Task 3C Sources of Information

As a performer and teacher, I regularly spend time each day gathering useful information. I use a variety of different sources which provide me with an abundance of valuable information to increase my knowledge and assist me in my professional development. Before choosing my top 5 I created a diagram of information sources I use regularly.

As I stated above I use all of these sources regularly and therefore found it difficult to pick out my top 5; especially regarding my use of the Internet.

Google
Without Google I would be lost!
Google is a fast and efficient Internet service which provides an array of information on absolutely anything you could possibly think of. When gathering information Google is always my first point of call. I simply type a question are topic into the search engine and is more than often spoilt for choice with the links Google provides me; for example, if I have been offered a job or audition with a company I have never heard of I would simply 'Google' the company name. This will lead me to many links such as:

• Company website
• Company reviews
• Castings for that specific company
• Social media pages related to the company
• Blogs
• Past and present employees of the company
• YouTube links of their productions

The list is endless!

Google also gives me the option to narrow my searches. If I wanted to specifically see images from a company rather than videos or any other information, I would search 'Google images'. I also am a big fan of 'Google maps'. I have downloaded this to my phone as an App and find it really useful when I attend auditions and castings in places I have never been.

YouTube

I spend endless hours on YouTube. As I discussed in Task 2C, I find I learn a lot and reflect on my own work much better when observing and reflecting on how other professionals approach their work. If I am given a script or song to learn I often search YouTube and watch a variety of videos of professionals performing these pieces to see how others chose to convey the character. I also enjoy watching musicals and plays which people have uploaded. It is extremely helpful to have seen a piece of theatre of which you are auditioning for beforehand and YouTube is a quick, cost efficient way of doing so. I also rely on YouTube for searching new audition materials such as songs and monologues and even backing tracks to upload to my I Phone and CD's too take along with me. 
I have recently became a teacher and also enjoy searching choreography to stimulate new ideas and keep my classes fun and up to date for my class.

 

 Work Colleagues

With Internet playing a  large role in everyday life, it is easy to overlook important offline networks and information sources. As I previously discussed I have recently began teaching dance and drama to children of all ages. I rely on conversations with more experienced colleagues to improve my teaching skills. I also rely on feedback from cast members when performing as well  as sharing information about different companies, auditions and agents. I am fortunate enough to have worked with many professionals who are willing to share information and assist me on furthering my career. I began performing when I was 16 which is fairly late on considering many professionals have been performing since they were children. I have learnt a lot from people who have been in the business a lot longer than myself and have taught me the 'tricks of the trade'

 Blogs

Since beginning my studies for BA Hons in Professional Practice Blogs have became an essential information source. I often look through other BAPP blogs (past and present) to compare how others have approached different tasks and to clarify my understand of topics of which I find difficult. I also rely on Course tutor blogs to keep me updated with deadline dates and online sessions.


Facebook

I didn't realise how reliant I was on Facebook until I began this course. I find myself talking about Facebook in many of my blog posts as it is an extremely useful tool in assisting my career. Facebook is an easily accessible information tool of which professionals can post information about upcoming auditions and castings. Ones which I may not have heard about through friends or my agent. In a way Facebook is similar to 'word of mouth'. People are passing valuable information on too vast numbers of Facebook users with one simple post. As it is web 2:0 based, users are able to comment on posts and ask questions to clarify their understanding. 


Nowadays learning goes way beyond the traditional method of teacher/student learning. A new learning theory 'Connectivism' has been introduced

 'Connectivism a learning theory for the digital age. Learning has changed over the last several decades. The theories of behaviourism, cognitivism, and constructivism provide an effect view of learning in many environments. They fall short, however, when learning moves into informal, networked, technology-enabled arena.  http://www.connectivism.ca/about.html

 This is apparent in our BAPP course. Paula provides us with the information we need. It is then down to us to seek  information from other sources to further increase our knowledge on the given subjects. Decision making is also an important aspect of our BAPP course and a key principle of the 'Connectivism' theory. We are lucky enough to be able to access endless information with the lick of a button and it is therefore down to the learner to decide which information is considered 'important' or 'un' important.
Over time, I have gathered lots of information on all areas of my professional practice from screen shots on my phone to paper lesson plans and endless emails. To utilise this information properly I could organise it better. I have gathered some ideas from other BAPP blogs and will begin to put this into practice.

Ways in which I will organise my information:

• Sort emails into separate files, for example, 'agent emails' in one file, 'teaching emails' in another. This way I will be able to check for important emails faster rather than scanning through unimportant emails from Wowcher!
• Keep all my lesson plans in a folder (organised into date order)
• I will write my daily 'to do' list in my journal each evening instead of writing it on scraps of paper which I can never find!
• Create a photo album on my I phone for all professional related screenshots.

Task 3A

'Networking' is a highly important part of professional life, especially in the arts industry. There is a strong sense of 'Its not what you know it's who you know'. I have been fortunate enough to meet great people in this industry who have gave me  excellent connections and in some cases gave me opportunities for future work.

Firstly when reading task 3A, I immediately thought of web 2:0 and therefore found it hard to differentiate between task 1:B and 3:A. After reading reader 3 and looking through BAPP blogs I began to understand the definition of networking and the different tools and methods used to engage in networking.

What are the current and different ways (tools) that you have, or do, engage your professional network?

Facebook

Facebook is one of the main tools I use for networking. When meeting somebody new in the industry, I add them on Facebook. Myself and many other performers I know, live a very busy lifestyle and are often too busy to meet up and network the good old fashioned way (face to face); Facebook is easily accessible through portable devices such as mobile phones and tablets and therefore allows us to network 'on the go'.  The majority of affiliates I have met throughout my training and professional life live all over the globe and many are constantly travelling the world or even spend years out at sea performing on cruise ships. Without Facebook it would be very difficult to network regularly. As I discussed in task 1B the facebook group 'The hustle' is a place to network and meet new people involved in all aspects of stage and screen.
 I have recently changed the 'privacy settings' on my Facebook account which now allow me to view statuses and pictures, in which I have been tagged in, before they appear on my timeline, This enables me too distinguish between posts I deem appropriate for professionals to view and posts I would prefer to keep personal for social uses only. 

Other online networking tools I regularly use include:

• Casting call pro 
• Email 
• Skype 
• Blogging
• Flickr

I use Twitter and Instagram often for social uses to catch up with friends and post pictures of my personal life. I do not think these social media sites would benefit my professional network as much as Facebook and other web 2:0 sites as I would rather keep my professional and personal life separate and would find it hard to balance the two on these sites. If an employer asked to see pictures of my work I would link them to my Flickr account or send photographs via email. I very rarely use twitter to network professionally, for example, I sometimes 'retweet' work related posts or positive reviews of shows involving myself and will occasionally be tagged  in 'tweets' by my fellow cast members are company managers however I would not contact an employer via twitter as I believe it is too informal. 

Networking tools offline:

• Auditions - Meeting new people at auditions and also networking with people who are regularly in the same auditions as myself. It is also a great way to make your self known to directors, casting directors and producers etc who maybe on the audition panel as  although you may not have recieved the job you initially auditioned for, it may lead to other opportunities
• Staff meetings- I have recently became a teacher and i find networking with other teachers in meetings  is a great way to learn new teaching techniques, share ideas and reflect on classes.
• Meeting up with friends from the industry- It is always good to meet up with friends who share the same passions as I do. Together we can chat about different theatre productions, companies, job opportunities and share valuable knowledge. I am very lucky to have friends I can trust and confide in. It is always important to keep private information about companies or fellow actors private as its a very small world and bad mouthing people may lead to loss of jobs and loosing important contacts. 

What are the established (and different) ways that others use their networks, especially if they are more established or experienced practitioners that you admire?

Youtube Channel
Many established and more experienced practitioners have youtube channels. They upload videos of their work for the public to view and comment on. Youtube channels can be linked to emails to send to potential employers and also added to casting site profiles such as 'casting call pro'. I have a youtube channel, however I do not have a sufficient amount of footage of me performing to upload. This is something i will work on to build my professional network.  I do however network with potential employers by uploading video auditions. 

Linkedin
Another professional networking tool I have never used is Linkedin. I have came across this network in the past and had dismissed it; however after reading many BAPP blogs and speaking to fellow BAPP student in our last online session, I have decided to look into it and build a profile as it will broaden me networks and could be very beneficial to my career. 

Many also use Facebook as I do, however they create their own professional page or even go as far as creating their own website with forums and news pages etc. Due these tools being web 2:0. People within their network can communicate via comments.


My ideal Network

I have  created a spider diagram of my ideal network. As you can see it is extremely vast and involves people who are related to the arts and teaching and could assist my professional development in numerous different ways. I would ideally be able to network with these professionals quickly and easily through the use of web 2:0 sites and other networking tools.  I understand that some professionals in my ideal network may not be able to help me directly, however they will more than likely have a large network themselves and will often provide me with contacts which will be more beneficial to me providing I also help them out in some way. 

When you reflect upon current networks, can you think about the motives of others to be in the network and what values and purpose they have in mind?

• Gather useful information
• Seek opportunities
• Seek employment
• Gain new contacts

What realistic things could you do to work towards developing your ideal network?

I will continue to network with professionals I have worked with past and present and will also stay in contact with professionals I will meet in future auditions and jobs. I will also try the following techniques to expand my network and also create a Linkedin account as I mentioned above .

Equity meetings
A friend of mine whom I recently met whilst touring regularly attends equity meetings. This is in my opinion an excellent way of networking and discussing important and interesting issues with fellow performers.

Classes/workshops
Another very beneficial way of networking is attending class and workshops. I have recently been considering joining acting classes to further my skills and didn't consider it to be a way of networking until reading Sian Turners blog. Meeting new casting directors and actors may open doors to new opportunities and will also enhance my work by learning from others and reflecting.