 Professional Ethics. 2012- 2013.



Monday 8 April 2013

Skype with Adesola

This morning I had a Skype session with Adesola which has opened my eyes into my Inquiry. The session stemmed from me sending her a small drafted part of my inquiry proposal, and the Skype session was to discuss questions and feedback.

Adesola opened my eyes and by discussing the draft with her I was able to reflect on what I had written and look to see what I can improve on.

First and foremost I have decided to take a different approach to my inquiry looking into something I actually don't know anything about rather than looking for evidence to prove something. Not only will it mean I can now find out something new and exciting, I will also be engaged with the project, as reflecting on my previous inquiry subject which I knew a lot about this new subject will be completely new territory so anything I discover will be very interesting. I want to gather information that I don't know is out there, Adesola gave a great example of the fact If you want to find out that the sky is orange there's always someone out there who will tell you it is. So it's better to go into this Inquiry with my eyes and ears open to see what is there to be discovered.

We also discussed the fact that there is no such thing as an un biased question no matter how hard you try. You can't rely on the idea you can ask something pure and get an honest reply. First of all I will be asking the questions, also I have made them up. You have to consider how you will appear when asking questions, for example I would get a different response to that of a Middle Aged man asking the same question. Also the behaviour that I conduct with in the interview will have an impact on the responses I gain.

I found a piece of literature which sparked an interest with me. I have already analysed it as one of my literature reviews. It is a theory by Malcolm Gladwell who suggests that to become a successful professional in your chosen field you need to have practiced for 10,000 hours or more! I feel this could be a good basis for an interesting inquiry. As I don't know whether this is the case with dancers or not? It also brings to light the relationship between success and being a professional which is becoming more muddy in this day and age.

I would be really interested to hear your thoughts and comments.

Friday 29 March 2013

Task 6D

Before embarking on task 6d I wasn't aware of what Delicious was....How ever it has come to light that it is a very useful tool! Not only does it act like a bookmark bar you can have it on all of your devises so you can access them at anytime or place!

Here is the link to my account, check out what links I have created.

https://delicious.com/hannahbapp

I am still unaware of how you tag people and find friends so would appreciate some advise on that! As I feel if we are able to create a network on delicious it will be very beneficial as we can check out each others resources!


Group SIG Wiki - Part of Task 6C

I have created a wiki which can be used to share all our literature.
The link is below, if you want to add to it with your literature I will have to add you so please leave a comment with your email address and I will do that. We can then discuss ideas that may relate to our inquiry that other people have discovered. (This is all part of 6c)

Group SIG Wiki

Literature Review 3

Please find the link below to my 3rd Literature Review

Literature Review 3

The articles that I have reviewed here are very interesting for us as performers so I urge you to read it and leave me your thoughts!

Thursday 28 March 2013

6B - Pilot Interviews

I decided to do two pilot interviews one structured and the other un structured to see what worked best. Before undertaking the interviews I had a feeling the structured one would work better and for the kind of data I am looking to collect and I still think that applies.

The unstructured interview was interesting however It didn't allow me to gather all the information I needed as a researcher. The structured interview was more help as it allowed me to explore different things with the interviewee. For example I would ask them a specific question and once they gave me their answer I would ask them to expand and keep prompting them to delve further for a deeper understanding. When conducting the real interviews I will give them some time at the end for additional thoughts and comments then I can gather some of the interesting data that came out of the unstructured interview with out spending a lot of time incase no new data arose. Being on a strict time scale means we cant waste anytime.

An interesting point we came up with was to do with the questions asked. We found some were similar to the survey but you gained more in depth and personal response. At first we thought with the questions being similar it would leave us with a lot of the same information however we came to realise through conducting the interviews the information gathered was more detailed and perhaps provided information that we could use for quotes and more through evaluation.

Like everything the interviews have both pro's and cons.


The pro's which became apparent during this process were ;
  • You could produce clear ideas as there was no lack of clarity during the interview, if any issues arose due to lack of clarity you could sort them out immediately.
  • Its a very focused and concentrated environment, enabling you to get the most out of the participant. 
  • You can gain a lot of depth to your research.
  • I was able to support the interviewee in exploring new thoughts and ideas.
  • You can see their body language and gauge responses and feelings that way too
The con's were ; 
  • It can  be time consuming if you don't plan or stick to time management.
  • I took both notes and recorded the session how ever there could be worries that some of the data is lost in transit.
  • They may be hard to arrange in the future, could perhaps explore a phone interview how ever i feel that could be less personal also may have issues regarding a consent form.
  • You have to be careful not to be dominant and let the interviewee speak. Trying to create the right balance can be hard.
  • When asking questions don't be bias, whether its in vocal tone, body language or construction of the questions.


In my inquiry I wish to have both qualitative and quantitive date so Interviews will be playing a part of that. I feel the method is appropriate for the kind of data I wish to collect.

After conducting both interviews I engaged with a member from one of my SIG groups Lauren Sheridan. We discussed the importance of asking the 'right' questions so not to waste time and resources. Throughout both the pilots we both saw that the participant could easily go off on a tangent or if the question was to vague they would talk for a long time period and still not really get to the bottom of what you were asking. Both Lauren and I discussed the importance of constructing efficient questions so this would not occur. As both time and resources are precious during the inquiry process and we definitely don't want to waste any time! 

6B - Pilot Focus Groups

From the pilots that I have conducted it the focus groups were the biggest surprise. Perhaps as I had never even taking part or lead one before but I think they will be very useful data gathering tools.

The focus group was a great way to get lots of different thoughts and ideas, these gave a lot of insight to my Inquiry. There was a constant flow of knowledge and ideas. I also felt people let go as they had the support of others. The ideas that did emerge were also able to expand and gain deeper understanding due to the constant voices developing it.

There are a few issues that may arise, the main concern I have is the transcript. I will be recording these and taking notes like the interviews however it can be an issue when picking out voices. I feel when doing them 'for real' I will get the focus group to make sure before they speak to say their name so I can identify the speaker. Also to try not to talk over one or another, we had this issue at the pilot as everyone got so passionate and wanted to voice their opinion but I had to remind them to speak one at a time to avoid this. Like interviews typing up the transcript will be time consuming so its something worthwhile to think about when conducting a time management plan. I also feel it may be hard to get a certain group of people together at a given time so also another thing to think about when making a time schedule.

A few other points that may be of concern are that one person in the group becomes dominant, ideally you want everyone to contribute evenly. This didn't happen during the pilot but is worth while to keep in mind. Also you don't want anyone to feel pressured into behaving in a certain way so will also be something I will keep my eye on for future reference.

I think the focus group will provide my Inquiry with lots of insight and could be a powerful took for collecting qualitative data. I will need to ensure it is managed correctly in order to get the best out of it.

Task 6B - Part 1, Pilot Survey!

Having already played around with a survey I had more of an idea when it came to conducting this pilot. However once you hand it over to the participant theres not a lot more you can do until the analytical stage the importance of the survey lies within its construction.

It is vital that although you as the researcher are creating the questions you remain un bias towards the inquiry in order to gain truthfully and reliable data.

I found it really interesting getting feedback from my questions from the girls, both Mel, Chelsie and my friend Lauren who took part in the survey all brought to light one question which was not quite right. Both in the construction and the multiple choice answers provided. I have therefore re constructed it and presented it to them all again and received the thumbs up! Sometimes it's things like that no matter how many times you read it you can't see the issue.

They also brought to light some gaps in my survey and helped me workshop suitable questions that could fill them. For example Mel is currently doing a profit share job which she feels is enhancing her professional development. One of my questions asked if you do workshops and courses to improve your professional skills, she brought to my attention the likes of doing profit share and unpaid jobs also are developing your skills therefore I am going to think of a question involving these points as I feel it's relative to my Inquiry. 

We established that its important to make the survey user friendly so it doesn't take up too much time but is the right length to provide you with the data you need.

I also found a very interesting journal which looked at the difference between an online survey and a paper survey and looked into the pro's and con's. Before I found this article I hadn't even thought whether a paper or online survey would make a difference however I now feel very differently about this. Denscombe looks into the quality of data received by both kinds of surveys. He touched upon the fact that web surveys come at a price as the data collected can sometimes be not as reliable as many people leave things out however it is less time consuming. I have personally looked into the likes of survey monkey which does in fact have a tool which you can put in place where the participant is told they require an answer to the question before they move on. Therefore would result in more accurate data if I was to use their format. How ever unless you upgrade to their plus version you can only have a 10 question survey which Im not sure is enough for me. 

With paper surveys the trouble is they are more time consuming depending on how you collect the data from them, for example if they have to post it back to you. I feel with a paper survey people may feel more obliged to do it if they know the researcher especially if you personally approach them. 

Denscombes article is called 'Item non response rates: a comparison of online and paper questionnaires;"if you wish to look into it further. 

With my Inquiry it is aimed at a very specific group of people, therefore I wouldn't be able to do a mass postal or high street survey anyway, also I am not convinced that I will gain the best response from web surveys. The reason being I posted a basic one in our middlesex uni SIG page on facebook and have only had 4 responses which has been highly disappointing. 

I feel to get the best out of my survey I am going to target a group of 30 people all of whom are musical theatre professionals. Due to the nature of my inquiry I will them split that group of 30 into 2 and target 15 whom are less successful and 15 whom are more successful in order to get a wide spread of data. I will also be using paper surveys, unless there are any unforeseen circumstances and in those cases I will email them the survey directly and get them to send it back to me fully completed. This is all still in the planning process so it may be subject to change but these are my thoughts for now!


Monday 25 March 2013

Literature Review 2

Please find below the link to my second literature review.

My critical review of Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell

Any comments would be greatly appreciated!

Literature Review 1

Please find below a link to my first literature review.

A critical reflection on, So you want to be in Musicals by Ruthie Henshall with Daniel Bowling

As per usual any comments would be great!
Thanks x

Task 6A

Tools of professional Enquiry!

It is a daunting task of creating pilot surveys, interviews, focus groups and an observation. Having not done this before I am coming into this task very unaware as to what I may find.

I have got two evenings this week set aside to meet up with a few members of my SIG Mel Brown and Chelsie Johnson, in order for us all do our pilots. I am currently in the process of designing them and finding it harder than I thought. I am hoping that by engaging in this activity with my SIG members we can compare and contrast results, as well as discuss our findings. By doing this we can support each other and also explore which tools we plan on using within our Inquiry.

I have decided that as well as taking notes during our sessions I will record the interviews and focus groups so that none of the information is lost in transit! Although these are just pilots I want all the information gathered to be as reliable and valid as possible.

Due to the nature of my Inquiry from the research I have done I feel that observations are an irrelevant therefore I will not be conducting a pilot observation as not only is it a waste of my time it will also be a waste of the participants. I feel that observations can be very valid in other areas of research for example teaching however in these circumstances I will not be using observation as one of my Inquiry tools.

I am looking forward to the outcome and will blog it asap. I am also interested to see how other people experience the inquiry tools and will keep an eye out to read those blogs!

Friday 22 March 2013

Task 5D - Ethical dimensions for my proposed Inquiry

This evening I managed to meet up with a member of one of my Sig groups in which we discussed the ethical dimensions of our proposed inquiry. Moreover looked in depth how we plan and prepare in order to be ethical while conducting the inquiry. 

A main aspect of our conversations revolved around the ethics of taking and storing data for professional inquires. We came up with the following points so that our data is collected and analysed in an 'ethically sound' way. 


Before we discussed the following points ethics used to be part of my everyday life with out realising it, however I have now come to understand in order to have an ethically sound Inquiry we must them at the forefront of our minds, as we don't only have ourselves to protect we are also protecting others. 


  • If conducting an interview at the beginning you should tell the participant if they feel uncomfortable they can stop the interview at anytime. Also reassure them that they are under no pressure to complete or take part in the interview process.

  • Agree with the interview participants that the data will be anonymous - I feel this is especially important in an interview situation as it means the participant will feel fully relaxed and answer questions more honestly if they know that they won't be named. Therefor in my inquires I may use X, Y or Z instead of their names. Perhaps with the focus groups as its an open discussion we may use names but only with the full written consent of those involved. All of which will be made fully aware of the intent to use the information given. 

  • Make sure a consent form is signed by all participants making sure all the data is ethically available to use.

  • Create a way to ensure that data is stored securely whether it is physical (for example locked in a filing cabinet) or online (safeguard documents so they are only accessible with a password, which only you have access to.)

  • Only use the data collected for the purpose of the inquiry. 

  • If your study involves under 18's it is critical to get the consent of a parent of guardian. (my inquiry will probably not need this ethical boundary but it was an important one we touched upon this evening)

  • Ask questions which a relevant to your inquiry. Don't steer off the subject. For example it is not relevant in my Inquiry to know the sexuality of my participants therefore i will not ask them. How ever it is relevant to my inquiry where people live, as I feel there may be a link to those actively continuing training and searching for work while based in london are getting more jobs than those who live say back at home in the likes of Liverpool. 

  • Before starting the data collecting process establish that everyone involved understands the objectives you have for the Inquiry. It is important that they know the purpose behind the inquiry and what you wish to achieve by doing it. 

  • Destroy all the data once you have finished with it. As it no longer has a purpose. 

These are just the main points we touched upon this evening ethics is such a lengthy subject you could talk all day but I personally felt these were some of the best points that I wanted to share with you.

I would be interested to see what you all think about these ethical dimensions. I will also be looking out for other blogs on Task 5D so we can discuss different ideas and ethical principles. 

Monday 18 March 2013

Brainstorming!!

I decided to try and get some of my thoughts on my inquiry out on paper this afternoon.
At this moment in time my inquiry title is looking likely to be ;

"The importance of Continuous Professional Development within Musical Theatre and how it can impact upon success with in the industry"

Still playing around with words but that is the basic principle. I have done two brainstorms one which explores different aspects that I feel link together to help create a strong base for CPD another which looks at who my inquiry will effect why I want to do it and the objectives I have!

Please take a look and let me know what you think. I may have missed out some important links or something you feel is worth while exploring. I am hoping these will help me form a basis into which I can create, surveys and interviews etc!

Exploring different aspects!

Who, why and objectives! 

If you click on them they will enlarge!

Task 5C

As I'm sure you all know by know reader 5 was slightly epic therefore I decided to air my views on a wiki rather than clogging up your blog feeds. I would really appreciate your views on my wiki so please comment below!

Task 5C

Thanks in advance!

Tuesday 5 March 2013

5B - Codes of practice with in Theatre!

I have found this blog which I found really interesting and think you should read. It explores the codes of ethics and although it was written in 1945 most of the principles still apply now!

Code of Ethics Blog

I think within our industry our code of ethics lies among our professional conduct and the way we carry ourselves in our day to day life whether it be in a contract or at an audition.

Not only do I feel the above aspect is important, I also think we have a code of ethics when it comes to our audiences. The blog above touches upon it but I feel strongly towards the fact that whether there is 300 or 3000 people in the audience you should give them an equally as good performance!!

I think there is some stigma around equity but if as a performer you need any advise around our code of ethics or have an issue during a contract they are there to help so its a good go to if you ever have a problem or just want to find something out! I myself am a member and have gone to them before for advise and know many others who have too.

There is an endless list I could probably write about ethical codes with in our industry but I am going to give you my top 5!

1. Respect others, whether is mean being on time or having spacial awareness in auditions.
2. Treat others how you would like to be treated.
3. Adhere to your company ethos, as we all know we change jobs frequently depending what shows are around, but you must remember your next company may not work in the same way your current one does, so bear that in mind!
4. Be truthful, may it be in a performance or to yourself.
5. Always give 110% Although its a cliché when your self employed and constantly being told no you just need to get back up and fight for what you want!

Task 5a - My thoughts on Ethics within my profession.

I brainstormed my initial thoughts onto a spider gram, I found it quite hard as I feel some of the ethics we adhere to in our professional life's are so obvious we tend not to think about them. I will bullet point  some of the things I came up with.


  1. Declarations (permission for filming us in auditions or on jobs giving the employers rights to the footage) There was a big scandal about Dirty Dancing EPQ quite a few years back regarding this right. As they were not asked and also not paid- eventually after a long drawn our process they got it sorted but it ended up costing the company a lot of money!!
  2. Breaching of professional contracts whether with employers or agents.
  3. Professional boundaries while at collage, ie no teacher student relationships
  4. Professional boundaries within the work place for example if your choreographer also your friend you can be friends outside the room, but while your working you are their employe, do not cross the line. 
  5. Copyright with the likes of sheet music.
  6. Plagiarism with in the world with dance, copying choreography and trying to pull it off as your own.
  7. Racism and discrimination.
  8. Being respectful to the pecking order in your company.
  9. Stealing - sackable offence.
  10. Bulling mentally and physically.
  11. Crbs when working with children, although this is not a requirement when your in a cast along with children I feel strongly that it should be! 
These are what I originally came up with. I then started a discussion with Mel and we continued to talk about a lot of them linking them in to professionalism and how you should conduct yourself within our industry. Many of the points are common sense and not only do they apply to our industry they also apply across the bored. Before engaging with the reader I would have said although I apply ethics in my everyday life I wasn't fully aware of them. However know they are in the forefront of my mind and I am actively thinking about them. I am excited to look into task 5B and too see what is brought up! 

Friday 1 March 2013

CPD - what actually is it?

CPD stands for continuous professional development.

I found this website gave a good definition - http://orrdat.orr.gov.uk/whatiscpd.aspx

I feel very passionately about this line of enquiry as its very relevant to my current professional practice and practically everyone else in my profession.

I have been trying to do some reading on this subject and there is a lot about general CPD or CPD specific to other careers and jobs but nothing specific to CPD in the arts. All the more reason to do it I thought!

I want to look into the follow aspects -


  1. How being the best you can be can impact on success
  2. How networking can aid CPD
  3. The best way to keep up with the next big thing - whats hot this week may not be next week
  4. How to keep mentally strong in order to keep going 
  5. How to keep physically fit when in and our of work in order to be at the top of your game
  6. Keeping audition ready so you get that next job
  7. Reflecting on events in order to learn and become a better professional
I would like to have your feedback on those points and also would be interested into what you would look into?


The reading I have been doing is looking at the basic understanding of CPD and how it can help you in your professional practice.

I found the following article very interesting as it poses a similar study into which I will be looking at. Although in a different field and time scale its good to look at parallel projects.

Jens Rowold, Sabine Hochholdinger, Jan Schilling, (2008) "Effects of career-related continuous learning: a case study", Learning Organization, The, Vol. 15 Iss: 1, pp.45 - 57 -

Off to continue reading! Please give me some feedback!!

Task 4D - The Award Title

This has been playing on my mind as I feel its an important decision which I want to get right!

The other day myself, Mel and Chelsea decided to get together so we could discuss the module so far and our thoughts with our enquires etc. We also looked at different options for our award title giving reasons behind it!

I have come up with a few variations and would like to hear what you think!


  • BA Hons Professional Practice Musical Theatre


(This one I may feel is to basic, its very broad. However my rational behind it is that is what my study of CPD is going to be in. Also the majority of my previous training has been in this area.)

I then toyed with some more specific titles.

  • BA Hons Professional Practice Musical Theatre Education 
(I felt the word education was also relevant as my enquiry in to CPD within the Arts is going to be of value to those in our industry and I feel it could educate them in to how important it really can be)

  • BA Hons Professional Practice Theatre Arts Development 
(I thought about using the words Theatre Arts as the question that my enquiry poses is 'The importance of CPD within the Arts' Hence why I feel Theatre Arts was relevant. More over I feel my enquiry will help develop the performer, which is why I used development. 

  • BA Hons Professional Practice Theatre Arts
(This is just a more basic version of the above title as I remembered Rosemary said not to be too specific?) 
  • BA Hons Professional Practice Theatre Arts Education
(This is very similar to the above title with Musical Theatre is has similar rational to that one just similar on a theme!)

The reason I have used words like education and development is that I personally feel my enquiry will open peoples eyes and help their professional practice. Not only that but I also would like to potentially peruse a PGCE in Drama so I need a relevant degree.  Another reason why my awards title is so important!! 

Please have a look and let me know what you think, and I feel that this is a really valuable task! 

For those not involved in FB SIG base! Task 4B

Im so pleased to have positive feed back...I am thinking of creating a SIG to do with CPD and the things that come along with it....the phycology side of things plus the physical along with being audition ready, how it can effect your sucsess etc...so if anyone feels they would benefit let me know and Ill add you on FB and join you to the group. Even if you want to join and later feel your not benefitting from it you can leave so the more the merrier I say to begin with!!

Wednesday 27 February 2013

Decisions Decisions Decisions....

Rosemary said the hardest part of this module would be deciding what topic to do! She was right!!

Although another thing which I think will play a big role within our Inquiry is relying on others. 
Time management is going to be important but when trying to arrange things with other people and waiting for the likes of feedback it always proves a challenge. I think its vital we all understand this and try our best to keep on top of everything especially when not only yours but others Inquiry's will be relying on it. 

Back to the blog...

I think i am going to take the plunge....

"the importance of continuing professional development in the arts"

I would love immediate thoughts and reactions!

I do feel passionate about the audition technique topic but feel it may be limiting to a certain extent where as this question will not only explore aspects of that but a lot more.

I think I will focus on being audition ready, mentally and physically fit, networking and a few others. So I would like to know what you think!!

Tuesday 26 February 2013

Task 4C

In the previous post with out realising it I had dived straight into task 4c. Asking my professional peers for help and advise i found it very helpful and will be trying to get some more information from them today!

Being self employed you are your own employer most of the time so it's hard to find a suitable mentor when we are not in stable jobs. I have found myself wondering who would be a good mentor and provide great support. I feel my choreographer from Panto the last two years would perhaps fill the brief. Not only would she be very helpful and supportive while providing me with guidance she her self has also been in my position now but also on the other side doing the casting, therefor I feel her input to my project will be very valuable.

Research!!

The last few days I have been working in harrods, as much as I normally dislike my job here I have been clever and used it to my advantage. The agency I work for only hire performers!! I feel like I have hit a gold mine not only can I earn money while I'm at work I can also collect information and do some research for uni!! It was a light bulb moment. So to kill some time on the shop floor I got researching and this is what came up!!

These were a few of the things fellow performers believe that you should do in order to develop a successful audition technique.

Having a good picking up speed for routines - if not go away and work on it.

Don't lie about special skills but if you have them make sure they are known, ie Ariel work, acrobatics, roller blading etc

Have eye contact and interaction with the panel but not too much so it's awkward.

Make sure you take on board notes and corrections.

Carry out the appropriate warm up before the audition, a) so you can show your self of to the best of your ability and b) so you don't injure yourself.

Being able to work with other people is important and also to listen to them.

Make sure you have done your background checks, know about the piece, production and director. Also if singing know about your song, where its from etc!!

Go wearing the appropriate attire. Don't dress as the character your up for, it's not fancy dress. But perhaps dress on a parallel giving slight hints but nothing too obvious!

Make sure your sheet musics clearly marked and you he be stuck to the brief!

Time keeping. Don't miss your slot and piss of the panel!

I also asked them what they would like to ask a casting directer, so we can try and understand what the other side goes through, as I feel that this is a good aspect to look into. As its important for us in order to develop a successful technique to know what the person choosing us thinks! Some questions that arose were....

Do you preference black and white or colour headshots when calling people in?

Why when you know what your looking for are you not more specific on the brief. Ie when your picking blondes just ask for them don't waste my time being brunette!

Should a performer stick to the brief or sing something they are better at?

When it comes down to a final how do you pick? What do you specifically look at?

In musical theatre is a triple threat now vital to stand any chance of being even ensemble?

This is just a taster of what I managed to get out of some performers but I would love some feedback to see what all you think? I am trying to establish weather there is a market for my project and from just initial enquiry I personally believe there is.

Saturday 23 February 2013

Task 4a part 1. My ideas and set of questions!

I have been thinking about suitable questions that link with my professional practice. Also ones that would interest me as we have to stick with our line of enquiry for a long time.
I was getting stuck in a rut but the campus session helped open my eyes to what I could look into.
Having also spoken to members of my SIG I have come to the conclusion that we must find a question which is very clear and concise. We want open questions that give themselves to plenty of answers and paths you can go down, you do not want a pseudo question which leads to a dead end!

A few themes that came up were ;


  • success in musical theatre
  • heath and nutrition
  • transitioning careers
  • different approaches to acting 
  • learning styles in dance


I have come up with a few questions of my own and I would really appreciate some comments with feedback ;

  1. What is the importance of continuing professional development in the arts?
  2. How to develop a successful audition technique within Musical Theatre? 
  3. How to handle and learn from auditions and rejection within Musical Theatre?
  4. Does both teaching and performing professionally help or hinder each other?

I personally feel strongest about working with question number 2. As it is relevant to my professional practice at the moment also thinking about the 3rd module I feel I could produce a very interesting presentation and present a creative professional artefact using the topic? 

Like i said earlier in the blog please comment as feedback is vital in this module! I promise ill return the favour! 

                                               

Saturday 16 February 2013

Back to reality!...

Having been living in a Panto bubble for two months I have finally been able to settle back in to reality and get started with Module 2!

My last blog has been over two months ago but I am looking forward to getting back into it and have made a promise to myself to keep blogging even when we do have a 'break' from work. As I feel it is an important tool for us to keep engaged with!

My head is now spinning after reader 4 so I am going to follow my usual reader protocol and re read it at least 5 times while writing a millions notes! In hope that it will begin to make sense.

I look forward to seeing everyones immediate thoughts to reader 4 and the emerging lines of enquiry that people choose.

I feel as though module 1 has allowed us to grow as professionals and has given us the skills in order to undertake this vast task in front of us. I am starting this module with a very positive attitude as I feel we have everything in place to get started. I am also excited to see what I can take from completing this module as I know from the last module there will be a lot of learning along the way, both professionally and personally.

An epic blog on reader 4 will follow later this week!