Wednesday 18 November 2020

Analysis, themes, reflection

 Great disucssion with a module three focus last night - thanks to all who contributed to the discussion around analysis, data processing, themes and reflections.


Some key elements I noted:


1. The recognition of data not being helpfully viewed in separate strands (interviews, literature, surveys etc) but the value seeing the data you have gathered as a whole.

2. Looking for relationships between the data rather than compare and contrast approach only.

3. Making connections through the modules of BAPP, applying learning from previous two modules to support you in your approach to analysis in this module.

4. Being open to questioning the assumptions and expectations you may have entered the research with  - being open to change.


I look forward to reading your thoughts on reflection as we continue these conversations...



Tuesday 3 November 2020

Presenation of Essays and Referencing

 some notes for guidance:



Presentation of Essays

 

Guidelines

 

 

Essays should be typed, 1.5 or double spaced. 

 

Please justify the margins on both sides. Fonts: use Arial, font size 12. 

 

The first page of your essay should include at the top; 

-       your name

-       student number

-       year and term of study (ie: autumn 2019-20)

-       module title and code

-       module tutor

-       full title of assignment

-       date written 

-       final word count (this excludes your cover page bibliography and any appendices)

 

 

Please do not use bold type or underlining in your essay, but italicize any foreign words as well as book titles and titles of choreographic works, plays or films.

 

For direct quotes in your essay use single quotation marks ‘…….’ followed by a full citation (author, year, pg).

 

For quotes of 3 lines or longer please indent the whole quote and citation from th body of the essay text (1cm margins on both sides).

 

 

References in bibliography:

 

A bibliography is a list of all source material you have used, whether or not you have quoted from it. It is important to show that you have extended your knowledge by referring to other texts/works. A bibliography should be presented in alphabetical order of author’s surname. There are various ways of setting out a bibliography, but the details should always include:

 

Book:

Surname, Initial(s). Date of publication. Title in italics. Place of Publication: Publisher.

 

ie:

Fraleigh, S.H. 1996. Dance and the lived body: A descriptive aesthetics. USA: University of Pittsburgh Press.

 

 

 

Edited book:

Surname, Initial(s). (ed.). Date of publication. Title in italics. Place: Publisher.

 

ie:

Fraleigh, S. ed., 2015. Moving consciously: somatic transformations through dance,

yoga, and touch. University of Illinois Press.

 

Book chapter:

Surname, Initial(s). Date. Chapter title. In Name of editor (ed.), Book Title. Place of Publication: Publisher, pages in book.

 

For example:

Akinleye, A. and Kindred H. 2018. In-the-between-ness: Decolonising and Re-inhabiting our dancing. In Akinleye, A. (ed)., Narratives of Black British Dance: embodied practices. London: Palgrave, chapter 6

 

Journal articles:

Surname, Initial(s). Date. Title of article. Title of journal volume (issue no.), page numbers.

 

ie:

Nelson,L. 2006. ‘Fragment of a tuning run’, Contact Quarterly, vol.39. no.1

 

Videography / DVDs (a list of videos /DVDs you have used):

Name of choreographer. Date of work. Title of work in italics. [DVD/video, etc]. Place of distribution, distributing company.

 

ie:

Khan, A. and Cherkaoui, S.L. 2008. Zero Degrees [DVD]. Sadler’s Wells on Screen. Axiom Films International Limited.

 

Media broadcast, e.g. television programme

Title. Year. Type of media. Originator (e.g. channel). Exact date and time of broadcast.

ie:

TEDTalks. 2018. https://www.ted.com/talks. TED conference Boston July 2002

 

Live performance:

Choreographer. Year of premiere. Title in italics. Company (optional). [Location. Date seen].

 

ie:

Morris, M. 2018. Layla and Majnun. [Sadler’s Wells Theatre, London. 8 November 2018].

 

 

Check list: 

 

·      Whose essay is this? Remember to put your Name on your essay!

·      Guide your reader – PAGE NUMBERS and SUB-HEADINGS are helpful

·      Is it all your own thoughts? MAKE SURE TO REFERENCE OTHERS WORK YOU ARE INCLUDING

·      CITATIONS after quotes (WHO, WHERE, WHEN)

eg: (KINDRED, 2018:Pg.4) from a book or article, OR (https://www.helen-kindred.com/) from a website.

·      Talk to people whose work you’ve read or watched by name… FULL NAME at first mention, SURNAME, thereafter.

eg: Eric Franklin talks about alignment as dynamic and uses imagery to help dancers attain correct postural alignment…Franklin also discusses…

·      READ to LEARN, not for a QUICK QUOTE (Wikipedia is not a great source to use!)

·      Acknowledge ALL you’ve read and watched that has informed your learning for this essay.

·      NOTE your own experiences and how you can RELATE these to what you are reading. LOOK FOR THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THEORY AND PRACTICE.


Saturday 17 October 2020

Mid-Term

 After some great sessions with Peter Thomas this past week hope you're feeling challenged and excited in your learning and next steps forward into forming your work for each module in preparation for submission at the end of the term. 


A few thoughts at this stage:

This coming week is our Mid-Term break (Oct 19-25)

This means there are no scheduled sessions via skype and no supervisions available - It is not a 'week off' however for your study. See it as a chance for you to really focus on the work at hand now. Take some time this week to gather together and organise notes from your reading so far, sketches of ideas, thought patterns, comments from your supervisions in order to begin to tackle to work that is needed for submission at the end of the module (Dec 11).

Dates for drafts of work are coming up across the modules from late October and submission dates MORE forms (module two) in November. Make a plan to work back from these dates to prepare the work needed now. 

Our availability for supervisions are being updated on UniHub this weekend, and you have your Mid-Term Supervision week Nov 2-8. Book in a time to talk with your supervisor during this week. At this stage you should be coming to a supervision to discuss your work, talk through the theories you're engaging with, the thoughts emerging from your practice to help you move forward in shaping your work for assessment in December.  


Focus reminders at this stage in the module:

Module One: drafting essay and mapping ideas for diagrams

Module Two: MORE form

Module Three: Data collection coming to a close, preparing for analysis

 

Do book your supervision time in.

We look forward to taking with you further about your work soon...

Monday 28 September 2020

Module One focus - seeing your practice-self

 Great discussion yesterday - thanks to all who contributed. 

We had a module one focus and talked about some of the lenses introduced in the handbook as a starting point for discussions of how we look at and reflect on our practice. 


The debate moved around Web 2.0, the use of social media and the impack of it on arts practices,  Ethics, the ethics around social media, image, consent, representation, cultural differences and talking about Race, appropriation, casting (re)casting in relation to professional productions and personal experiences.

 We talked a little, and it would be great to hear you continue your thinking on this through your blogs, about the importance of acknowledging and questioning of assumptions. This involves looking deeper within your Self and your own practice as well as looking around you to the work, practice and writing of others. This is at the heart of module one as you work on Establishing your Professional Practice, not to come to fixed singular definitions of your practice, or of constructs that come into question, ethics, race, communication, but to question to learn more.


Look forward to your conversations moving on from here - please do comment below with your blog post in relation to this discussion..

Wednesday 23 September 2020

Discussion Group

Great to see and hear from so many of you across all three modules in this evening's discussion group on Skype.


I've summarised here the main areas I noticed within the discussion, it would be great to hear what you took from it all, further thoughts and questions that may have emerged for you all through your blogs.


Main areas:

Questions 

- questioning yourself, your own assumptions, intentions, bias

- questioning others - why? Not to answer your question but to open a space for discovery, sharing of experiences - see the TED talk below looking at interviewing as sharing stories.

- Little wonders - be curious!




Reflection

- looking at past patterns, habits, processes 

- understanding through critically unpacking an experience

- keeping a reflective journal

 

Resources 

- literature - the reading list and KORTEXT for each module

- beyond the literature, other sources, people, places, other artists

- you - each other - the BAPP community

 

Do share your blogs from this discussion in the comments here so that we can find you and continue the conversations and questions.



Monday 7 September 2020

New term

 

Welcome to all new starters and returning students on the BAPP ACI programmes this term!

We look forward to an exciting term ahead with you.

Term starts on Monday Sept 14th so this week is all about getting ready, settling back in to your studies. Make sure you had made an appointment to have your first meeting of the term with your Supervisor - this is particularly important as we recognise many of you are having to adapt to new working environments and for some of you the impacts of COVID-19 may have meant significant shifts in your professional practice. 

 

 

We have our Welcome skypes this Friday (3pm and 6pm - BST) and Saturday (3pm and 6pm - BST) please sign up via Adesola's blog to comment on which session you will attend - you need only attend one.

Please do not email us to say you're coming, the call groups are made from those who have commented on the blog only!

http://adesolaa.blogspot.com/



The Programme Handbooks for 2020-21 are now available for you on your Unihub programme pages, along with the BAPP schedule of events, including dates for skype discussions and seminars this coming term - please make sure you download these and diarise dates for yourself this week.Your module handbooks for guiding you the specific thinking and activity for each module will be on Unihub for you from Monday Sept 14 for the start of term. 


Please note that Adesola and I have new email addresses this term - specifically for students on the Professional Practice programmes - please do use these from now on.

HelenPPACI@mdx.ac.uk

AdesolaPPACI@mdx.ac.uk

Tuesday 30 June 2020

Summer Break

Well done to all on finishing this past term during such unusual and challenging times in the world. 
You will see that the grade for your work this term is now on Unihub and you will have received an email from your supervisor with feedback and confirmation of the grade. Please note that finalist degree classifications will follow at the end of this week.

It is now Summer break during this time you might reflect on the next module but remember the Module Handbooks are being up-dated so they will not be available until August. Our UniHub page is being up-dating during the summer. The whole page will be accessible by September 7th 2020.

The provisional schedule for the coming year is on UniHub now so you forward plan your time. 


At the beginning of September, we will be sending you information about returning to study. As you move into the next module of study you need to book a welcome back tutorial with your supervisor during Welcome Week, the week beginning 7th September 2020. 

During this tutorial we will go over your feedback and discuss your start of the new Module. To make an appointment please check your email from your supervisor this month (June) and go to the Doodle-poll they have created to check availability. 

Please note we are trialing new email addresses this coming term. Adesola and I have new emails just for the student communication. This is to make sure your emails do not get lost in anyway in our general email boxes (which everything goes to). As an enrolled student please use my new email address which is for enrolled students only. 

helenPPACI@mdx.ac.uk
(my name, PP= Professional Practice, ACI =Arts and Creative Industries at Middlesex) 

with best wishes 
Helen

Friday 24 April 2020

Submission of work...

Instead of responding individually to so many queries now relating to the submission of your work next week (MAY 1st) please see below:

You should save your work as word documents and upload as indicated on Turnitin - do take a look before the deadline, the parts of your work that make the whole portfolio submission are uploaded separately. 

Feedback exchange forms represent all feedback you have engaged with and are uploaded also.

We follow a Harvard referencing system for citations - there are lots of great sources online that can guide you in this.

Anything non-written (diagrams, artefacts) should be uploaded as appropriate - scanned images into a word document, link to a video on vimeo/youtube (password protected) for example.

MORE forms (module two) go through a separate system - the MORE portal online. You should include a link to your application here within your proposal.

Module three - while you share yur artefact as part of your presentations in May, you must submit it orlink to it within your critical review submitted on May 1st.

A polite request; please do not continue to send drafts of work at this late stage or questions asking for confirmation of things being 'right' to either myself or Adesola now. Part of your learning is for you to feel empowered in it and trust yourself to know when your work is ready to submit.
 


Monday 20 April 2020

Module Three focus skype

Great conversations this evening around the notion of learning, self-reflection, choice making with contributions from those in module two and three. 

Around the idea of communicating your inquiry process with other we talked about the presentation, artefact and essay as three ways of communicating your journey of module three and talked about how it is ok to be honest and allow yourself to be vulnerable in this process, acknowledge the challenges and how you've responded to them, tell us about the twists and turns the research process took... enjoy the chance to celebrate and share your inquiry with others...  Those who were a part of this conversation please comment below with your blog link to your key take away moments for others to share in also...


We look forward to your presentations in May and celebrating your journey then!


Saturday 4 April 2020

Drafts and feedback

Trust yourselves in the process...

Great to receive your drafts of work earlier this month ... as we move into the spring break now please note that the last date for sending drafts for all modules has now passed (end March), please do not continue to send drafts of work now. 

A note here for your consideration moving forwards from this point and looking at the value of drafts and feedback in furthering your thinking...


Drafts are intended to initiate a feedback dialogue (skype, via email) with your supervisor, they are not usefully used to ask if things are 'right' or sent with an expectation of receiving corrections, by way of a pre-marking opportunity.

Please do receive feedback as an extended discussion of your work

Often feedback contains prompts for further reading, suggested texts/practitioners to look at, comments regarding the level of critical thinking/analysis in your writing over overly descriptive personal narrative approaches etc.. Feedback comments are not telling you to 'correct' something and re-submit, but more trying to help you to move your thinking and writing on as we see the process of your work developmentally.

With this in mind, when you have received feedback on a draft of work, please take time to read and consider comments made, come back to your supervisor if you have further questions which extend the conversation, (not by asking for more comments on the same things that have already been commented on) but arrange a skype is you have further thoughts and questions as a result of the feedback.

You are all working as professional people within your industry and as such we see our role as supervisors as guding you, being a critical friend, promting, pushing your thoughts, challenging you in order for you to develop your thinking further. We are not testing you getting things 'right' we are interested in your engagement and curiosity about your own work. This is pivotal to your development and to the Programme.

Learn to trust yourself in the process...in life

Thursday 2 April 2020

Twilight discussion group...

Last night we had our twilight open discussion group with peope from all modules and soem good discussions aorund finding 'your voice', integrating themes and making connections. We noticed how these conversations tied in to each other and across the three modules of the BAPP programme. 

We spoke about it being ok for things to feel messy and to look to your practice as a way of approaching your writing and artefacts for each module. 

Those that were a part of these discussions do comment here with your blogs for further thoughts from the call so that others can share in these too.


Tuesday 24 March 2020

MORE forms


 MORE Ethics applications Module Twos

As some of you know I am currently having on-going problems with accessing your MORE forms online. Can I suggest, so as not to delay feedback and your submission of these that you arrnage a Skype session with me this week, have your MORE application on your computer screen, share your screen with me on Skype and we can talk through the form, amending as necessary as we go? 

I think this will save us both time right now!

thanks for your patience.

Helen




Monday 16 March 2020

Artists figuring out COVID-19

As we all approach each day of change through the corona virus at the moment we are noticing how it is affecting so many in so many different ways. 

We're sharing here some industry advice and support which my be helpful as some of you navigate contracts, self-employment, job cancellations etc.

Adesola's blog offers some dates for some 'community skypes' also as additional times for you to simply come together and talk, share, support and stay connected in these largely isolating times.


Equity
https://www.equity.org.uk/coronavirus-financial-support?fbclid=IwAR3ZrxYZR2GzWbC4KdJ8MtUKRNfI2ZrU_DOJqtp6OqcUdps8b6BYS-KHZHI

Artnet medical grants
https://news.artnet.com/art-world/rauschenberg-foundation-emergency-medical-grants-1800903?fbclid=IwAR24_TLNu38t_VwIbY-rULg6vgoutDjCi2wL-7WnqSgNDAJHSo48tSAAO_M#.Xm2bq8_Lg9M.facebook

Arts Council England
https://www.artscouncil.org.uk/news-and-announcements/coronavirus-information


Bectu Advice for film/TV freelancers 
https://bectu.org.uk/article/covid-19-advice-for-freelancers-working-in-film-and-tv/ 

Wednesday 5 February 2020

Disucssions...communciation...feeling supported

The 2nd of our open discussion groups today involved students from module one and two and looked at the sharing of ideas essentially. 

Those in module two were able to reflect and share the processes they went through with their thinking and development of writing and mapping and everyone was able to share something of where they are at in their current thinking around tasks, lenses and modules. 

We talked about literature and gathering information, being inspired by, acknowledging the influence of other practitioners, artists and scholars in our practice and the similarity of doing this in module one (mapping practice to establish your professional practice) and in module two as you begin to build a literature review, looking at the work of others who are also interested in your field of inquiry. Both of these mapping processes can feel really supportive as you find 'how to begin' - look at what is around you, talk with each other...



Those who were a part of the discussion please do comment here with your blog posts around what you took from the conversations, as points of further interest to share and continue to develop with others through your blogs.