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
Saturday 21 April 2012
Saturday 14 April 2012
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?
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.
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
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.
Tuesday 10 April 2012
Sunday 8 April 2012
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
Wednesday 4 April 2012
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
The award title I seek as a result of doing this programme is a BA (Hons) Professional Practice in Performance and Production
Monday 2 April 2012
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