Busy, Busy

Unfortunately I am unable to continue Module 3 until February 2013, due to a busy work schedule. Good Luck to all those on their final Module. I look forward to working towards my degree next year.

APPENDICES

APPENDIX 1

APPENDIX 2

APPENDIX 3

 APPENDIX 4

APPENDIX 5

APPENDIX R + 5

Proposed Award Title and Rationale

The award title I seek as a result of doing this programme is a BA (Hons) Professional Practice in Performance and Production

Rationale

Your award title should reflect your knowledge and expertise and you should think carefully about it in relation to your future career development. (Module Handbook)

After reading this in the Module 2 Handbook, I started to think deeply about what I do now as a performer and what I wish to pursue in the future. I wanted to make sure that the title I chose would represent my individual experience and ambitions.

I have had many conversations with Friends, Family, Fellow BAPP colleagues and advisors, and all their points were relevant and narrowed down my ideas into three categories. Performance, Presenting and Production.

These three categories were chosen because they all relate to what I do and wish to do in the future. Ultimately, I want to have my own Production Company which will require management of myself and others around me. I need to have the skills to be able to produce an entire show and keep everything flowing. I love the challenge and the pressure of getting things right. This all comes under the production side of things. When growing up, I often worked backstage during shows and when filming, I found it fascinating how everything worked and how important each person was and I feel that this has inspired me to create my own company.

I have been dancing since the age of four and have developed other skills over the years and after training for three years at Italia Conti, I feel that I am now qualified to perform. During this time I have picked up skills like, singing, stage combat, Diablo, Pointe work and contemporary dance. Each of these skills will help me become a more versatile performer which will give me more opportunities to work. I have the passion to perform and I feel that other performers share this passion and this is why the Industry survives.

Presenting has recently come to fruition. As a child I used to record my sister and I doing our own cookery programmes but only recently have we discovered our love for it. It is the scariest type of performing; I have ever had to do, because you have to be yourself, which for an actor is extremely difficult.   Presenting has become something quite useful to me as it helps you in day to day life as well as within the Industry.

Although all three topics are relevant to my Inquiry, it has become apparent that my award title is too lengthy and not specific enough to me. I decided to put the Presenting under the performing bracket to keep my award title short. I have been having a few discussions with Phil Carroll and he found it fascinating that I put Presenting under the performing side of my title instead of the production as he felt it would benefit me with public speaking. I agree with this and I can see that presenting can go under either production or performance as it will be beneficial to both.

Having my own production company has always been a dream and I feel that having a degree in Production will give me the opportunity to prove that I am capable of having the mind set of running my own company. In this day and age anyone can set up a company, but it is how the company continues to run and grow, that it the real test.

http://phil-carroll.blogspot.co.uk/

Critical Reflection

I have found this Module harder to nurture because it is all about self development which is a large step forward form Module 1. I needed to expand my knowledge of my career path to find my own line of inquiry. (APPENDIX 1) I wanted to use my experiences within the Industry to support my Inquiry but be versatile in my pursuits so my company would be varied. After writing down all my thoughts and ideas (APPENDIX 2) I began to see some shape and after many conversations with fellow colleagues and advisors, I managed to group my findings into categories and found that everything links in. (APPENDIX 3)

I feel that my knowledge and skills have developed to a competent level to pursue my inquiry and keep involved with the significant amount of work. The most important part, for me was discovering the tools like my SIG which served as a useful platform for discussions to find a suitable line of inquiry.

The pilot reviews gave me the opportunity to try out different tools within the performing industry. I pushed my boundaries by putting myself into situations I am not used to. Interviewing was a difficult process, especially when interviewing elder, more experienced people. However, I gain valuable experience from using these tools. Looking at the different types of social media has given me the opportunity to expand my networks. I feel that this is a vital way to keep a business working in the current economic climate. I have discovered new sites like Tumblr, which may help aspects of my inquiry line.

Ethics have come to my attention many times during the development of my Inquiry and I feel that they are imperative. They give you a guideline to follow to keep everyone in check. Without ethics we become immoral and self-centred and will not progress to where we wish to be. I have discovered that I need the help of others to complete my inquiry and this is only possible if I abide by my ethics and follow data protection laws.

My case study on sword fighting will allow me to see how a company can develop within the industry and how the skill had evolved to thrive within the industry. (APPENDIX 4) I feel that the case study will benefit my research as it will give me a deeper understanding of how the industry works.

The issue that challenged me the most was the decision of my award title. (APPENDIX 5) I found it difficult to find a title that expressed exactly what I wanted to do.  However, I have had very helpful feedback from my advisor who has given me valid points. I need to make sure that I can determine the size of my inquiry that I can complete it in the time available. I must make sure I am precise in carrying out the inquiry and I should try to obtain qualitative data so that with all this information I will develop my inquiry throughout Module three. 

6D Delicious

I have been thinking carefully about which links will aid my research. Clink on the link below to see which ones I feel are important to my inquiry

Delicious

6c Literature Reviews

I has taken me a while to find three suitable pieces of literature to review that I felt were relevant and beneficial to my Inquiry, when finally I found these. From all three reviews I wish to presume my findings further and they develop every aspect of my Inquiry.

I have already bought two more 'Theatre &' books which I believe will assist my Inquiry and take it to the next level.

Here are my three reviews

1. Theatre & Education
2. The Stage
3. Ideas Tap

6B - tools of inquiry

I have found after using all these techniques that they were all useful in different ways. I think that it will be beneficial to use all four of them within my Inquiry to gather as much data as I can. However, whilst doing this task I made a discovery that people told me more information when it was in an informal setting, I.e. a general conversation. Throughout doing the tasks I came across many opportunities to talk to the interviewees before and after and I found that they were more relaxed and wanted to tell you more as it wasn’t so important. 

Surveys - good for gathering general information. Quick and easy but not everyone will participate so can be biased

Observations - great for getting an overall feel for a situation and to see how others react naturally to events. However can be difficult to find a situation you can observe that will be beneficial and may not give you enough data.

Interviews - a good way to get a variety of information from one person and you can expand on their individual experiences. However, can be extremely time consuming for both parties involved.

Focus groups- these are a great way to have view shared and see how opinions vary between a small group of people, however, not everyone feels that their views are expressed enough when there are overpowered by others. 

I discussed this with James Thompson a writer/ director who believed that it was a more natural environment.  We spoke about how it can be difficult to get information from people in an interview or focus group depending on their personality, whereas when having a ‘conversation’ they are used to the situation as you speak to people each day. It is less formal. I agree with James and came to the conclusion that it might be an idea to go to a coffee shop with friends, colleagues and others within the industry just to chat and find out what they think. If they agree to have you writing notes or recording it then all the better. It will just give me a better understanding of what people are thinking.

Another aspect of tool that I have discovered is using a Poll on my SIG on Linkedin.com. A poll can give you quick views on a question, for example I did a pilot poll on Do you think government cuts within performing arts affect the development of a new Production Company? From this I have managed to get simple yes or no answers of what a variety of people think. It is not very specific but it can assist my Inquiry.

 Therefore, I have Six tools to develop my Inquiry with.

Survey

Interview

Observation

Focus Group

Conversations

Polls

Focus Groups

Focus group questions

This is a link to some information on Focus Groups which gave me a better understanding of what i was doing.http://sru.soc.surrey.ac.uk/SRU19.html

Focus group should be a group of people all with the same focus of interested yet with personal opinions on the matter. The group need to be able to engage in discussion without a dominating character “also influence, and in some cases actually take over, a group and make it difficult for the less assertive members to speak” (Bell, 2005, p. 163). The researcher should be the one in control of the situation.

It is an idea to have questions prepared but also have the room for expansion, yet be able to have the control to bring in back onto the topic if it wavers.

I believe that this would be a beneficial tool for my inquiry as it brings people together and gets others talking about the Industry with more passion than they would if they were in a solo interview. You can also see how opinions differ though out a small group of people. However, I agree that opinions are changed with one person’s thoughts and therefore it can become biased. I also feel that within the performing industry it is difficult to gather a group of actors every week as auditions, rehearsals and shows crop up. I will have a focus group meeting with a group of performers who are self employed or are involved within a Company. I want to know their views on the economic climate

What are your opinions on being multidisciplinary and having many strings to your bow?

Can performing be beneficial to learning within an educational environment?

What have you learnt from being self employed or having a company? What is the most important thing to consider?

What would you say the pros and cons of starting up a new company?

What are your views on social networking within the performing industry?

What skills do you think are useful in the performing Industry?

What opinions do you have on Government cuts and the current economic climate?

do you think learning through theatre is an important part of education?

Where can you see performing industry heading in the next few years?

Can a company be created from just sword fighting alone or should all aspects of performing be considered?

What is your most useful skill you have developed that has benefited your career?

After spending time with my focus group, I can see that this is a great way of getting people discussing and debating my topic. It can get heated at times, but as long as you have control and keep it on topic, I have found it is a great way of getting a group of opinions from people who feel passionately about your chosen subject. I can see that this will be helpful towards developing my inquiry, however, it will be difficult to be able to get a group of people to meet as our industry is very spontaneous. 

Interviews

Interviews

Interviews are an individual way to get information from knowledgeable and experienced people. You can use their interpretations as data and evidence towards the performing Industry. It is a Qualitive method.

There are many different structures to holding an interview.

1.   Semi-structured interview which includes set questions or themes with the flexibility of following interesting or useful emerging issues is often most appropriate for the work-based researcher because of its inherent flexibility.

2.   non-directive or open interviews that allow the interviewee to talk about anything they like

3.   narrative inquiry (related to open) where the participants use a storytelling format 

4.   informal interviews which have an overall data gathering aim using an extremely non-structured approach

5.   Informal / guided interview which provides topic areas to cover but no set questions.

You do interview, face to face, over the telephone, individually or in a small group. Even though they take up a lot of time, it can be beneficial as you can get important information about motives and expectations. I have found that an interview is more like middle group between a focus group and a questionnaire. It is more personal than a survey but can be expanded like a focus group if the situation allows it.  

Skye is a great way to do interviews as the interviewee can be located anywhere and yet it is still a personal experience. It is great at fitting around busy schedules. It is vital that all ethical issues are thought of and data protection is in place. Variable factors like gender, ethnicity and age can affect the answers and data.

I have conducted a semi-structured interview to allow for expansion and to gain a variety of information. These are the questions I asked.

 Interview

‘With the economic climate in its current state, what will a new production company within the performing arts Industry, need to take into consideration to develop? I am going to ask you some questions about your work within the Industry and how you have developed your skills to keep working.

All the Information given will be confidential under the data protection act 1998. Any recording or quote used within my Inquiry will be with your permission only and you have the right to withdraw anything said. (human rights act).

1.   What field of work are you in? have there been any cuts in your industry? has that affected you?

2.   How did you get to where you are now? Training? Own company? contacts? agent? Do you think it is essential to be multidisciplined?

3.   What brought you to London? Do you think location is important?

4.   In your experience, has sword fighting benefited your career?

5.   Can something so specific to theatre be used in an educational environment? How can you transform stage combat for TIE purposes? can they learn anything from it?

6.   What would you say the pros and cons of teaching stage combat to learners? do you think learning through theatre is an important part of education?

7.   have you faced any ethical issues whilst performing or working in education?

8.   What are your views on social networking within the performing industry?
How do you advertise yourself? In your experience, what can having your own business offer you?

9.   If you had a company what would you see as the most important thing to consider? Can a company be created from just sword fighting alone or should all aspects of performing be considered?

10. What can having stage combat on your cv lead onto? What have you done with the skill?

11. Where can you see the stage combat industry heading in the next few years?

12.   Have you started up your own business to create more work? what is it?

From conducting these interviews I can see how presenting and Public speaking can assist with this type of skill within an interview. if i had not had this training then i would find it difficult to let the conversation expand but still be able to bring it back to topic and also find it difficult to listen whilst concentrating on the next question. I have developed the skill from using an earpiece, so that I can listen to what others are saying whilst concentrating on something else, in the case the next question. 

I feel that this was a great way of sourcing information as it is very individual to the interviewee and gives them a chance to say their opinions. However, it is extremely time consuming and difficult to find a quite mutual place to conduct it. Therefore I feel Skype may be more beneficial next time. Here is some information on Interviews that I found very interesting and helpful towards conducting my own.

 http://www.public.asu.edu/~kroel/www500/Interview%20Fri.pdf

Surveys

Surveys

Surveys are a great way of getting a wide range of data form a number of sources. As there is a lot of data it is vital to be able to group the data to secure accurate findings, i.e. age or gender. It is one of the easiest forms of research as it can be done quickly and in their own time. However, whether these surveys are done online or by hand out can affect the results as to whether you get all the responses back or as to whether they have access to the internet.

Closed questions can give you a quicker idea of the data you have collected but can doesn’t give you the full opinion of the person doing the survey.

When sending out a survey by email or post it is vital to accompany it with a cover letter that states the research purposes of the survey, and that all information is protected under the data protect act 1998. It gives the reader an understanding of what they are answering question on.

You only have a limited number of questions so it is vital to make sure each question is valid. if the gender in important, you have to ask it, but if location doesn’t matter then do not ask the question. I think with questionnaires they need to be quick and easy to fill out and easily accessible. Once all the data is gathered, the process of summarising and grouping of the results starts.  

From doing a survey, I have noticed that it is difficult to get a fair result as not everyone you ask does the survey, therefore I had more women than men taking the survey. However, I had the most responses from doing a survey as it was quick an easy for others to fill out. It is also online which means that is open to a variety of different people and more accessible. I will definitely be using a survey in my Inquiry as it has given me results quickly. However, it can be less knowledgeable as you don’t get the persons full opinion and passion, you just get a snapshot view.

I completely agree with Jess Hay’s break down of a survey and it is very quantitative and is limited and is difficult to go into depth about the chosen subject.

Here is my survey again for anyone to fill out

http://www.surveymonkey.com/MySurvey_EditorFull.aspx?sm=dvYLnpGigI%2bINpdAyU74FHDhyjSBnoKR%2fqEKfUPSgU0%3d

Observations

Observations

We are constantly observing things, but how we take this observation and use it as a research method can change the way we perceive things. What you are observing needs to be recorded in some way, whether that is through notes or film and the observer can join in. It can be helpful to have a grid or framework to follow to record observations. This can be a great way to see behaviour patterns, however, it can be a long process.

When observing all confidentiality agreements must be signed and issues of ethics and permission must be adhered to.

For an observation to be beneficial, you need to understand what and why you are observing to then be able to form a data grid to analyse the data with a neutral understanding.

A pilot observation on a Kung Fu Class.  How a martial art can improve your skills as a performer. I will attend a martial arts class for the first time to see how it will affect my performing and combat skills.

Kung Fu

It was a very challenging class and I was shocked at how much energy and fitness was needed at the beginning of the class. When I walked in all that I was aware of was the fact that there were 3 black belts and 1 blue. I was the newbie. The training was tough yet exhilarating. After almost fainting of exhaustion we moved onto the pads where we had to kick and hit each other. It was brilliant and I found a love for the sport. We then moved onto learning the forms, I only learnt the first one but it gave me understanding why each move is important. For me, I have the flexibility but lack the control and strength.

These are my observations

·         Everyone there was equal, even though we were all at different levels there was no completion to be better that you already were.

·         It gives you the confidence to be who you are

·         The understanding of authority and respect you should have for your seniors

·         The body control the others had. It was not about destroying the other person it was about you staying grounded and keeping alert.

·         The calm that kept them all in control. It was not just about fighting

·         The collaborative understanding of each other

·         The understanding of the art

·         Everyone has Individual strengths

·         Use Kung fu as an outlet

Everyone at this lesson looked like they were enjoying it, even the challenging sections. I believe it helps towards training in any aspect of the performing industry because it helps you understand self control. It can help improve your flexibility, strength, mental attitude and your calm side.

 

‘If you learn a martial art you are less aggressive, you are trained to fight’ Phillip Stafford – Fight Director

Divian Ladwa - a black belt in Kung Fu feels that it is very beneficial to understand the combat and reasoning behind your moves and parries. 

Thinking

I've have had an idea about my Inquiry. Let me know what you think!

http://lisawhyte-inquiry.blogspot.co.uk/2012/04/idea.html

Pilot survey

Trying to be as open as I can with my questions I have written a pilot survey. I believe that some of the questions asked will help me with my inquiry line. I would love you to spend a few minutes answering these questions

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/MRPSGHD

Cheers

P & P

After looking at my Award title, Phil pointed out that I never said why I chose to get rid of presenting over production. Well, I have a passion for presenting I will not deny that, but I feel that presenting can come under the title of performing because you are still on stage and giving a performance to people. Having my own company has always been a dream and I feel that having a degree in production will give me the opportunity to prove that I am capable of having the mind set of running my own company. That is why I have chosen to have the title of Performing and Production as I feel that it is specific enough to what I wish to discover and proceed in yet gives the freedom to expand.

The award title I seek as a result of doing this programme is a BA (Hons) Professional Practice in Performance and Production

LinkedIn

Hey, Just stared a new discussion on LinkedIn!
Have some new ideas towards my Inquiry

Cheers

New Blog

I have created a new blog which will contain all thoughts I have on my Inquiry. Please follow and any comment will be accepted gratefully.

Thanks and I hope everyone else's Inquiries are going well.

http://lisawhyte-inquiry.blogspot.de/

5C - Ethics

Ok so ethics are much more complex than I first thought, with so much history of right and wrong, no one actually knows the answer. It is the morals we have grown up with and the expectations of our employers. Everyone has a different opinion on what it morally right and wrong but before we know which one, we have to analyse the situation and find out whether the circumstance lead to the actions being made.

Here are my findings after reading the reader 5.

Award Title

After having a discussion with Paula, we came to the conclusion that my award title was too long and not specific enough. Looking at it now, i can see this is true, however, I have found it difficult to shorten it. I want to keep it with the production side of it because, i feel that this will be extremely beneficial when setting up a business, but also the performance side will assist my current work and also lets others know I was or am in the industry.

Therefore I have shortened my Award title to

Ba (Hons) Professional Practice in Performance and Production


what are your opinions on this?

Professional Ethics 5B

Ethics :-  system of moralprinciples. The rules of conduct recognized in respect to a particular class of human actions or a particular group, culture, etc.:medical ethics; Christian ethics.

My professional community is based within a company called White Desert Production. I work as an actor with this company as well as a training Theatre Director and a co-creator. It is a brilliant place to start with my Inquiry as I am working my way to the top. It is also a New Company with a lot of potential. However, because it is a young company, it has a lot of professional ethics that need to be followed to keep it creating a good re-pore with colleagues, clients, theatres and many others. I will use this company as my place of work as as that is where I will be spending the majority of my time.

Looking at the code of Ethics for Companies, I can clearly see that I was being extremely general with my assumptions and that there are many more ethics and legislation obligations in place. There is mot just one type of ethics to follow, they vary at your position within the company. So if you were the Director of the Company, it your job to create the ethics for others to adhere to and follow them yourself. Whilst an actor employed by the company would have their respectful ethics towards those employing them.

When working for a company you are often given a contract to sign which will have stated the professional ethics that are to be follow. Such as punctuality, presentation and respect. It is vital to abide by these ethics otherwise you will be breaching the contract, however, the unwritten ethics are often more complex to acknowledge. These include:-

reliability
trustworthy
confidentiality
honesty
courtesy
friendly

It is important to consider the Professional ethics within a Business  because of the environment I work in I will need to acknowledge this. These are much more specific towards a Company but are beneficial to  anyone.

time management
understanding
efficiency
morals

There is a difference between the morals we are brought up with and ethics that need to be followed but they both help each other out. If you have morals you are more likely to understand the reason for professional ethics and are likely to proceed further into your career.

http://www.ecgi.org/codes/documents/ica_coe_en.pdf

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/ethics

http://www.acm.org/about/code-of-ethics

http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/sitecontent/documents/employersandsponsors/pointsbasedsystem/code_of_practice_for_perfor1.pdf

SIG Update

This is an update from my SIG. I recently asked followers to fill in some answers to some questions to help my line of Inquiry.
This is my last post

Hide

Lisa Whyte I have put together some questions to help with my inquiry line. I would be grateful if you could answer some or all of them. http://lnkd.in/v8Tghc

Books

Really excited as I bought 2 new books today. One is called Talking Theatre which include multiple actors/directors and writers and their opinions on theatre which will be interesting to read. The other book is about Public speaking and how to cope with nerves. This will be extremely beneficial to my Inquiry and I will keep you updated on my findings and whether they will be worth buying for anyone else's inquiries.

5a

Trying to look at the ethics of my professional community I can see that there are many 'unwritten rules'. When you go into a professional community they don't hand you a list of ethics they give you Healthy and safety instead. Yes, that is vitally important too, but how you treat someone is more so, because how you and others are treated is imperative to whether you work well together.

Everyone has a different view on what is right and wrong and we all step out of line sometimes but ethics are guidelines there to follow to keep us on track. If we choose to ignore them, then we know about it. Also right and wrong is not always as simple as black and white, we choose which path we choose and what we see as right or wrong and it is very personal to us.

The way I have been brought up, I have been taught to treat others how I wish to be treated! however, now I am older, I realise this isn't completely true. I have discovered that not everyone understands ethics and even when most people abide by this 'unwritten rules' others choose to ignore them. These are more personal ethics like, respect for others but I feel that this is vital for professional ethics

Professional ethics include things like confidentiality, responsibility and honesty. Within my professional community these are the  mutual ethics between Director and actor/presenter which creates a better working community.

These are somethings that we individually need to put in like
Punctuality
politeness
Attitude
presentation
Respect
organisation
equality

However, we can not solely rely on good ethics to get us work. Our industry is very discriminating for minor things like sex, age, height so it can be difficult to see the point of being professional. But we must keep up our professional ethics because as soon as we step out of line there is someone waiting to take our place.

I think that Personal ethics create professional ethics

Award Title

After days of debating I have finally come up with an award title.

I wanted something that covered everything I want to do in the future. I want to have my own production company, choreograph, teach, perform and present but how do you put all of this under one title. It suggests in the Module Handbook that Your award title should reflect your knowledge and expertise and you should think carefully about it in relation to your future career development. I wanted to make sure that the title I chose would represent everything I wish to pursue in the future and this is exactly what has been suggested in the Handbook.

After speaking with friends and other professionals I came tot he conclusion that I need to keep my award title broad enough to cover all my topics but narrow enough to keep me focused. I read through a few books to try and find something that took my interest and I have discovered that the best route would be to relate my award title to my Inquiry.

I ultimately want my own production company which will require management from myself and others around me. Being able to produce an entire show and keep everything flowing can be tedious and difficult but it is all to do with the production side of things .I also feel that performance is vital as an actress and even when directing. Performance gives everything its final edge and that is what makes a show what is is. However the actor portrays the character is the performance. However, I wanted to keep it as personal to me as I can and as I have an aspiration to make it as a presenter, I feel that it would benefit me to keep it as a hot topic. Presenting has become something quite useful in my life, as it helps you to be yourself and work as a public speaker. It gives you the confidence to be happy with yourself.

My award title
BA (Hons) Professional Practice in Performance, Production and Presenting.

4c

My professional Associate 'Dewi Evans' is on board and happy to support me through my Degree.

Dewi Evans is an intellectual, talented, professional who is currently working as an Actor and  experienced Director  who is in the process of writing his own scripts.

Dewi studied at The University of Wales, Aberystwyth with an Upper Second Class Bachelor's Degree in 2007 and then attended The Central School of speech and Drama where he graduated with a Masters Degree in Musical Theatre.

Since leaving Central, Dewi has performed in multiple shows and has most recently been involved in 'A Pirates Adventure' working along side me on a TIE and theatre tour.

 http://www.dewievans.co.uk/


All I need to do now is think of an Award title!!

SIG creating and managing your own production company and the factors that effect it.

I have created my SIG. Please join my group to keep up to date with the Inquiry about setting up your own company and the factors that affect its growing.

http://www.linkedin.com/groups/SIG-managing-creating-your-own-4326744?trk=myg_ugrp_ovr

Thank you and I hope it brings weeks of debate

Performing Duos

So how difficult is it to have your own business in the Industry?


 It seems to be so easy. Register the company and away we go, but it is not that simple there is so much you need to know like Insurance and accounting. Having all the information can be found  http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/ .


Can we appear in more than one section of the Industry i.e. presenting and acting - own business and acting?


the answer is yes, we can. There is not much difference between Presenting and acting as they are both in the same industry. Qualities such as public speaking, confidence and talents such as singing and dance can be beneficial in both Industries. They are Transdisciplinary.

• Do we need to train to be successful in the Industry?

• 
  I think training is vital for the work I want to do. I didn't do A levels so getting a degree is vitally important to me. When I was training I broke my ankle and ever since then I have come to realise that doing a physical job, i need the use of my entire body so therefore I need a back up. This is one reason why I want to set up my own Company
 

• 
  Should we rely on luck or do we make our own?

This is an on going question in my head! Luck is something we are told to believe in from a young age. When we go on stage its - GOOD LUCK or Break a Leg. We are always given some hope, but is it really luck? I get really nervous before going on stage, but with all this hype about good luck, its no wonder. What causes stage fright? I don't think Luck is real. I think we create our own as it is up to us to be in the right place at the right time. As I mentioned in my previous blogg

http://lisawhyte.blogspot.com/2012/02/4a-developing-inquiry.html

An online site seems to think there is no such thing as luck and you have to create your own by relying on 3 different elements.

• 1. Proximity - “You cannot catch a fish without being near the water.”
  2. Practice - “The fish not caught on the first try is larger when finally caught.”
  3. Persistence - “If you do not fish often, the fish have little chance to bite.”
  It is true, I feel we create our own luck and it is up to us to push ourselves to our limits to achieve our goals in life.
  

Do we need Agents to get us work?

All we talk about to each other is, who is your agent and what work have they got you? But realistically how good are they? I have been out of college for almost a year now without and agent and I haven't been out of work. It has been hard and testing my passion but it wasn't impossible. If I wanted to be a film star or west end lead, i would be thinking differently but I am so passionate about being apart of this profession, why would I change the way I work. I am not say that if an agent approached me, I would turn it down - I am saying that it is what works best for you at the current time. Agents can be specific about what they get you work for i.e. Acting, musical theatre or commercials. Is it possible to have an Agent to do it all? some agents will only allow you to be on their books, so if they only do commercials, you cannot get work in the Acting or Presenting world! it is a vicious circle. 

Is it possible to break into the industry as a duo?

Working with my sister has always been a dream of mine. However, being a presenter has only recently become a passion of mine, even though, I have always subconsciously done it. When I was younger my sister and I made our own shows like As simple as Pancakes. it was a cookery show which involved adverts the news and also the television program. So it has always been something I loved to do. This has shown me that I should present with my sister and I have also discovered there is a niche in the market. There are loads of duo presenters but they are either 2 males or 1 male and 1 female. Having 2 female presenters is not a common sighting. What section of this industry is best suited to me? Can working with my sister be a bonus? (2 for 1 deal)However is there a reason why there are not 2 female presenters?

How do Celebrities make it into the Industry?

Many Celebrities have made it into the lime light without training. How do they do it? They must have had Agents, but why would they? Ant and Dec started their careers on Byker Grove before releasing a song to then become Presenters. Bit of a strange path but it worked for them. They didn't even start in the same industry they ended up in. This brings me back to Luck, and being in the right place at the right time! It makes me think that it doesn't matter how hard you push yourself, if yours not the right look, then you won't get the part. Hard to hear but true. At least we can all think that it is not are talent that is letting us down.

I feel I need to focus on one path and not all my ambitions. Ultimately, presenting is what I want to do but know the least about. Looking at my research I have discovered that it breaks down into catergories :-

Presenting/Television

Company/Business

Acting

Luck

After looking at my answers, nothing seems to jump out at me. All subject seem to link for example, Agents and transdisciplinary work still comes under Presenting and therefore is relevant to my Inquiry as well as Luck.
I have always been told you have trained in Musical Theatre and won't be accepted as a actress/presenter but I don't think this is strictly true and I want to prove this by being successful in the presenting Industry. I am going back to my one of my original questions of 'can you transfer to a different section of the Industry?'

 All the information I have discovered to date are related to my Inquiry and will develop my Inquiry further. My Inquiry managing and creating a production company 

After reading Jess Hay's Blog I have made a discovery. Most people want to do SIG's about teaching and performing and I felt this wasn't suited to me, however it's not that different. This is what I commented


'This has made me realise that our Inquiries are actually quite close. You ask questions that every actor asks every day subconsciously but never find answers to. This is a very open path to go down which will open more questions to bring you to your Inquiry. However, I discovered that I also want to teach and perform. As an actress I perform on a daily basis and also as a presenter, however, wanting to own a Company I will have to choreograph, direct and teach people what I envisage. '

This has displayed to me that creating a SIG might not be as difficult as I first thought. 

My line of Inquiry

My line of Inquiry is ' What determines a successful career in the performance Industry?'

Sub questions

• How difficult is it to run your own Company?
• How would having my own Company affect my acting career?
• Would a Company increase my chances of work?
• Can we appear in more than one section of the Industry i.e. presenting and acting - own business and acting?
• • Do we need to train to be successful in the Industry?
  • What are the benefits of training?
  • Should we rely on luck or do we make our own?
  • Do have a variety of skills to be a presenter?
  • Can you be Multi-disciplined?
  • Hoe easy is it to break into a different area of the Industry?
  • How different is Presenting to other disciplines?
  • Do we need Agents to get us work?
  • If so, can one Agent get me work in all disciplines?
  • Is it possible to break into the industry as a duo?
  • Can working with my sister be a plus or a minus?
  • Do people like to see diversity?
  • How do Celebrities make it into the Industry?
  • 
    

These questions are just outlines for further debate and research.

Re-think

After reading my developing Inquiry, I questioned my current ideas. Yes, presenting is something I want to do, but I want to set up my own Company as well. I want to test myself and push my limits and not question myself on something I may already know the answer to. I have never been involved in business, the closest I have been was at GCSE studying Business Studies, but that doesn't inform you on the exact measure taken to have your own legal company.

I decided to set my ideas out as mind maps as I think clearer when my ideas are in a diagram. I have split them up into three categories to clearly see any trends.
Presenter
Performer
Company

There are a few themes that caught my attention. Communication skills are vital whatever kind of Industry you are in and have to deal with people. Being transdiciplinary seems to be the way we work as performers. However, Luck really caught my attention. I feel that what we create personally and how we create it determines what luck we have and therefore, I think my line of Inquiry should be focusing on being in the right place at the right time! it is something that will always affect us as a performer and I feel that there is more to this subject than meets the eye. It can be backed up by all the information in 2D as well as helping me pursue my dream of having my own Company. I just need to get the correct wording for my line of Inquiry.