Inquiry Proposal: Refining my direction...

Following a 1-1 with Paula yesterday afternoon, I have had heaps to think about. Both Paula and I agreed that my topic area was a little too wide and my scope too far reaching for the type of research project we carry out on the BAPP course. My title for a start was too long: What legal advice/aid currently exists for dancers? How can these services be improved through dance education, dance organisations and dance companies?

Additional to this, my aims were also extremely ambitious which is not necessarily a bad thing however I do not physically have the resources, the contacts and in terms of myself a professional position from which I can carry out such a far reaching research project. 

I am having to think specifically about what areas of my topic I want to focus on and why I want to do this. Having looked through the first draft of my inquiry proposal, it is clear to me that I am being too general with my comments touching on as many aspects as possible to do with my topic area without fully explaining and exploring what could come of each different strand. This is where I have to stop myself and consider that I have put too much on my plate.

Therefore from my initial ideas, I have managed to focus in on areas that are more specific to my professional practice as it now stands and are also a better suit for what is required for my professional inquiry as carried out during Module 3 next term.   

Working with the questions I first proposed and also looking at keywords from my working title, I have come up with far more conducive questions to develop my inquiry from. They are as follows:

1.   What legal advice/aid currently exists for professional dancers, both company members and freelance artists, across the UK?

2.   What legal issues are professional dancers likely to face?

3.   What dance organisations, for example Equity, offer legal advice/aid to dancers and how do they go about doing this?

4.   What is a dancer’s perception of legal advice/aid within the UK and what experiences have they had?

5.   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?

As you can hopefully grasp from my newly formed questions above, I would like to wholly focus on:

•  the specific legal issues a dancer may face whilst living and working in the UK
•  what dance organisations currently offer help, support and guidance to dancers in the UK and how do they go about this
•  what is a dancer's perception of dance and the law and how do they feel towards the help, support and guidance they currently receive in the UK
• how can organisations be used to advocate for legal advice/aid for dancers across the UK

After seeing these questions in black and white it is far clearer in my head the direction in which I am heading. I am still intent on conducting an interview with a professional dancer as well as with an employee of a dance organisation to give me the two most important perspectives on my topic area. As well as this, I have come to the conclusion that a survey is not the best way for me to conduct research into my chosen topic area. After my discussion with Paula yesterday, I think that a focus group would be the best way for me to openly discuss my chosen topic allowing ideas to develop organically amongst a group of individuals with their own unique opinions. I would love some suggestions as to how to go about conducting a successful focus group and I still need to envision how I am going to set this up and what social group I want to focus on.
As the facilitator I will have to ensure that I provide topical questions to trigger the group into discussion. The section in Reader 6 titled Focus Groups has some really useful information that I will be sure to have a look through time and time again in order to conduct this part of my research successfully. 


I am glad to have gone through this process to finally reach a clearer vision for my professional inquiry. Any suggestions as to the clarity of my chosen topic would be extremely useful as would any pointers on focus groups. Comments below are welcome!

Lil' Blogger

BAPP Task 4d: Literature Review Part 2

Following further research into my topic area; legal advice/aid for dancers; I have come across some interesting case law which touches on topics such as personal injury; conspiracy complaints; compensation benefits; tax; legal malpractice and negligence.

I used Google Scholar as a research tool to source the following cases:

Original Ballet Russe, Limited v. Ballet Theatre, Inc., et al. (1943) 

https://scholar.google.co.uk/scholar_case?

case=691972513875992563&q=ballet&hl=en&as_sdt=2006

Dina LaFond v. Star Time Dance & Performing Arts Centre, et al. (2001) 

https://scholar.google.co.uk/scholar_case?case=10127016868093003053&q=LAFOND+V+STAR+TIME+DANCE&hl=en&as_sdt=2006

Evelyn G. Thayer v. Oregon Federation of Square Dance Clubs (1971)

https://scholar.google.co.uk/scholar_case?case=11933933537211587290&q=thayer+v+oregon+&hl=en&as_sdt=2006

Matter of Brown v. American Ballet Theatre (2004)

https://scholar.google.co.uk/scholar_case?case=9431270141182157104&q=ballet&hl=en&as_sdt=2006

Ewing v. Commissioner of Internal Revenue (1954)

https://scholar.google.co.uk/scholar_case?case=12063590144648620924&q=ballet&hl=en&as_sdt=2006

Job v. Cleveland Daance Center (1989)

https://scholar.google.co.uk/scholar_case?case=9482577981330410462&q=ballet&hl=en&as_sdt=2006

Makarova v. US (2000)

https://scholar.google.co.uk/scholar_case?case=880817478771538807&q=ballet&hl=en&as_sdt=2006

McDow v. Dixon (1976)

https://scholar.google.co.uk/scholar_case?case=5002483590922881686&q=ballet&hl=en&as_sdt=2006

I can use some examples from the cases above in my professional inquiry. All are good reference points to have and it is interesting for me to see how these cases are worded; what points of law are raised and what judicial precedent takes effect; and what different rulings occur. 

I also found the following page on the HM Revenue and Customs website:

http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/manuals/bimmanual/bim50151.htm

It references the case Fall v. Hitchen (1973); a case involving a ballet dancer and contractual issues.  

I will continue to search for further literature although admittedly it is something of great challenge. Particularly with regard to the topic area that I have chosen which seems to have little literature in existence. However I feel that, if anything, this is another motive for me to want to pursue this topic to gain more knowledge and recognition for something that I feel carries a lot of importance for dancer's in the UK and across the globe. 

Lil' Blogger

BAPP Task 4d: Literature Review Part 1

It has been a real challenge for me to source existing literature surrounding the topic of my Professional Inquiry; legal advice/aid for dancers. It is a topic which currently has little coverage in the way of literature meaning books; articles; essays etc. 

I have found a healthy list of websites which offer brief information as to what legal services are available for artists in general, but to find dance-specific information is far more tricky. This is where dance organisation websites such as Equity and One Dance UK prove to be rather useful however again the information is quite general and doesn't give me much insight into my topic area.

I have found a lot of literature covering intellectual property issues such as copyright which is relevant to a dancer when it comes to choreography. However my focus is not placed on such issues, I want to explore deeper into how a dancer thinks and feels about how they are represented in legal terms, and what more can be done to assist them in contract, salary and personal injury issues.

After searching and searching, I have found a book entitled Poor Dancer's Almanac: Managing Life and Work in the Performing Arts (1993). Compiled by Dance Theater Workshop and written by David R. White, Lisa Friedman and Tia Tibbits Levinson as well as over 50 leading professionals in the arts field; this book offers how-to information for a range of artists including dancers. It covers a broad spectrum of issues that may affect performers, discussing topics such as unemployment, housing, medical care, insurance, personal livelihood and career development. Luckily for me, it contains an interesting section titled Legal Issues. 

Authored by American attorney Timothy J. Debaets, this informative chapter raises important legal issues that a dancer may face. It covers everything from finding a legal representative and getting them excited about your work to a detailed section about contracts and copyright issues. The information offered will prove to be quite useful for me as I have evidence of an expert offering advice to dancers. I can also solidify the types of issues that a dancer may face and use this as a basis for looking into where they would go to get help. This chapter can function as a starting point for me to then develop further ideas and avenues for research.   

   

(http://www.amazon.com/Poor-Dancers-Almanac-Managing-Performing/dp/0822313197)

I plan to expand my basis of literature as and when I discover new and relevant written works on my inquiry topic.


Lil' Blogger  

Pilot Survey - The Results

I have chosen to analyse the first 10 responses to my survey entitled Legal Aid and Dance: What do you think?, with the subheading Legal Assistance for Dancers.   

I have done this with the intention of getting an idea of the sort of responses that I am receiving, and what value they have to my research. There is actually a very clear pattern in the data so far with most participants answering the questions with very similar if not the same responses, showing a very strong trend. 

Below, I have written out the questions that I have proposed for my survey. These are a work-in-progress and I am open to any ideas that you may have about how I can improve my survey to achieve better results. The answers given (in red) are what the general consensus seems to be amongst the 10 participants that I have analysed, and are a general reflection of the data that I have looked at so far.

Legal Aid and Dance: What do you think?

Legal Assistance for Dancers

This survey is to help me out with my Professional Inquiry as part of my BA Honours in Professional Practice (Arts), Middlesex University. It surrounds my two areas of interest; law and dance; and asks you to think about what current legal assistance is out there for dancers and what can be done to improve these services. Dancer's may struggle to find help when they most need it; in the face of injury (personal injury claims), contractual issues; insufficient income; unfair treatment etc. I want to find out what you think about a dancer's access to legal assistance and how willing, in the face of a personal issue, dancer's would be to use it. Please be aware that all participants will remain anonymous. Any feedback will be very much appreciated. Thank you.

Q1: Whilst training as a dancer, are you taught about legal assistance within the arts sector?  

A: NO 

Q2: Whilst training as a dancer, are you informed of the situations within which you may require legal assistance?

A: NO

Q3: Would you know where to go and who to ask for legal assistance if necessary?

A: YES (5 participants) NO (5 participants)

Q4: Would you be reluctant to pursue legal action due to; cost; fear of dealing with legal professionals; fear of damaging reputation or future progression as a dancer?

A: YES

Q5: In your current training or professional environment, do you have legal advice and/or aid available to you?

A: NO

Q6: Do you think that having access to legal advice and/or aid is important and/or beneficial to a dancer?

A: YES

Q7: Have you ever had to pursue legal action yourself within the arts sector?

A: NO

Q8: If yes, by which method did you go about this?

A: N/A

Q9: Do you know of any arts organisations that offer legal advice and/or aid to dancer's or performer's in general (please give names)?

A: YES (6 participants) NO (4 participants) 

From these results, the general consensus surrounding this topic is very clear amongst the 10 participants that I have focussed on so far. Now I will look to editing my survey, improving it and getting it ready for when I carry out my actual research next term. 

Lil' Blogger 

BAPP Task 6c: Award Specialism Title

I would like to propose that my award specialism title be: BA (Hons) Professional Practice in Arts (Dance).

My rationale is as follows:

In order to decide on something that is personally meaningful for my professional inquiry, I have combined a long-standing passion of mine with one of life’s new ventures; dance and the law. With an extensive background in classical ballet training and performing; I have an innate interest in dance that continues to inspire me to want to work with dancers and find new and improved ways to assist them in their professional life. With regard to the law, this is a way for me to view the dance sector from a fresh perspective whilst directly fulfilling my eagerness to help fellow professional dancers.

I have chosen to focus on legal representation for dancers which in this case encompasses what knowledge already exists in this area; what is yet to be improved upon; and the current attitudes of those involved. This ranges from professional dancers, dance schools, and dance organisations to legal experts offering specialised services.

My intention is to discover what a dancer’s general knowledge of the law is in relation to their profession and, on the other side of this, what legal advice/aid is currently available to them from the experts who deal within this very niche area. I will also consider whether bringing knowledge of legal advice/aid into dance education would be of benefit; whether it is raised within vocational schools or given more importance amongst dance organisations and dance companies.

This inquiry will be of direct value to my professional practice as it foresees what I wish to pursue for my future career. It will give me excellent insight into this specialised area of the law whilst at the same time, giving me the opportunity to positively shape the future for dancers by offering them greater knowledge of how they can ensure security and independence in their professional lives.      

Any comments welcome!

Lil' Blogger 

BAPP Task 6b: Inquiry Tools

When deciding upon which tools/methods to utilise for my Professional Inquiry, it is worth looking at both the merits and limits of the various tools/methods that are generally used. By doing this, I can clearly identify those tools/methods that will help me throughout my inquiry process. Below I have listed what merits and limits exist, in my opinion, for interviews, surveys and documents as these are what I feel best relate to my inquiry topic (legal advice/aid for dancers): 

1) Interview

Merits

• Information collected is accurate as you are personally witnessing it
• Capture verbal and non-verbal communication (emotions, behaviours) as well as body language
• You, as the interviewer, are in control
• You can tailor the questions to your interviewee and allow conversation to develop that could be useful (new questions/information could result)
• You can collect far more detailed answers
• You can directly select who you want to interview for example; a practicioner with expertise in your field of research

Limits

• May have to enter the data collected manually
• Can be time consuming
• They can be difficult to organise and you are reliant on the interviewee being available
• Interviewees may feel trepidation or worry about expressing themselves, especially if it is a topic they do not know much about
• You, as the interviewer, could interpret the interviewees responses incorrectly

2) Survey

Merits

• Collect results from a wide range of people
• Efficient data collecting that does not require so much manual work
• Anonimity often makes participants feel as though they can be more honest
• Easy to develop especially with the online resources we have available
• Easy to share with, for example, your SIG, other bloggers or a wider community via email, social media etc. 
• Less time consuming

Limits

• Participants may become bored or dispondent whilst completing a survey causing them to rush through and not answer honestly
• It is a challenge to keep participants interested and willing to continue
• Answers can be too general ("yes" or "no") making the data difficult to accurately interpret
• It is hard to create questions that are not too vague or too detailed
• If particpants do not understand something they cannot ask you directly for help

3) Documents

Merits

• Existing knowledge, previously conducted studies and solid expertise are available
• Hard evidence of what already exists
• Helps to expand your knowledge and build your confidence in your chosen area of research
• Solid basis upon which to conduct your own research
• Can find documents that back up your research and agree with your opinions/arguments

Limits

• Danger of incorrect interpretation 
• Document could be out of date or not recognised as valid
• Documents could have errors
• Documents could reflect only one person's opinion or be open to bias
• Documents may be difficult to source and could be limited in the area in which you want to research

First to consider interviews. Having the opportunity to conduct an interview for my inquiry will be relevant in that it will allow me to access professionals who are experts in their field of practice. For me this means contacting a legal professional (solicitor) who specialises in areas of law relating to the arts. I hope to gain some valuable insight into what legal advice/aid exists and how it is administered. Similarly speaking to professionals within the dance sector will be really useful as I can gather information from dance organisations who perhaps offer legal advice/aid and ask how they go about doing this. I aim to focus my interviews on individuals within a dance organisation workplace environment who have legal knowledge, to varying levels of expertise, and how they offer this knowledge to dancers. I also aim to lead an interview with a professional dancer to get their take on my topic area and what it could mean for them.     

In terms of conducting a survey, I have already created one of my own which has been posted on a previous blog and also amongst my SIG members for piloting purposes. For my inquiry, a survey means that I can easily share a range of questions in a simple format with a variety of participants. I am hoping to eventually collect data results that will give me a strong indication as to how legal advice/aid is viewed through dance education and into life as a professional dancer. I will have to ensure that I am asking the right questions and aiming the survey at the correct group of individuals so as to gain as accurate and valid data.

Finally, regarding sourcing documents, this is incredibly useful to me in terms of referring to legal documents such as contracts and codes of ethics. Legal literature will be very detailed and complex so I will have to be careful to interpret it correctly. Documents will also provide me with already established information that will help in shaping my inquiry and providing evidence that supports my chosen topic. 

After clarifying my thoughts on the tools/methods above, I feel better prepared to approach the different research procedures and implement them into my Professional Inquiry planning and eventual conducting. 

Lil' Blogger






























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