The BBC Report

In my previous blog I identified using the reader that I would like to find out how my current interest in drama as a therapy and the use of psychodrama could be linked to my professional practice.  As I'm sure everyone is the same but I find myself daydreaming about it, it is at the forefront of my thoughts as I try and piece it all together to develop a set of questions.

Then I saw this.

http://www.bbc.com/news/education-35505576

In this video children make brief statements about how the use of counselling makes them feel better.  Are children encouraged enough to talk about their feelings in school and at home?

I immediately thought, is this something that psychodrama can fix? A gap that it can bridge? Is drama therapy ever used in an educational setting?

Working in this type of environment, with children, be it a private dance school or a mainstream primary school, we always have a responsibility to not only teach, but to ensure the safety and well being of the children placed in our care.  According to this report, 1 in 5 children will have a mental health issue, could we use the practices of drama therapy and psychodrama drama to help children cope better with their environment and how it effects them, especially in education? Is it possible that the lack of safe places for children to explore their feelings is aiding towards this '1in 5' figure?

I have been reading the handbook of psychodrama and often return to this particular quote,

" psychodrama has been defined as a way of practicing living without being punished for making mistakes"  Marcia Karp - chapter 2 an introduction to psychodrama

With all of this in mind I will develop the questions I would like to ask, to fellow performers who also teach, to professionals working with arts as a therapy and to people in education.

I have often used my knowledge of drama to aid teaching, even things such as drama games to help the pupils relax and simply get to know each others names, now I am wondering how much more can be done with these tools.

First post of module 2

Here we are in module two, I can honestly say that module one went so fast and was over before I knew it, but it was a whirlwind of reflections and realisations, which I will carry with me throughout my practice and of course into this module.

One aspect which I now utilise regularly is that of reflective writing, I have found it incredibly rewarding and useful in my day to day life as well as on the Bapp course.  I have written about various situations and events and found a sense of reasoning in my writing that has often helped me to either come to a solution or just accept what happened.  Writing freely is therapeutic and I am able to see my thoughts out there in front of me, some of which don't even exist till there is a pen in my hand.  I can spot patterns and often go back over my writing to make sense of what's there and to also make some discoveries.

So in regards to reader 4 I thought the best thing for me to do would be to use my journal  to record my initial reactions and questions.  In this blog, I have gone over what I have written and pieced together my thoughts and their progressions to find out the real meaning behind my reaction to the information presented in reader 4 and how I can use it to develop my own lines of inquiry.

I'm sure everyone is thinking about their own inquiry. What do I want to know? Over the past few weeks I have been researching and looking into the use of the arts as therapy and this lead me on to drama as a therapy which in turn lead me on to psychodrama.  A truly fascinating subject which has absorbed all of my free time, I'm excited by it and what it can do.  Every time I read something, I just want to read more and learn about it.  I have started an online course in the foundations of psychotherapy in order to gain a basic understanding of some of the principles and history behind it, there is an overwhelming amount of knowledge and experience to be gained.  It takes, dedication and years, not to mention a fully accredited course be registered as a psychotherapist and/or psychodrama therapist.

I feel like over that time between module one and module two I may have gotten a little carried away with this and I am extremely glad to be able to use the reader 4 as a map which can put me back on the right track again.  I have always been the type of person to want to know everything about a subject that interests me.  I feel with this I have to keep in mind the big picture and stay focused on the inquiry without shifting my focus too far down a different pathway and becoming overwhelmed.

The first thing I decided to freely write about in reader 4 was the idea about different disciplines and knowledge.  My competences and capabilities, professional knowledge, what knowledge do I have? Where did it come from? My first thought was that of my performance training, definitely a discipline, also now I would class it as a type of tacit knowledge too, but the skills and techniques are a discipline.  I think it's safe to say that most people in this industry would understand that that is not enough, and you need another type of knowledge more in the way of marketing and networking.  In a professional knowledge sense, being a performer requires so much more than just the performance side of it but I think primarily the marketing and advertising of yourself is one of the most important things to be aware of.

When I think of specific roles I have had in organisations and companies I think of my life as a performer on cruise ships.  Again, just the performance knowledge is not enough.  A performer on cruise ships needs a professional workplace knowledge in the realm of safety and security which starts to be taught as soon as you board.

Then I think of my time as a teacher.  Technically,  just by being taught by others I think people are always aware of different teaching styles.  My experience in this began very early on as I was a helper at my dance school from a young age, being given small groups of children to work with.  Another thing from module one I will carry with me is the realisation that a type of intelligence I have is that of interpersonal skills, I had never really considered it an intelligence before other than I understood people very well and am usually good with people in different situations.  I noticed this also on cruise ships with passengers of all ages from across the globe.  So is my teaching capability an extension of my interpersonal intelligence, in a way, yes I think it is.  At least it definitely  helps.  I also see teaching as a type of performance art, you are forced to improvise, be creative and often rehearse material before a class.  You have to think about your audience and what type of impression you want to leave on them.  Without my performance background I don't think I would be as good a teacher, so how exactly did I learn to teach? Well aside from the the formal level three teaching assistant diploma I really think it's a mix of experience and all the other things I have mentioned.  To really be good at something, one discipline is not enough.  I think my teaching capabilities are really a combination of experience, being lucky enough to have good teachers myself, interpersonal skills, creativity and the real enjoyment of imparting knowledge of something you enjoy onto someone else. It really can feel like your passing the torch, it's a responsibility.

With all of this in mind it's time to try an connect the lines between this and my fascination for drama as a therapy.  Within an educational setting I have used drama techniques to overcome educational barriers and to provide a lesson that otherwise would have been unsuccessful.  Drama is powerful and can achieve wonderful results, I've experienced that first hand too. But I need to know more, a lot more.

Facebook group

Hi Everyone,

I've created a Facebook group for anyone who wants to join! Thought it might be useful as I'm currently away on cruise ship and thought another point of contact might be helpful in staying connected with my network.  We can share links, ask quick questions and make use of the instant messaging.

So, please feel free to add me as a friend on Facebook then I can add you to the group!

Search Facebook for Kayleigh LeMay or comment below and I will find you!

1st Tuesday of the month chat.

1st December.

Todays chat had a mix of module 1 and 2 and was very helpful for a few reasons.  Within the chat we decided what we were going to blog about, what did we learn or find useful.

We talked about was meant by the word 'appendix'.  Adesola encouraged us to think a little more actively, what did the word appendix actually mean?  The example of the medical condition appendicitis was used, yes it's useful we have them but we can also live without them quite successfully.   This helped to clarify what exactly is useful in the appendices for our Critical Reflections.  Just like our anatomical appendix, if we were to take it out the essay would still function correctly, this clarified for me what type of things I can put into the appendix section and how my main point and understanding needs to be communicated within the main body of my essay.

Another point I took from todays chat was that made by my fellow Bapp Student Lara.  She mentioned the Pomodora technique which is used to consolidate timing and ensure you are working effectively in the time frame.  I've never used anything like this before and I am eager to try.  I often struggle with timing, I don't take regular breaks then when I do they are longer than I planned! I think this will help me to stay on track and work more efficiently.  Thanks Lara!

http://tomato-timer.com

It was really interesting today to hear the module 2 students discussing their current place on the course.  It is very useful to listen to what is going to happen next, to have an indication of whats coming especially in regards to the inquiry and all the preparation involved.  

Theories Relating to Network.

Task 3b . Theories relating to network.

The first theory I had a closer look at was that of affiliation.  The need we have to create a support network around us.  Of course, I thought about my affiliations both professionally and personally.  My closest, most static affiliation is, like others, my family and a few close friends.  Thinking about my experience in college and school there were people I swore to always stay in touch with, but as my needs and the needs of those people changed it’s safe to say we drifted.   

Some affiliations will last a lifetime, because they are unchanging relationships, family or people you consider as family.  The rest will change, often dramatically.  I was reading the chapter given on our reading list for affiliation when I came across a term I didn’t understand and wasn’t familiar with, ‘ individualistic culture’ so I had conducted an Internet search to find out what exactly this meant.  From my further reading I understand the phrase to be describing a culture, which is very focused on the ideas of self worth and independence. The opposing theory to this is the idea of collectivist cultures where there is a more community and collected feel, people are more likely to act in a way that benefits and entire group of people.

  From the given article and other websites I began to see myself and my experiences being categorized.  As a child I was always invited to everyone’s birthday party… I was in everybody’s friendship group but I wouldn’t say that I had any “best friends”. Clearly at that age, I didn’t feel the need to affiliate myself with anyone in particular.  A similar pattern has continued throughout my personal and professional life, there are only a few people who I consider true friends.  I see myself as a very private person; I value the feeling of privacy.  So in theory I am acting with characteristic tendencies valued in an individualistic culture; in the sense that I have had many friendships over the years but few long lasting and deep.  So, how much influence does our culture have on our networking, our professional practice?  It seems to me to be quite a strong connection; It seems like we connect with people and move through our professional life in a very individualistic way.  This is a very strong concept in the performing arts, it is a very individualistic professional world as shows and jobs don’t often last very long then you are moving on and looking for the next one again.

 I think it is important to note that there is always a strong sense of competition in the arts and sharing information is not always something people choose to do in fear of someone else progressing above them.  In a situation like this it could also be seen as a person who is deflecting instead of cooperating, I have also been looking at the concept of game theory and made some interesting discoveries.  Using the link provided I went online to play a version of prisoner’s dilemma, and used different strategies to see what the outcome would be.  This game works by awarding gold coins to players depending on what their choices are.   The first time I played the game I played to cooperate for every move, both my digital opponent and myself finished that round with 18 gold coins each.  The next time, I played to compete for every move, the results were 14/9 in may favor.  So competing meant I was ahead of my opponent… but it didn’t earn me as many coins as cooperating.  Next I tried a mixed strategy and competed on some rounds and then cooperating, the results were 8/3 in my favor.  Once again, not as many coins as when I made the choice to cooperate.   So what does this mean in relation to my network? What does it mean to me?  My professional practice?  In an ideal world I would like to say that from now on I will cooperate in every situation- like in the game, but that leaves me open to be competed with, to be taken advantage of; would I ever win any gold coins?… This is a massive ethical consideration in my professional practice, especially in the arts.  I think I need to consider carefully the networks I have, do I cooperate enough? As i mentioned in a previous comment i have already considered the thought that in the past, I haven't.  Can I honestly expect to gain from others if I do not cooperate enough with them? How successful are my current networks?  Would we see a difference in the performance world if suddenly everyone cooperated? Well… There’s a nice thought.  Will it ever happen? Within an individualistic culture I think cooperation is less likely, however, not as rare as people might think and definitely not impossible.  

Task 3.a Current Networks.

Task 3a.  Current Networks.

Throughout my career in the performing arts, the word network is used a lot, in relation to training opportunities, and that all important audition slot.   When I think about my networks over the years, I’m instantly struck by how they have all changed and varied.  Since college, I have shifted networks depending on what is happening at that time- from my network at college to working abroad and on cruise ships, it’s safe to say there have been a lot of different people around me at different times.  The most consistent way for me to retain a network has to be through social media and the use of Web2.0.  Having spent a lot of time out of the country, these online communities are extremely valuable in helping me stay an active member of the performing art community.  I am also a member of equity and spotlight, massive communities where a wealth of information can be shared within the network. 

Over the last few years my main networks have been whilst working on Cruise Ships.   Working away for so much of the year can have massive implications and be very stressful; the people around you are from all walks of life and often have a lot you can learn from them.  In my experience, these people quickly become your network, professionally speaking an also on a personal level.  What happens when that contract ends?  That particular network of quickly become absorbed into a group of people that you ‘used to work with.’  In a way, our need of them, their knowledge and support is over, we have moved on and that experience is done.  It seems very sad and cold.  There are people from these networks that I have kept in touch with on a personal level, some relationships will turn into friendship.  However, the others seem to just fade away.  In this case, this particular network was circumstantial in direct correlation with my job at the time; but networks are ever changing depending on what we need.

At the moment I have just moved to a new area of the country and have yet to infiltrate a network in the area, I feel like this takes time and patience.  I am ‘the new girl’ still in work but I believe that this will change over time as I become more experienced and can contribute more as well as just taking information.  I am doing a lot of online research also into things I can be a part of, my next step needs to be physically involving myself in more things in this area and getting to know more people!  If any of my fellow BAPP students live in the Newcastle area… let me know!  

Wednesday the 18th November- Breeze room chat.

Professional Networks

Breeze room chat- Professional  Network.

Wednesday 18^th November 1pm

Today’s breeze room chat was all about reader three and our professional networks.  We discussed several topics within this context and what was meant by the word “network”, what is it to be part of a network?

For me it was a very illuminating discussion as we talked about what happens within a network, especially as time goes on and your needs as a professional change.  A network can be ever changing depending on your needs in the professional world, so, it can become political and often people are not as important to you as they were previously. Having said it out loud, I found a little uncomfortable, although it seems harsh it can be very true.  People move in different directions and relationships formed can become strained and not worth carrying on with.  Sometimes it seems there just aren’t enough hours in the day to keep up with absolutely everybody!  Plus there is the consideration of what it takes to stay connected with someone.  As was mentioned in our chat, purely posting a comment or hitting the ‘like’ button is not necessarily enough.  I feel that often we can become defensive and wary of people who are potentially just trying to keep us close incase they need a favor.  The performing arts is an extremely competitive world and often networks are formed as a way to survive in the industry, to find out about auditions, to meet that certain casting director in hope we make a lasting impression.  The politics can be brutal and based on personal gain alone. 

However this is not always going to be the case- I have formed professional networking relationships previously and now I would consider those people friends.  Through shared experiences, staying connected isn’t just a necessity but a desired outcome.  Personal networks form and can have many benefits to us, not always related to our career development.

I mentioned within the conversation that I have recently moved to a new area and am trying to form new networks of people around me, which is hard.  I have been lucky within my place of work, but I am currently on the outside of the circle waiting to filter through to the middle.  A process I am familiar with and understand will take time.