Module 3 Critical Reflection

A Critical Reflection on my learning experience throughout Module 3…

Module 3 has been, by far, the most challenging part of the BAPP Arts course. It has been a huge workload to complete in such a short time frame and I certainly feel as though it pushed me to keep up the momentum with my work and be very aware of my time management. I feel as though my skills in this area have improved and this is something I can carry forwards into my further studies. Organisation really has been key throughout this entire project; the Module 3 Handbook along with Reader 7 assisted me in visualising how to best organise the Module into sections that could be completed systematically so as to avoid confusion. thinking about the project in stages that naturally developed into one another helped me to monitor my progress and ensure that I was fully completing each step before moving on to the next level of development.

I started Module 3 feeling like a tiny, tiny fish in a massive pond. The research and inquiry tools looming before me seemed rather daunting and it took me a while to get to grips with where I was going and what I wanted to find out through my research. Here I welcomed the help of my SIG as well as the advice offered in a group chat on Facebook I have the pleasure of being a part of with other Module 3 students. It is great because we all encourage each other and reassure people’s ideas, opinions and paths of discovery which has been a great help for me throughout the entire duration of Module 3.

Forming my literature review was really where I started with my research. I re-read all of the sources that I had mentioned in my Professional Inquiry Proposal for Module 2 and these helped set me off on the right foot. Finding the relevant sources took a lot of perseverance and at one stage I was sure that I would struggle to get my project moving forwards as the sources seemed rather scarce and irrelevant. However once I got the ball rolling I was pleased to find a range of sources which contained excellent expert ideas, theories and opinions to be noted down for my inquiry, and so my topic area was finally set in stone.

I then set to organising my interviews with arts industry practitioners exploring, as I went, how to best structure an interview to get the most out of the experience. I have explained previously that my intention to do a focus group unfortunately fell through however, upon final reflection I can say that I am very pleased and satisfied to have been able to conduct 6 very informative interviews. Having now written my Critical Review I can say with assurance that I had all the information I needed to meet the requirements of this research project.

It was a lengthy task to transcribe the data yet far more challenging to actually analyse it. I did this by picking out key themes from the interviews as a whole. These themes emerged from the questions I had asked which in most cases were of similar wording. I eventually was ready to pick out the key quotes I wanted to use from each interview, all of which appear in the Analysis section of my Critical Review. Alongside this I also took to the task of picking out main quotes from the sources I had collected for my literature review which was no easy feat. My method was to highlight the quotes in each source and then type all quotes (with references) into one document under themes. This enabled me to systematically include them in the Evaluation section of my Critical Review.

Moving onto the Professional Artefact section of Module 3, this developed very late on for myself as I wanted to be secure in my research and the writing of my Critical Review before starting it. As stated in previous blogs, I chose to write an article which presented my findings in an informative yet visually exciting way. I actually really enjoyed writing the article as it is a completely different way of writing and one which I had not done for a while. It gave me the opportunity to be more creative and informal in my writing style which is very different to the more academic way of writing used in my Critical Review. I also included an image I had drawn which was also a very enjoyable part of the process as it is not often that i put pen to paper to create an image!

The final stage of Module 3 is the oral presentation which will not be happening for another few weeks. Once the 6th of January deadline has passed, all of my focus will go into creating a Powerpoint presentation and complimentary script for me to take reference from as I present my research to the audience. Although a nerve-racking, this is something that I am looking forward to as I will be able to explain and present my hard work to others who will be able to do the same in return so it will be a lovely sharing experience. To go with my presentation, I plan to get a few copies of my article professionally printed t hand around and give people an idea of what my artefact looks like. Updates on my oral presentation will follow in the near future. 

I am glad to have chosen a topic area that genuinely means a lot to me and really sparks my interest. As I have probably mentioned before, I am looking to study the law following the BAPP Arts course and hopefully, eventually, become a solicitor. I wish to specialise in areas of the law that sit within the arts industry; entertainment and intellectual property being the major two. I want to help artists in any legal disputes they find themselves in and advocate for the expansion of the services that assist artists in their professional lives to ensure that they are happy and legally secure in their workplace. Overall, Module 3 has secured my enthusiasm for this topic area and allowed me to better my own practice by learning more about the law and how the arts industry sits within it. Going forwards I can use all of the knowledge I have gained from this research project to fuel my future legal studies - something I am so excited to embark upon!  

Lil' Blogger

Summary of Inquiry Research Findings

Summary of the main project findings and the main benefit that emerged throughout my research:

Throughout this project I have discovered;

• The main areas of law which can potentially affect professional dancers (predominantly), but also choreographers, company directors and arts industry practitioners, such as contract; copyright (intellectual property); employment and claims of negligence (personal injury)
• Further details about the trade union for performers, Equity, and the free legal services it offers to its members
• Professional dancers’ opinions on the support they receive in their current company and how their work environment could be improved through the addition of legal advice and support
• How educating artists and improving advocacy for this topic area needs to be addressed for the benefit of future artists, working in conjunction with organisations like One Dance UK

If I could choose the main benefit that has emerged from my research, I would say that it has given me the opportunity to inform others of how important it is for dancers to be really protected in their workplaces to prevent them from being taken advantage of and treated in a way that falls outside the law. I have been able to highlight how often it seems dancers are mistreated by employers and struggle through the challenges and tests of what can be a ruthless industry. I like to think that this research, if further developed, could offer a voice to dancers who feels misrepresented and desperate for an individual or organisation who is on their side and willing to fight for their wellbeing.   

Developing my Professional Artefact

Having finally finished writing and editing my Critical Review, I am moving onto creating my Professional Artefact. I had initially thought about making some sort of information leaflet aimed at professional dancers which explained to them the typical areas of law affecting their industry, and where they can look to for legal advice and support. I felt that a leaflet format would be a great way for me to present my research in a concise, convenient way.  

Following a discussion with Paula, I came to the decision that a leaflet may not necessarily attract enough attention to the information I am providing. Think about how many times you have picked up or been handed a leaflet and had either a brief look or thrown it in the bin. So it was back to the drawing board for me!

I knew that I wanted to produce something informative yet eye-catching that combined both text and images to capture the readers attention. I found it particularly useful to view the artefacts created by past students and regularly had a look at the examples presented in Paula’s slides which can be found in her blog (http://paulanottingham.blogspot.co.uk/2016/12/final-21216-session-module-3.html). My artefact will be a completed product instead of a work in progress. I like to imagine that it is something that could be featured in a magazine in the future perhaps after further research of my own.

It was the posters and booklets that tended to spark my imagination as I knew from the start that this was the type of artefact I wanted to create. Finally, I decided to create an article. To start me on my way, I looked through old copies of magazine The Dancing Times and gained inspiration for layout, language and general format. Using these sources really helped me to get my head into article writing as it is something I have not done since studying English at GCSE level.

In terms of target audience, I imagined the sort of people who would read The Dancing Times and also the practitioners who would benefit the most from my research and the information I will be providing in my article. This means that particularly professional dancers and in general, dance industry practitioners would have the strongest interest in my artefact.

Yesterday, I spent a fair amount of time designing the format of my article, choosing the images I want to include and also doing a drawing of my own to feature in the article. This was me using my creativity to make something that is visually exciting yet professional looking and I must admit that I enjoyed drawing as it is not something that I ever really do. To inspire my drawing, I Googled ‘abstract dancers’ and ‘dancer silhouettes' and ‘abstract dancer silhouettes’ to find images that ignited my imagination and made me want to draw. Some of the images really were simple yet stunningly beautiful and it was along these lines that I created my own interpretation of an ‘abstract dancer silhouette’. Although time consuming, I really enjoyed playing around with the layout and format of my article, playing around with the document until i felt I had it just right. Again I very much drew inspiration from an article in The Dancing Times entitled Dance and its Disappearance by Paul Arrowsmith. It was an article which immediately caught my attention whilst flicking through the magazine and so I used it’s design as a basis for my own article.

Today I am making a start on the actual writing of the article. This morning, I started by simply Googling ‘magazine article writing tips’, in the hope of finding a few pointers to set my writing streak in motion. I found quite a useful article written by W. Terry Whalin entitled Some Basics on Magazine Writing. Whalin recommends;

• Establishing a rough word count before starting to write so that you can be specific about the information that is most important to include
• Focussing the article onto your area of research (something I am already secure in)
• Gathering and organising any data such as that from interviews (completed in my case)
• Summarise the point of your article into one sentence and never move away from this goal; ‘My article is about……..’
• Settle on the main points you want to make, choose any quotes you want to include and make a template of a beginning, middle and end; in other words an introduction, a body of text and finally the conclusion

Whalin urges you to consider; “Does it make sense? Are there areas that are missing?…Is the article focussed and targeted for the assigned publication?” (Whalin, 2016). I have to ensure that my article achieves its objectives and fulfils its purpose of providing interesting, thought-provoking research to the reader. 

Finally, I need to remember that every “article is unique from a creative source” (Whalin, 2016), and that I, as the writer, have to discover my own way of writing and putting my own twist on things. It is so fascinating reading something that is clearly in a certain writers style where their personality or enthusiasm for a certain topic emerges - I hope to achieve the same!

Below I have created a very brief draft for my article which will guide me through the writing stages from here on. It is simply to inform me of the sort of writing structure I should be using. My article is to inform the reader of my research and what I have learnt throughout this process as well as advising them on where I have found legal support for dancers can be sourced from… 

1. Title

• exciting, eye-catching, capture readers attention, brief yet descriptive of subject of article

2. Subheading (optional)

• Single sentence giving general overview of what article is about. Could perhaps begin with ‘Lily Grundy explores…’ or ‘Lily Grundy delves into…’

3. Body of text

• 2-5 paragraphs where the topic area is further explained and developed. Can include images and quotes to enhance the information provided.

4. Conclusion

• Summarises the topic area or gives a final opinion on the research presented 

I now have the next week to complete the writing of my article to then submit with my Critical Review - cannot believe the end is in sight!

Lil’ Blogger   

Bibliography

Arrowsmith, Paul (2012) Dancing and its Disappearance, The Dancing Times, October 2012 Ed.

Nottingham, Paula (2016) Final 2.12.16 session Module 3 artefacts, oral presentation, sourced from http://paulanottingham.blogspot.co.uk/2016/12/final-21216-session-module-3.html accessed 30.12.16

Whalin, W. Terry (2016) Some Basics on Magazine Writing, sourced from www.right-writing.com/basics.html accessed 30.12.16    

Module 3 Skype 02.12.16

Yesterday evening, fellow Module 3 student Charnelle and I attended a Skype session with Paula. This session was aimed largely around our Professional Artefacts and Oral Presentation however we also discussed quite in-depth about our Critical Review and where we are up to with it. See Paula's blog (http://paulanottingham.blogspot.co.uk/2016/12/final-21216-session-module-3.html) for the information slides - they're really helpful!

I am just going to run through some of the key talking points that stood out to me and assisted me in my thinking about how I am to best utilise my last month on the BAPP course. It is rather scary to think that it is already December! However Paula also reminded us that this should be an exciting time when everything is coming together and you are presenting to everyone the hard work you have done and the interesting things you have found out from your inquiry.

In terms of the Critical Review, Paula said it would be fantastic for us to get a completed draft in to her by 19th-20th December just so that we can get some written feedback which, as we all know, is really useful. This panicked me slightly yet again Paula changed my thinking on as remember it is only a draft - IT DOES NOT HAVE TO BE PERFECT! The whole point of the drafting process it to be able to continue the development of your ideas in conjunction with your writing. Drafting and re-drafting (with feedback along the way) gives you the opportunity to add more detail to the vague information that often plagues us at the beginning of a written piece of work. Adding more detail and information; explaining further and expanding ideas; elaborating on the basic points and giving examples; are all features which occur naturally throughout a drafting process so do not be afraid of it!

In summary, your Critical Reflection is showing what you have achieved throughout the inquiry process. It shows your progression as a practitioner as well as the progression of your ideas and how you have used existing theories and concepts to support them. It should certainly challenge your thinking and, in simple terms, present WHAT YOU HAVE FOUND OUT throughout this journey. You are essentially writing up your results and explaining them. When I think about it like this, I realise that there is not so much of a need to stress as I have the resources I need to achieve just this. Yes time restraints are a slight issue but I would encourage all of us Module 3 students to just press on for this final few weeks and we will reap the rewards!

Paula also commented that our research is all about ourselves and our own development as practitioners. She said, and I quote; "we should see you in all of this".

I just think this is a fantastic reminder that at the end of the day we are doing this for ourselves and our own development as professionals. We should grasp this as an opportunity to express ourselves and present something that we are passionate about and want to carry into our future. I think this is a lovely way to motivate yourself amongst all of the stress and business. It is a way to take a step back and think about how you can incorporate more of yourself into your inquiry to make it personal and special to you.

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Paula highlighted that both Charnelle and I have strong political aspects to our inquiries. This gives us an opening to challenge people's thinking and change attitudes surrounding a certain area of our society. We are doing something that could make a difference which in itself is a wonderful and empowering thought. Indeed we both have to take a neutral tone in our inquiries however we can still say something of impact which challenges people to think in a different way or simply highlights to them the issues we have picked up on. Saying something meaningful is of great use to us and so from this, I will take the courage to attempt to express my findings in a way which makes people stop and think.

We also referenced back to Paula's Dinner Party idea (http://paulanottingham.blogspot.co.uk/search?q=dinner+party); a blog which is really worth reading. We discussed that it is not necessarily good reading when all of your points coincide. It is a good thing to have some healthy debate amongst your inquiry where you are showing differing opinions and opposing arguments. You do not have to present this in a forceful way however having a rounded viewpoint makes for particularly good reading.

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As a final point I want to talk about the Professional Artefact which is something that was rather unclear to me until recently. This strand of Module 3 is something that, as said by Paula, is still emerging. This is a creative way for us to present the ideas and results of our inquiry to a chosen audience. I think first and foremost it is useful to select what audience you are pitching your artefact to as this will influence its format, so how you present your findings. The slides on Paula's blog (referenced earlier) give some great examples of previous artefacts done by students so if you are stuck for ideas I would definitely suggest giving those a look over.

The Artefact can show the outcomes of your inquiry so what you have done, quite literally! So have you made new connections; applied for a new job or course; talked to professionals and thrown around ideas and opinions. Whatever it is you have done, talk about it. For myself, I was steering towards creating some sort of information leaflet but as advised by Paula, have decided to change tack a little and look to creating some sort of book instead. It needs to be visually creative to draw people in and keep them interested in its contents. Paula also suggested that, as well as having a hard copy, creating a digital copy of the book on a memory stick. This is something that I will be elaborating on over the next couple of weeks! Just need to get my ideas together and start creating! Of high importance, the artefact should be something special that stands out and makes people want to take notice!

Overall it was a really useful session and I enjoyed being able to talk to Charnelle and Paula about where I am up to with my Critical Review and how I can improve and develop the initial ideas I have for my artefact.

More interviews...

I have finally collected and transcribed all of the data from my interviews. It has been a challenging and lengthy process so I am glad to have completed it. Now it’s time for me to really pick out the key themes that appear throughout my interviews and analyse them further in my Critical Review. I will be putting them into the ‘Analysis of the Findings’ section; a section which I hope to be moving on to by the end of this week following completing my Literature Review/Evaluation section.

On reflection, although a little disappointed at the time, I am aware that a focus group discussion would have put too much on my plate in terms of organisation. Also the process which would have followed, transcribing then analysing, would have also taken up a lot of precious time and I am far more confident with the methods of conducting then analysing individual interviews. I think I would have been quite nervous in a focus group forum and perhaps would not have got the most out of the participants’ expertise. By interviewing them individually I have been able to tailor the questions to their area of expertise and receive clear, honest answers back.

Looking back it was definitely the best decision to alter my inquiry tools. Although quite last minute I have still managed to collect all of the information I need. This development is simply proof of how things can evolve and alter throughout a research process. You have to be prepared to rapidly change tack and ‘go with the flow’. Yes it can be stressful in the moment but you reap the benefits later on. I look forward to presenting the findings from my interviews in my Critical Review!     

Interview #3

I have just completed my 3rd interview via audio call. I have again successfully made a voice recording on my phone which I will be transcribing the second I have finished this blog!

My interview this time was with a professional dancer who was in fact a friend I made during my time training. It was fantastic to hear about what they had been up to and how they feel about their current practice. An example of some of the questions I posed are as follows:

• Do you feel that in your current place of employment there is a good support system for the dancers?
• What are the conditions like in which you rehearse?
• Do you think having an expert legal professional who you can access would be useful?
• Do you think dancers may be reluctant to pursue a legal dispute due to the risk of gaining a bad reputation? 

It was fantastic to get another perspective from a practitioner who understands and is working within the dance industry. It is interesting how so many of the comments made relate to those from my previous interview (Interview #2) also with a professional dancer.

What is becoming clear is that dancers are often not treated as they should be by employers. Equity remarkably sets the standards for how performers in the industry should be treated yet this is not necessarily upheld by all. I feel that I am starting to unearth some of these issues and think of ways in which they can be greater understood and better advocated for in the future.

Overall it was another very positive experience and I look forward to pulling all of the data together to form my Critical Review. The pieces are starting to fall into place and I now feel ready to start drafting my Critical Review and finalising my literature review.

From Focus Group to Interviews...

After having further discussion with my focus group participants, it has been decided that I will actually be interviewing each participant individually. It has been a real challenge to organise a date/time that suits us all and I appreciate how hectic people's lives can be. There has been a lot of toing and froing to try and get things moving so this just seems like the most efficient option given the time restraints. I am wary of running out of time and not gathering all of the information that I initially intended and so at least this way I can guarantee that I will get to hear from everyone involved in my research.

This morning I have emailed each participant a Word document outlining the overall aim for the interview followed by a set of questions ranging from 10-13. Each set of questions has been slightly personalised to best target the strengths and knowledge of the individual. I hope to hear back in the next few days so that I can analyse the data and incorporate it into my Critical Review.

I am aware that this is a very different format to what my focus group would have been and this change is something that I will consider and discuss in my Critical Review. It is a shame that I cannot use the dynamics of a group discussion to allow conversation and spontaneous questions to develop naturally. However I am pleased to be able to ask each participant direct questions and I am sure that I will be met with some really valuable responses. I will keep you updated as to the development of my inquiry tools!

Campus Session 11.11.16

On Friday, a group of us attended (both in person and via Skype) a BAPP session at the Hendon Campus. Present were Tom, Charnelle, Victoria, Lizzie, Megan, Lucy and Nastazia with Paula leading the session. We began by introducing ourselves, talking about our current professional practice and briefly touching on what stage we are at with the BAPP course, and what our inquiries are about if we had reached that stage of development. 

It was lovely to hear from both Module 1 and Module 2 students as it made me think back to how I felt and what I experienced at that point in the course. I actually had a moment of reflection with Victoria and Lizzie before the session began where we chatted about how each of us was getting on. I remember commenting that Module 2 (which they are both on) was the time when I put in all of the groundwork for my inquiry and made it as clear as I could in my mind what I wanted to carry forwards and research in greater depth throughout Module 3. It was fascinating to listen to the early stages of their research and what they are interested in pursuing.  

"What is arts based research?"

This question formed a huge part of what we discussed during the session. Paula had brought along a wealth of information, namely a collection of books touching on all areas of the arts and beyond. It was great to have her go through some of this literature with us and explain some of the philosophies, practises, methods, ways of thinking etc, that have been presented by these practitioners through the years. Paula confirmed that she will be putting a list of these sources up so keep your eyes peeled!

Paula urged us to ponder "what is academic about art?"

How would you answer that question? Art may not be so generically academic in the way that it does not boast mathematic equations or scientific research. Instead it is a broad spectrum of many disciplines which use performance as research. Be it a dance or music performance; an art installation; gallery exhibition; book or poetry reading; the list could go on! Art is a collection of something that inspired someone which they then bring into the here and now. Relating this back to the BAPP, we should be thinking about what inspires us and build a context for our research which branches out into other areas of the arts that may not be so familiar to you. We each have a solid understanding of our own art form but now we have the opportunity look at the bigger picture and source things that stand out to us and inform our thinking. We talked about how picking a few keywords relating to your topic area and playing around with them, putting them into Google and seeing what results you get, can be an excellent way educating yourself on what is already out there. Often you stumble across really useful sources which could then potentially form part of your literature review at a later stage. 

For example, I am primarily familiar with and inspired by dance and I am relating the context of my inquiry to this sector of the arts. However how can I look beyond dance to other forms of art for example drawing, photography, sculpture; to give me further inspiration. Tom commented that it is finding correlation between the topic area of your inquiry and other areas of our society. You should be branching off to find different ideas from different sectors but with similar motives to your own research. It is finding those slices of history; those philosophical theories; those changes in the law; those social, ethical and political issues; those scientific developments, that inform your thinking and help you to create a basis upon which you can build your research and craft a well informed inquiry.  

Potentially the most absorbing discussion in my opinion to come out of today was us sharing our thoughts on what is happening now in the world we live in. We asked ourselves "what does today's audience need?". Usually there is a time and a place in the arts and we use what is going on around us to inspire us. Each generation re-produces and presents things in a different way depending on the cultural aspects of their environment and how they choose to interpret them. There is always someone creating something different and showing it in a new way. Of course today the media is a huge influence on how we interpret cultural shifts and understand what people are saying and doing in any situation be it a political crisis, natural disaster or heinous crime. News reports, articles, press coverage are the window through which we view the world which to me seems like quite a scary thought. We can be so easily manipulated to view something through the eyes of a lens which perhaps does not give us a full grasp of everything that is going on. 

From this I started to think about how dancers are viewed in the media. I thought about how dancing is more often than not seen as something so glamorous, effortless and wonderful but what really goes on behind the scenes? The BBC programme 'Strictly Come Dancing' immediately came to mind as again it is such a well put together show full of glitter, allure and exaggerated glamour which I agree is stunning to see. Yet what really goes on behind the scenes? How do the people working on this show, or more specifically the dancers, actually cope with the demands? This is something I will be thinking about more as I pursue my research into the treatment of dancers and their legal rights as a worker.

Another idea that I developed from this in conjunction with a comment made from Paula during the campus session is that no matter what is happening to a performer behind the scenes, they will always give their all to an audience no matter what. Paula commented that "artists are inventors". This can be interpreted in the way that artists are creators of new works and they invent concepts, visuals, experiences which can make us think or feel a certain way. Artists are also inventors in the sense that they invent the person they want us to see. Dancers in particular are very good at inventing a persona to be presented to an audience. Just something else to think about...      

A theme that surfaced on a number of occasions was the idea of a 'scapegoat' - having someone to blame for the mistakes and wrongdoings of others. We thought about how in today's society, everyone likes to find a scapegoat to blame for the things that go wrong in this world. Is it fair of us to find a scapegoat? Does it actually solve issues or simply shift the blame and divert attention away from the issues? I think this could be a particularly interesting concept to explore given the events of 2016 in terms of Brexit and the very recent US election. 

To finish what had been a truly engaging session, Paula had us all contribute to 2 separate mind maps. We were given a short stint of say 5 minutes to brainstorm and write down the first things that come to mind when thinking about the key words given to us. The first mind map was surrounding Arts-based Research (see image below):

 

Main themes that appear to reoccur are that arts-based research is creative and 'transdisciplinary'. It pushes us to think 'outside the box' and link philosophies, ideas and perspectives together. It is embracing different art forms and finding connections between everything you do. I suppose you could compare it to connecting the dots of a huge picture which gradually, over time, takes shape to form an intricate and interesting image. 

Following on from this and keeping in line with a very prominent theme in today's society, Paula chose the word Activism for us to have a go at:

Looking back at this image, I can really pick up on our persistent need to reiterate that change is needed; voices should be heard; people should be educated; respect not ignorance should be had; close-mindedness should be a thing of the past and we should want to inform and inspire people to talk openly and find solutions to national and international issues. I remember us commenting on how we feel complacency has too large of a presence in our society particularly following the result of Brexit and the US election. Perhaps it is time for us to finally break this stagnant mindset and will change to happen in a way that unites our world and encourages social, political and cultural development.      

Overall it was a really enjoyable, informative afternoon. It is always lovely to meet other students on the course and discuss the ideas and opinions that are important to us as individuals,. I have agreed to either meet up or organise a Skype session in the near future with a couple of Module 3 students. It is coming to that time when we will be wanting as much support and reassurance as we can get and I always enjoy feeding off of other people's ideas and opening my mind to embrace perspectives which help in my own development as a professional. 

Focus Group Preparation...

Having done 2 out of my 4 interviews and completed the preparation for the final 2, I am ready to move onto organising my focus group discussion. This is the first focus group that I have ever been involved in let alone moderate so I thought it best to once again search for some advice. The 2 links below offer some really helpful tips on the organisation stages as well as the actual carrying out of a focus group:

Conducting a Focus group (undated) Professor Glenn Blank
http://www.cse.lehigh.edu/~glennb/mm/FocusGroups.htm
(accessed 03.11.16)

Guidelines for Conducting a Focus Group (2005) Eliot & Associates
https://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&ved=0ahUKEwjDlefwtYzQAhXrB8AKHWiHAdAQFggdMAA&url=https%3A%2F%2Fassessment.aas.duke.edu%2Fdocuments%2FHow_to_Conduct_a_Focus_Group.pdf&usg=AFQjCNGx7BcfW_NoeHH-4MG3zigxmNKBUA&sig2=jQjFySQIbjy_8Z9s-fE6YQ 
(accessed 03.11.16)

"When well executed, a focus group creates an accepting environment that puts participants at ease allowing them to thoughtfully answer questions in their own words and add meaning to their answers."
(Eliot & Associates, 2005, p 1)

My focus group must have a clear and specific purpose which will be shared as an overall aim with my participants before the discussion commences. Both the date and time have been organised well in advance and I have chosen my participants due to their involvement with the organisation One Dance UK, an attribute which proves to be important to my inquiry. As my focus group is via Skype, I do not need to worry about a location or set-up procedure. The only thing left to do is to email my Skype address to all participants and ask that they respond with their own so that I can add all contacts prior to the event.

In terms of questions, it is suggested by Blank to have 1-2 introductory questions before launching into 4-7 main questions which will form the meatiest part of the discussion. Questions should be open ended and move from general to specific in order to ease everyone in before getting to the heart of the discussion. They too should be short, to the point, unambiguous and worded in a way that avoids "yes' and "no" answers. I also need to think very carefully about which questions I want to ask. I should be prepared to rewrite and edit my questions until I am left with only those that are the most important and will generate the best discussion.               

As the facilitator/moderator of the focus group I need to give a welcoming introduction to the participants which I have already scripted. I am planning to give my participants some context by stating the aim and purpose of the focus group; what in general I would like to find out and also how it will run. Overall it will take no longer than an hour as any longer than this may cause despondency and a loss of focus from both myself and the participants. Before beginning I will also confirm the anonymity of the individuals in any data that I use, ask once more that they are happy to be audio recorded and also ensure them that all data collected will be stored securely and analysed by myself alone. I will also request that each individual to state their name before responding to a question to make it easier for me when transcribing the data.

I want to make the participants feel comfortable by creating a friendly and informal forum for discussion. I need to make sure that I keep everything on track and moving forwards at a steady pace so as to avoid wasting time. I will be responsible for safeguarding the discussion from going astray and off topic and also for making sure everyone is contributing and having their say. I do not want anyone to feel as though their ideas and opinions have not been listened to and appreciated. My goal "is to generate a maximum number of different ideas and opinions...in the time allotted" (Eliot & Associates, 2005, p 2). Finally, I want to allow room for spontaneous questions/discussion to develop which will allow me to probe deeper into a subject and hopefully find some useful information that is relevant to the development of my inquiry.

To finish I will of course sincerely thank the participants for giving up their time and inform them of what I am to do next with the information and how they are welcome to ask any further questions and have access to my inquiry once it is completed.  

Overall I am looking forward to the experience and will soon be following up with how it all went and how I am to go about the transcription process. 

Interview #2

This afternoon I had my second interview, this time with a professional dancer. It has given me such a different perspective on some of my questions and the topic areas that I am exploring. I was fascinated to hear about the experiences of this dancer and the company they are a part of. It is a company which is not in the UK and granted the culture is completely different to what we experience over here. Therefore it has given me a really broad perspective on how dancers are supported else where in the world and how they go about accessing legal support in the event that they find themselves in a dispute with an employer. I was actually shocked to hear about how regularly the terms of a dancers contract can be infringed - in my opinion it happens far to often and it frustrates me to think that trained professionals who dedicate their lives to their art form can be treated with so much disrespect. Chatting to this individual put it into perspective how much dancers may be calling out for help and advice regarding their human rights, civil rights and their right to take legal action should they feel that they have been taken advantage of in their workplace.

Conversations, like the one I experienced today, really motivate me to push forwards with my topic area. What I am exploring is not just something I am researching for the purposes of my degree but it is something that I am genuinely passionate about and that I want to advocate for in the future. Being in the professional environment of a dancer is so challenging and more than ever I have come away from today's interview having had an insight into a dancer's reluctance to stand up for what is not right in their workplace. It is terrible to think that a climate of hesitance exists when it comes to dancer's wanting to speak out for themselves and gain the rights to fair working hours, salary, pension plans, holiday pay, health insurance and any other number of problems which everyday working people may take for granted.

My next job is to transcribe today's interview and pull out key points and quotes that I want to take forwards for discussion in my critical review. Slowly but surely ideas are emerging...

Module 3 - Thinking Creatively

I was so pleased to finally be able to join in on a breeze/Skype session with Paula Nottingham and other Module 3 students like myself. It is always such an encouragement to chat to those who are at a similar stage to you and to throw some ideas around to get brains ticking.

We started off by reviewing what stage we are all at and how we are managing our time and resources effectively to make the most out of the short, hectic time we have left on the BAPP course. Once again this diagram proved to be really useful:


 (Taken from the slides presented by Paula throughout the session)

Surrounding these stages, Paula reiterated how important it is for us to carry on with blogging, discussing, using our SIG's, reading our Handbooks and just generally getting involved in the whole BAPP community. When we are so close to the finishing line it is important for us not to lose focus and give up. I only know from my own experience of this Module that it can be stressful and challenging as there is so much to think about. I find myself making lists everyday and creating a timetable of what I can fit in and when. This really helps me to keep on top of the work I have to do and also to not forget a important tasks I have to completed.

I guess you could think of it as running a marathon. You train for so long and do all of the preparation (research, literature review, setting up interviews etc) that when it finally comes to physically running, it's quite a daunting task! When faced with a challenge like this, you have to think about pacing yourself and jogging along at a steady, manageable pace. It is important to not hit a wall, freak out and panic yourself into a frenzy where productivity and progress is impossible. Just keep running and you'll get there!



Paula also commented on how there is almost too much information out there and when you look at how much you have accessed and collected it can seem really confusing. It is like a huge painting hung in a gallery that looms over you and challenges you to appreciate all of its intricate visuals. Paula said to focus in on a part of the bigger picture to prevent yourself from feeling overwhelmed and lost amongst your research. I have to admit that I myself am aware of how much information I need to sort through in an attempt to decide what is really relevant and beneficial to my inquiry. So I am happy to have had this reassurance from Paula to prompt me to figure out where I am and where I want to go with my inquiry.

Paula also interestingly commented that it's "not just about doing, but thinking about doing". This comment has prompted me to evaluate how I am thinking about and presenting my work. It is very easy to just be "doing" things, ticking them off your to-do list and thinking that you are done with them, when actually it is really important to expand your thinking and come up with ways to do things differently. Creative thinking is so important especially due to the nature of the BAPP course and how it encouraged us to be more creative in everything we do.

This ties in nicely with a further discussion we had about our Critical Review. At around 6000 words this should also, along with our Artefact, be an interesting and creative way of us communicating what we have found out through our inquiry. I more naturally express myself through the written word and so it is a challenge for me visual aids when presenting my work. This is something that I really want to introduce more into my thinking in an attempt to be more creative and think about what I am doing rather than just doing it.

Paula also reassured us that when we are first drafting our critical review, do not worry if it appears to be messy and too long. It is part of the process to be able to edit what is there until the final concise piece is complete. This process actually allows you to get all of your ideas and research down in one place before organising it and deciding what is really worth making it to the final cut. She also mentioned about name dropping - putting in names of authors in the body of the text who are supporting your arguments. This shows that you have done your research and can appreciate those who have gone before you and contributed to the exploration of something related to your topic area.

Finally we each individually had a shot at explaining any emerging ideas that we have recently experienced. I brought up about my first interview experience and how I collected plenty of information which I now really need to get my head around. It was fascinating listening to how other students are working through the process and finding new ways to be creative with the ideas they are discovering. I also found common ground with Charnelle as we are both holding interviews at the trade union Equity. We have agreed to have a discussion in the near future about our own research and how we can assist one another in our ideas so that was a really positive development.

Overall it was a pleasure to be involved and I look forward to the next session!

Interview #1

Journal entry written whilst I was on my journey home following my first interview at the Equity HQ...

Feeling quite positive this evening! Finally I've got the ball rolling and held my first interview earlier on today. Prior to the interview, I was getting a bit stagnant with collecting information and was struggling to find fresh ideas to immerse myself in. I was really craving some new information to analyse and get excited about. That's why I am so thrilled with how today went. I'm pleased to have learnt so many new things about Equity itself and how it supports performers in the UK. Today's interview has opened up some new areas for inquiry and some of the ideas that emerged will be fantastic for carrying on into my next 2 interviews with professional dancers...

I was pleased with how well the conversation flowed as I must admit I was a little nervous beforehand because I wanted to make sure that I made the most out of the interview. But the interviewee was really generous with their responses offering a wealth of information for me to go away and analyse further. It was interesting to talk about just how essential Equity is for performers in the UK as well as going deeper into the free legal advice/aid services they offer to their members. 

I am glad to have come away from today having asked so many of the questions that I have struggled to find the answers to from my own secondary research. To try and keep on top of everything, I have transcribed the interview this afternoon (feeling very thankful that my voice recording turned out well) and made a few extra notes to remind myself of some of the avenues I was recommended to explore by the interviewee.    

All in all it was a successful interview!

Structuring my Inquiry Tools (Interviews)

I am currently in the process of organising times/dates for my interviews and focus group discussion. All of my participants have been emailed an information sheet and consent form to be signed so I feel like I am starting to get on top of things and manage my time wisely.

My biggest task at the moment is to figure out how I want to structure my interviews and focus group to get the most out of the limited time I have with my participants. As it will be the first time that I am conducting anything like this, I thought I would start by seeking some advice from Google and I found a selection of really useful websites. Beginning with a how-to-guide for conducting an interview, the following 2 links give some really useful tips:


The Open University - Conducting an Interview (Anon, undated)
https://www2.open.ac.uk/students/skillsforstudy/conducting-an-interview.php (accessed 17.10.16) 

Duke Initiative on Survey Methodology (DISM): Tipsheet - Qualitative Interviewing (Anon, undated) 
(This is a PDF document)
http://www.dism.ssri.duke.edu/pdfs/Tipsheet%20-%20Qualitative%20Interviews.pdf (accessed 17.10.16)

I have decided that my interviews will be semi-structured to give my interviewees room to respond how they like. This means that I will be making lists of questions/key points that I want to cover and I will systematically work through them with the interviewees allowing them time to provide the information they think to be the most relevant. This method deems the most suitable for my topic area due to the fact that there is currently little information out there. These interviews give me the opportunity to start gathering that information and developing lines for inquiry.

Before I even start posing questions to my interviewees, I am going to have to ensure that:

• They consent to being audio recorded
• They consent to the data being used for my professional inquiry
• They are aware of the maintenance of their anonymity 
• They do not have to answer any question they do not wish to answer 
• They can withdraw from the interview at any stage and without prejudice  

As advised by the links above, I should strive to:

• First explain the aim/purpose of the interview - I have written myself a short paragraph giving a general overview of my professional inquiry and what I intend to achieve from each individuals interview
• Create a comfortable/relaxed environment - this is a bit more of a challenge for me due to the fact that 2 of my interviews are to be done via Skype however I intend to ease my interviewees with friendly, off-topic conversation before delving into the interview. I also need to ensure that I am in as quiet a setting as possible for all my interviews as I want the audio recordings to be as clear as is achievable
• Avoid prompting "yes" or "no" answers as well as biased responses - to avoid such responses I want to make my questions broad and open-ended so that the interviewee has the freedom to answer honestly without being lead in a specific direction
• Logical question sequence - my questions need to make sense and follow on from one another with naturally flowing transitions. In particular for myself I need to ensure that I do not over-complicate the questions/language used and make them too long  

Question types

I have found the information on question types to be particularly useful from the 2 links above. They suggested some really good question-starters if you like! Phrases such as 'Can you tell me about...?' or 'Can you give more detail...?' or 'Do you have any examples?'. I hope that by using phrases such as this I will be able to keep the interviews moving and avoid any unwanted silences or confusion. I have incorporated a few of these into my questions and will be testing them out with my first interview which will take place this Thursday. I will update you on how it all goes - hopefully smoothly!  

Recording my interviews

I will be taking a separate recording of each interview so that when I come back to analysing the data, I will be able to quickly refresh my memory on the discussion that took place and take very accurate quotes from the interviews should I so wish. I will also be taking concise notes of any points raised which I think to be important. I want to ensure that I do not miss out on any key information that could benefit my research. I will be looking further into transcribing the data following the interviews over the next couple of weeks so look out for updates!

More details to follow on how I will be structuring my focus group...

Refining my Literature Review

As stated in Reader 7, the literature review to be completed in conjunction with Module 3 "should show your ability to acquire knowledge about the subject areas that are related to your practice, and use 'expert' sources to examine those aspects of your practice that you have used for your inquiry" (Reader 7, 2016). This definition urges me to revise the extensive literature review that I presented in my Module 2 inquiry proposal, and be selective as to what sources I draw knowledge from to launch the main body of my research. From the legislation, case law, websites, articles and books that I have already found; I need to select those which offer the most specific information that is both relevant and beneficial to my inquiry.

I have systematically gone through the literature review I established in Module 2, once again doing a Google search of each source. From there I have placed those which are less specific to my research on the backburner and focused on the 'expert' sources which offer useful ideas and fresh knowledge. These should further enhance my understanding of the subject matter I have chosen to explore and help me to present a well-rounded inquiry which has sufficient critical input.

The following are the main sources which I intend to take forwards and use as support for my research. These will eventually be presented more comprehensively when I come to pulling all the strands that form Module 3 together:   
 
New knowledge/Expert sources:  

• Poor Dancer's Almanac: Managing Life and Work in the Performing Arts (White, 1993) - I have in fact ordered this book online and am looking forward to reading it and gathering some ideas for further exploration
• Case Law - personal injury claims/contractual issues (e.g Fall v. Hitchen, 1972; Makarova v. US, 2000)
• Articles (e.g. http://www.danceuk.org/news/article/choreography-and-copyright/; http://www.article19.co.uk/feature/how_much_is_a_dancer_worth.php) 
  

I also had a think about further reference points which could prove to be useful should I need to justify certain ethical approaches, or to ensure that I have my facts straight when it comes to existing legislation.

Reference points:  

• Codes of conduct/practice (for solicitor and dancer) 
• Legislation/Acts of Parliament (e.g. Unfair Contract Terms Act, 1977; Employment Rights Act, 1996; National Minimum Wage Act, 1998)

I can now use all of these sources as a solid basis for further discussion and as a tool for widening my own understanding, and hopefully the understanding of others, of my topic area.

Module 3: Picking up where I left off...

After a long and largely restful summer, it is time for me to get my head back into the BAPP course and make a start (with a vengenace) on Module 3. Having looked through the Module 3 Handbook, it has helped me to visualise the various stages I will need to go through to get all the elements of my inquiry submitted. It seems like a rather overwhelming workload at the moment so time management is going to be absolutely essential!

I have also had a read through my inquiry proposal submitted for Module 2 just to refresh my memory on the purpose of my research and how I want to structure the next few months in order to get the most out of the limited time I have left. To really get my head around what is to be completed in the next few months; I have written a summary of my project so far using the guidlines set out in the Module 3 Handbook under Task 7a...

Working Title: What legal advice/aid currently exists for professional dancers in the UK and how can these services be greater understood through the work of dance organisations? 

Research/inquiry questions and ideas: 

Having re-read my professional inquiry proposal submitted for Module 2; I intend to pursue the research/inquiry questions and ideas that I have already discussed. These are as follows: 

• What legal issues are professional dancers, both company members and freelance artists, likely to face?
• What legal advice/aid currently exists for professional dancers, both company members and freelance artists, within the UK? 
• What dance organisations, for example Equity, offer legal advice/aid to dancers and how do they go about doing this? 
• What is a dancer’s perception of legal advice/aid within the UK and what experiences have they personally had? 
• How can advocacy for this topic area be developed within the UK looking at the work done by One Dance UK and how I can be involved? 

Ethical issues: 

In terms of ethical issues, the ethics board has approved the research I will be conducting for my inquiry and I am fully aware of the consent forms that I need to send to and have signed by my interview and focus group participants (Informed Consent Form; Audio Recording Consent Form). Additional to this I will be in contact via email and private message with all of those involved in my research. I will be clearly informing them of the maintenance of their anonymity and the secure protection of any data I collect from them.

During Module 2 I also explored the industry specific codes of conduct/practice upheld by both a solicitor and a dancer/dance teacher. I will be drawing upon these to ensure that I approach any individuals involved in my research appropriately with respect to the nature of their position in a professional capacity. 

Literature review: 

My literature review is being further developed from the materials I collected during Module 2. Due to the large legal aspect of my inquiry, I think I will be relying hugely on legislation and case law to understand the existing stance on the legal issues that could potentially be faced by dancers. In terms of books, articles, videos and websites: I do have a working list of each one of these sources of information. I hope to find, through further research on these platforms, points for discussion and pools of information that will be useful throughout my inquiry process. 

Changes: 

As of yet there are no major changes to my inquiry however small alterations may develop at a later stage if the data I collect prompts me in a different direction. I have however slightly altered my working title, instead using the phrase “how can these services be greater understood through the work of dance organisations?”

I have chosen the phrase "greater understood" as opposed to "improved" following advice given to me in my Module 2 feedback. It was discussed that I am not necessarily trying to immediately prompt improvement in my area of research but rather bring clarity and understanding to the subject matter.

Ideas for artefact:

My immediate reaction to creating a Professional Artefact appropriate to the audience of my inquiry would be to do it in the form of text; perhaps some sort of 'Dancer's Guide to Legal Advice/Aid' in the UK. This could be a leaflet or booklet offering information and advice to professional dancers regarding legal issues they may face and how to get help and support. It could describe typical legal issues and solutions; give contact information; website links and images; examples of useful legislation and possibly even a small section on dancer's personal experience. My ideas have been fuelled by digging into previous BAPP students' blogs where I found individuals who had created documentaries, recipe books, videos, posters, leaflets etc. There is certainly lots to think about! 

SIG...
Yesterday I also posted a quick update in my SIG (link below) outlining briefly what my inquiry is about and asking for any comments, advice and points for discussion so please do get involved! 

https://plus.google.com/u/0/communities/112282308913631891593/stream/e57f61d4-0dfc-496c-a294-d55129bbd4cb