Module 1: Task 1d - 2D Images

For this task, I created a Flickr account and uploaded any photos that were relevant to any of my work associated with performing arts. I've never used Flickr before, but it seems similar to another application I use for photo uploads called Instagram. It will be useful to have a separate platform to upload photos on, that I can use purely for professional reasons. From the lessons learnt in one of my previous posts, this will allow me to keep clear boundaries between my professional career and social life. Feel free to view these photos and comment feedback.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/131535464@N02/

Images and audio-visual are extremely important to the performing arts industry, regardless of which field. I have picked out some particular tools which I personally believe to be most important. 

Headshots

Every professional knows it is essential to have professional headshots. As previously mentioned within my post relating to CV's, it is the first thing a casting director sees when making decisions on who should attend an audition. Therefore, this photo of you needs to be a clear and realistic representation of what you actually look like. They need to be updated regularly in order to stay effective. It's helpful to have a variety of shots to allow choice and the ability to have photos that suit different styles of auditions. Headshot's represent you.

Advertisment

The use of images and audio-visual are essential for advertisement be it for a dance school or for yourself. It's a great way to show the general public what they can expect from said dance school and can be an interesting way of standing out from potential competitors. When advertising yourself as a performer, an audio-visual show reel is essential in today's industry. It gives potential employers of any description an opportunity to see what you are capable of as a performer. 

Correction and Progression

As a teacher, audio-visuals can be a great tool. It can be hard for pupils to always understand and fix corrections, especially if using a hall without mirrors. Being able to film the pupils and have them see their corrections for themselves can sometimes be the answer. If filming pupils regularly, it can act as a way of seeing clear progression and improvement of their work. 

Rehearsal and Memorisation 

As a teacher and performer, l find it useful to have audio-visual as a way of rehearsing and memorising material. Repeatedly watching a video is a sure way of remembering it for the next rehearsal. Similar to my previous notes about correction and progression, being able to see things as they would be when performed can be very benefical to the improvement of the piece.

Tutorials and Advice

As well as creating, sharing and using your own audio-visuals, social media allows us to access other public videos. I find YouTube to be an incredible resource when I'm looking for tutorials or advice within  performing arts. If I need to learn a song, it's a great way to see varied interpretations to help with the decisions within my own performance. There are videos for audition advice, tutorials on learning different singing styles, tutorials for performing arts games for chidren; the list is endless. Anything you could possibly need is at your disposal. 

Inspiration and Ideas

I often find myself using very similar styles and steps for routines I choreograph for my students. It can be hard to constantly think of original and exciting material for the students to learn. I turn to YouTube and Facebook and the use of videos for inspiration and ideas. Watching videos can instantly give me that burst of brain power needed to create fresh material for my students. It allows me to see what's current and on-trend and therefore my students feel that what they are learning is relevant. 

Although I find audio-visuals to be the most beneficial for research and aid within my work in performing arts, there are websites that I enjoy looking through for other inspiration. These website are based mainly around the sharing of 2D images and articles.

Tumblr, Pinterest and Instagram

I use all of these websites for inspiration and ideas in other areas of my life; cooking, health and nutrition, fitness, craft, amongst other things. These websites allow you to upload your own pictures as well as share and comment other people's uploads. Although I only use these for personal uses at the moment, I would like to explore how these could be used within a professional context to help with research within my career. 

Like all things related to the internet, there are things that need to be considered when using these image and audio-visual tools. 

Privacy

Privacy should always be considered when posting content of any kind. Especially if it's on a form of social media that you wish to keep for personal uses. Photos and videos can be quite personal, therefore it's up to you to make sure you have the desired privacy settings in operation.

Photoshop Deceit

Something many internet users forget is the use of photoshop and airbrushing. I worry for young people who see airbrushed and photoshopped celebrities and see this as the 'perfection' they aspire to be. These images create pressures to look a certain way. It is unrealistic and can damage self esteem when 'normal photos don't have the same outcome. Photoshop is a brilliant programme for editing photos, but it's being taken advantage of every day. 

Asthetic Judgements 

With the high use of images and audio-visuals throughout social media, it does promote judgements based primarily on looks. Again, this creates a huge amount of pressure on social media users to look and be photographed a certain way. This can be damaging to self-esteem and self-image; something I find worrying for the future of young people. 

Module 1: Task 1c - Audio Visual

I have finally filmed, edited and uploaded my video on my reasons for starting the BAPP Arts course. I found it difficult to explain everything I felt was important in such a short space of time. My original video was over five minutes long but I managed to cut it down to one minute. 

This wasn't a particularly daunting task for me as I used to regularly upload videos onto a YouTube about beauty and lifestyle. This is definitely a technique I hope to use again in the future of this course. 

http://youtu.be/z7sHrjGPJGg

Module 1: Task 1b - Web Wonderings

I've always had a love/hate relationship with the internet. It is an incredible tool that many of us in this day and age couldn't live without - including myself. But like most good things, when certain people don't treat it with care and respect, it is ruined for the rest of us. 

I'm repeating what I have read on most other BAPP Arts blogs; that I never knew all the social networking sites I use fall under an umbrella of Web 2.0. Web 2.0 is basically any platform on the internet used to interact and share content with others. It is a development from Web 1.0 which was purely one way interactions on the internet, much like magazines and newspapers (as mentioned at the beginning of my previous post). 

When first faced with Reader One, I was slightly daunted by the amount I would need to read and research. However, as soon as I had finished the first page, so many points jumped out at me. This has led me to raise and discuss many topics that I hope you will find as interesting to read as I have to critically analyse. 

Network as Platform

'Network as Platform - This means that all the data and software that manages the application is not run locally on your computer and can be accessed anywhere in the world;'

It's an incredible thought that technology on the internet has developed to the point where we are able to communicate to people all over the world. The idea that complete strangers from opposite sides of the planet can share the same social space and connect, is something internet developers can be proud of. It is great for the arts industry to be able to share work from different parts of the world, broadening their knowledge of performance in different cultures. As well as this, it is great for finding overseas connections and possible job prospects abroad. But like most points I will be making in this post, there is a downside to this great achievement if not used sensibly. 

Sharing information to any stranger is dangerous. Trust and the internet don't often go hand-in-hand, so it is essential to always be wary of what information you are sharing and who with. I've heard many horror stories that involve bank details and a person too far away to get back in contact with, should they choose to 'disappear' off the internet. So a word to the wise: don't share personal information unless to you are 100% sure the person you are sharing with can be trusted.

Participation

'Hamilton (2000) notes that participation is a function, in part, of the reduction of barriers to access (such as time, skill and financial comittment) and that an increase in participation can contribute to successful building of relationships and the democratisation of media (Hamilton 2007, p. 371) Web 2.0 advocates that through reducing these barriers and making participation cheap, easy and quick people are more able to get involved in the process of collaboration, sharing and interaction.'

The internet is extremely accessible today. There aren't many homes without it anymore. The majority of websites where participation in interacting and socialising is available, are completely free of charge. This has made it even easier to communicate with others than in previous years when talking for hours ran up a huge telephone bill. My first experience of how valuable these new communication technologies had become, involved the use of Skype when I first moved away from home. Skype is an application used to make free of charge video calls, providing the recipient also has the programme, a microphone and/or webcam. This was a real comfort to be able to see and hear my parents at a terrifying but exciting time in my life. 

Not only has the accessability of these communication technologies benefitted casual forms of interaction, but also interaction in the workplace. Every job I currently have (teaching), was applied for online or manifested through a series of emails. Being able to use these technologies makes the employment process exceptionally faster. However, there are of course drawbacks to the ease of communicating through the internet rather than in person. There have been many cases where people have pretended to be someone they're not with their computer to hide behind. No matter the context of communicaton, be it social or work based, it is important to be wary unless proven otherwise. Television programmes such as 'Catfish' (MTV) and 'Cyberbully' (Channel 4) are both examples of the detrimental affects of interacting with someone with a false identity.

Prosumer and Produsage

''These interactive and partcipatory aspects of new media objects further erode the distinction between artists and audience and offer a model which has been termed the rise of the prosumer, i.e. the consumer is also a producer' (Valtysson 2010' p.205) (see also Rennie (2007))'

'Bruns (2007) argues that in fact there isn't a step by step transition from reading and consuming materials to making and sharing them online, more that each of us as we participate are both producer and consumer (similar to the idea of prosumer suggested above). He calls the process produsage (which is a portmanteau of production and usage)'

The revolution allowing anyone, anywhere to share information, music and videos is invaluable to the arts industry. The amount of videos I see uploaded to Facebook on a daily basis is almost hard to believe. My newsfeed is constantly bombarded with the sharing of dance peformances, clips from singing competitiions and the occasional 'cute animals' compilation. But regardless of whether all of those videos are useful or not, the feedback on one video can include thousands of comments. The benefits of sharing for someone in my line of practice are endless. Showreels and performance clips are a necessity. Being able to share them online and have people give constructive criticism can be highly beneficial to reflection and improvement. The sheer variety of different people who could potentially see and share that video could even provide potential job prospects. You never know who could be watching. For the purpose of teaching, being able to share information for promotion and advertisement on mass is undeniably productive. Not to mention - it's free! However, there is always the need to be careful of copyright infringement and plagiarism. Ensure the ideas which you share are entirely your own or if using copyrighted music, be sure to include a disclaimer. 

Collective Intelligence

'What does collective intelligence bring to the idea of professional networking and professional communications?' 

Collective Intelligence is the idea that complete strangers from all over the world can interact together as a collective, in a social space on the web. It has completely modernised the way in which we network and communicate with in the performing arts industry. Here are a handful of websites which have revolutionised these aspects: 

Facebook: 

I couldn't create a blog post about the Internet without mentioning the phenomenon that is Facebook. Gone are the days of photo albums, party invitations and newspaper advertisements. These can all be produced and accessed through Facebook, making any process far more instant. Groups and events are often created that advertise auditions, teacher cover work, promotional work and various other events or jobs that may be useful to that of an artist. These posts can be shared over and over, allowing those who may not have initially been 'invited' to the event or group, to still see and access them. 

Twitter:

Twitter is an application that has seen vast growth in the last five years or so. It is again, a useful tool to be notified of auditions, job opportunities and events. It also holds the exciting feature of being able to 'follow' and in some cases interact, with well-known names within the industry. It's an insight into who casting directors, producers, agents etc. are interacting with and the latest projects they're working on. The 'hashtag' feature, allows you to directly search specific topics of interest and lists the most popular topics with the use of 'what's trending'. It seems that anyone who's anyone is on the Twitter, so be sure to navigate your way around it! 

Spotlight:

Spotlight (briefly mentioned in my previous post about CV's) is the online network for performers to upload their professional CV to. It allows performers to be part of a database where casting directors can search and pick profiles that they wish to invite to auditions. Performers can also submit themselves for auditions and jobs through the website, using their online CV. It's this ongoing trend throughout my analysis of Web 2.0, that processes are made faster and far more instantaneous. All a casting director, agent or producer needs to do is click on your Spotlight link and they are immediately given all the information they could possibly need. It's a quick and easy way to communicate and network with others in the industry. 

Blogs & Forums: 

I cannot count the amount of times I have read blogs and forums for performing arts related advice. It is incredibly easy to ask questions and recieve answers on any related topic. There are often forums for scripts, sheet music, audition advice and even tip-offs on upcoming opportunities. Similar to the use of blogs on the BAPP course, it's a great way to post ideas or performances and recieve constructive criticism from those in the same field of work. 

Being Smart on Facebook

'Teachers are probably the most vulnerable group in danger from violations of boundary crossing between one's personal and professional lives' (Kuehn, 2010, p. 86).

Facebook is a great tool for professional networking but it is also useful for staying in touch with friends and family. Due to it's social nature, the sharing of photographs and the 'tagging' of those featured in the picture is a normality of the website. However, from a teacher's perspective, this can be potentially harmful to their professionalism. Therefore, it is essential to always keep privacy settings in mind when creating a profile on social networking websites. It is also advised to be aware of anything you post, share or are tagged in. Would you be happy if your student's saw that photo or status update? Would you be comfortable with your student's parents seeing your Facebook profile page? These are questions that I constantly ask myself before I make any posts public. The school's I currently work in have asked me to sign contracts that relate to social networking. I am agreeing to staying appropriate on social networking websites and always being aware of what I choose to post. 

Using the Web as a Tool for Learning

'Increasingly, the Web 2.0 has been used by others who are experiencing continued professional development or educational studies.'

I personally believe that using the internet for learning is extremely useful. Information is easy to access as long as it is reliable. We all learn in different ways and I feel for some individuals the internet can provide better understanding. However, it's important to learn using varied techniques and resources and I don't believe any learning should be done solely through the internet. The only downside to using the internet for learning is the risk of plagerism, so this is something to watch closely.

In conclusion, Web 2.0 is a fascinating concept that will keep expanding and developing as time goes on. It has opened up the world of professional networking and communication. In many ways, I am thankful that I have never been without it during such crucial moments in my career. It's certainly made my journey much easier. There are downsides to the use of Web 2.0 but as long as I am careful, I believe I can use the features to their full advantage without problems.

Module 1: Task 1a - Creating a Professional Blog Profile

I've always been a fan of the 'bloggers' scene. I've been following a handful of fashion, beauty and lifestyle bloggers for just over five years now. It's certainly an interesting concept and for me it felt like a step-up from magazines. Magazines themselves have become a lot more personal over the past decade, but blogs just feel personal on a whole new level. The idea that viewers can read and actually make comments on the posts gives it a completely different relationship. You are no longer just a producer and a consumer; it brings a sense of friendship that magazines can't provide. In recent years, this has been taken one step further with the incredibly large increase in 'vlogs'. This term is short for 'video log' and is the description given to those who film their everyday life and upload it onto the internet (prominently YouTube). I've made a real connection to this element of social media and the internet and have even produced videos like these myself. I hope to use this technique in some form during my time on the BAPP Arts course.

These thoughts bring me on to the task of writing my own professional blog profile. A profile shares many characteristics with a CV. It gives the reader specific pieces of information about yourself. But as previously mentioned, it seems the running theme through the idea of blogging is that of it being on a more personal level. I kept this very much in mind when writing the first draft of my blog profile. Here is what I originally wrote:

'It was always my Mum's belief that every little girl wanted to be a ballerina. Which is why at the tender age of two, I began ballet and tap classes at my local dance school. And although I was absolutely terrible, I was really taken by the classes and at the age of seven expanded the range of styles I took part in to also include modern and jazz. Whilst regularly taking ISTD and RAD exams in dance, I was also entering various local singing competitions and taking up violin lessons. I completely surrounded myself with performing arts even then. 

I still remember the moment when I realised that this wasn't just for fun and in actual fact, this is something I could genuinely do for the rest of my life. In my final year of middle school, I was given the part of 'Nancy' in the school's production of 'Oliver!'. I had starred in various short plays and assemblies in school (including Mary in the school nativity!) but this would be the first performance I would do where all disciplines were combined (dance, drama and singing). I completely involved myself with this character and although I was only ten years old, I really understood 'Nancy'. It was an incredible feeling to be up on the stage portraying so many emotions and have the audience feeling them with me. I received some really positive feedback and I started to think I might actually be pretty good at this performing stuff! I knew then that this is what I wanted my future to be like. 

I was fortunate enough to attend an upper school that specialised in performing arts. The facilities were incredible and it was at this school that my creativity and talent could really develop. I completely immersed myself in everything the school had to offer: choirs, instrumental groups, dance clubs, musicals, talent shows. If it had anything to do with performing, I was there. I had some incredibly influential teachers who I am still in contact with and who occasionally invite me to teach workshops and choreograph for various projects. I had amazing opportunities to perform lead roles in musicals such as 'Little Shop of Horrors', 'We Will Rock You' and 'Guys and Dolls' to name a few. The school even arranged for the musicals to work alongside a business school in Germany, and every year we would do six performances in Bremen. I completed my A-Levels in Dance, Drama, Performing Arts and English Language, auditioned for various performing arts colleges and to my utter astonishment, received a DaDa funded place at Bird College.

My time at Bird College was a real whirlwind. Three years passed so quickly but so much happened in such a short space of time. I learned an exceptional amount, not only about the industry I was going into but also about myself. I really found my strength in singing, which I decided would be something I wanted to specialise in once graduating. I was lucky enough to leave college going straight into my first professional contract as an ensemble member in the original cast of 'Jackie the Musical' in Dundee, Scotland.

'Jackie the Musical' was an exceptional first job and gave me great insight into the transformation I had made from student to professional. However, it made me naive thinking that with one professional contract under my belt the jobs would keep on coming and I would have my pick of the bunch. I had a good relationship with my agent, who managed to get me many auditions. I successfully landed myself a 6 month contract on a cruise which I made the big decision to turn down. It was at this point I had a realisation. Maybe I wasn't willing to do anything for my performance career if it involved leaving my family, friends and home for long periods of time. It was around this time that I really began to struggle with myself. I had a flexible part time job that I loathed but gave me the opportunity to take time off for auditions. 

Auditions were few and far between and were becoming less successful. I felt very disappointed with where I had ended up. This wasn't the life I had pictured for myself a few months back. I had always enjoyed teaching. During my time at college, I had taken classes for my old dance school and during summer holidays I had worked as a dance and drama instructor at a children's activity camp. I had always imagined myself having a teaching career later in life once I'd settled down and made plans to start a family. It came to the point where my agent and I agreed it wasn't working and this helped me make the decision to focus solely on my future in teaching.

So, here I am! I now spend my mornings/early afternoons as a Lunchtime Play Leader at a primary school, organising dance and drama based activities for the children at lunch. I then teach dance and performing arts for various companies after school. My aim is to complete the BAPP Arts course in order to have the qualifications I need to complete a PGCE or Schools Direct course and obtain NQT status. I hope to become a Performing Arts teacher in a Secondary School and inspire and influence students like my teachers did. I'm extremely happy and excited for the change my life has taken and look forward to continuing learning about myself and performing arts.'

I have quickly realised that this is closer to an auto-biography than it is a professional blog profile. As much as I want my readers to feel like they know me on a personal level, my profile needs to be much shorter and snappier. It needs to give a brief description of myself as a person and my experiences that are relevant to the blog topics. Although this can be more personal than a professional CV, there are certainly elements I can bring from my CV into my profile. This is something I aim to work on over the next week when reading other BAPP and non-related blogs, gathering some helpful inspiration.


Interesting Reads

This article is an insight into the popular trend blogging/vlogging and focuses on 'Zoella', a young lady who I have followed for years. It really shows the development in social media and the internet and how these very 'normal' people are turning into celebrities simply for sharing their lives on the internet. 
http://www.mirror.co.uk/3am/celebrity-news/zoe-sugg---most-famous-3671787

Module 1: Task 1a - A View into the 'Perfect CV'

A Curriculum Vitae (known as a CV) is most widely used as a way of informing potential employers of your experience, skills and other personal information. But what makes the perfect CV? Is there such a thing? 

I personally have two different CV's. The first being my performance CV which I see as an advertisement for myself, almost like a product. This CV includes my professional headshot which is vital in the performance industry as the hard truth is everything is based on looks (a point that I'm sure I will expand on at a later date). That same photograph is the first thing a casting director sees before anything else. They make their first judgements based purely on that photograph and in some cases, that is as far as they get before they make a decision as to whether they invite you to an audition or not. The CV also includes personal details such as height, hair and eye colour. This is again building up an image of you, before the casting director has met you or seen your performance abilities in person. If the person reading your CV gets past this initial information, it is important to note any relevant performance experience and extra skills. It's short and to the point, as casting directors will have hundreds of CV's to get through in a very short space of time. A CV of very similar layout is also used on my Spotlight page (a website that I will be explaining in more detail during Task 1b). This version has even more personal details, photos and even voice clips.
(Link to Spotlight CV: www.spotlight.com/2414-4538-7063)

My second CV is more general and I use this for other work such as retail or teaching. There are many aspects of this CV that differ to my performance CV. One example of this is that I do not use a picture. This is optional and I have come across many general CV's that have made use of a photo. However, the various jobs I have applied for using this CV have not specified a photo. It is my personal opinion that these said jobs are much less likely to base employment on looks. I do not include any of the same personal details (height, hair and eye colour) as again, these are irrelevant in most cases unless specified. On this CV, I mention my academic grades (GCSE and A Levels) and any other vocational qualifications and exam results. I generally go into detail about a few relevant experiences, which I change depending on the job I'm applying for. As well as this, I list any other experience without detail to show versatility and extra skills. Finally, I include a short list of reference contacts. 

Performance CV Pictured Below: 

General CV Pictured Below:

As you can see, the two CV's are completely different and these differences demonstrate how versatile a CV can be. But is there such a thing as a perfect CV in any case? After reading over various different examples of other blogs and comparing my CV to friend's, every CV really is completely different. Obviously, the same ideas apply of making everything clearly laid out without spelling mistakes and making sure information is up-to-date. But it really seems to be a matter of opinion. Both my CV's have brought me success but I'm always willing to keep improving, so please leave any constructive criticism below. 

To Be Continued...

Interesting Reads:

An insight into how Casting Directors manage CV's and the insane capacity in which agents submit their clients. It also touches on the frustrating fact that only a handful of agents are trusted by Casting Directors meaning a lot of talented performers are immediately brushed aside. http://www.theguardian.com/stage/2013/may/21/casting-directors

The Next Big Step

So I've taken the first little step needed for the BIG step that is enrolling on the BAPP Arts course! 

The idea of starting this course was a very daunting prospect at first. How will I fit all the work in? Am I smart enough to work all these things out on my own? Has it been too long since I was last in education? But with a bit of self belief, I took the chance and now here I am, writing my first blog post. 

In actual fact, the more I read into the manuals and break down the first module for myself, the more I realise that this course suits me very well. With a lot of the course being based around blogs and with the topics surrounding the internet, I find myself in a place of familiarity. For around a year and a half, I spent a lot of my spare time blogging (and vlogging!) my lifestyle, beauty and fashion ideas. I used this to give myself an outlet that wasn't always to do with Performing Arts and in a sense, replace what was once my hobbie that had now turned into my 'job'. However, like many hobbies, time became too precious and I slowly stopped posting content. But I'm hoping the little bits of experience I gained through my previous blogging activities will be a great help on this course not just for myself, but for my peers. 

I think initially when someone says a 'universtity degree course' I immediately visualise lecture halls  and the idea that information is spoon fed to you by members of staff. I think of help being there first hand whilst attending classes everyday. This is a real chance to work independently and explore things alone which I personally love the idea of (even if it scared me at first!). It will certainly be different to what I've experienced before but I feel like I'm ready for a new challenge.

I'm very excited to see myself learn and grow throughout this process and allow the course to take me to the next stage of my career.