If life is what happens to our plans, then dance is what happens to our steps.
ideas sometimes when you wait they come to you.

Preparation for starting with BAPP

Friday, 22 March 2013

Award titles


Thinking about Module two-ers who are working on  an award title. As usual I do not see any one module as having exclusive thinking points so this is something for everyone to ponder on. The award title thing is not a big question. Remember that 2/3 or so of your BA (HONS) award is carried over from whatever you did in your associate degree. Then of the three modules in the BAPP programme, only one is an inquiry. So the inquiry topic cannot be the main focus of you BA just because you have not spent that much time on it. Plus we are asking you to have a topic but we are not grading you on WHAT you find out on that topic we are grading you on the process you have. So your final module inquiry might not uncover much more in that area for you than you already know, but does help you have a better understand of the context of the topic and how you want to fit into it.

Hold that thought and look at it another way. When you go for a job and hand over you cv and it says BA (HONS) in performance extensions (!!!!) because that is what your inquiry was. Firstly, it look like you made it up (which you did!) but without knowing about MDX the person looking at your cv is not going to understand it or might think its like one of those degrees you can by on the inter-net!!!! Secondly because it is unique nobody will know what it is or what it is about. Thirdly you don’t know much about it either because think about how much you know about dance or musical theatre or whatever you did for two years in the previous schools. You know all the ins and outs that is what you can talk about from here to Thursday…then on top of being really knowledgeable about that you can also talk a little about whatever your inquiry was on or about your process.

So putting those two thoughts together the simpler and clearer and more recognisable the better such as:

Performing Arts
Dance
Musical theatre
Graphic design
Theatre performance

Lastly, just know you cannot choose an award title in the hope you will go into the topic or because its what you want to do – you are choosing something because its what you HAVE done.

Keep it obvious and know it does not have to be a big decision the only reason you are making it is because we do not know the ins and outs of your experience not because its too complicated for the university to do.

What do you think??
 Adesola

4 comments:

  1. Great post, Adesola! :)
    The award title seemed like such an important decision to make but when you put it like this I can see that it's just another thing on a CV, which may or may not mean anything to the person reading it.
    In reality it'll be the application of any knowledge we've gained over the process of the course rather than the label we have given it that will help us in the future.
    S

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  2. Hi Adesola,
    I am really stressing over my award title, partly because I am behind with my studies becasue of work commitments and partly because it seems like such a huge decision. I am looking at the decisions that face mature performers that are trying to balance their performing lives with their personal lives. My ideas so far have been;
    career development
    professional development
    I still don't know but if I move forward with my research maybe it will help!

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    Replies
    1. I am trying to say I do not think your award title should be a created around your inquiry interest.
      I think you should have
      performing arts
      because thats what you know about including knowing what performers do to balance their lives.
      Adesola

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    2. Thanks Adesola, I have just re read your blog and I agree with your suggestion. I think I have allowed myself to get bogged down with my work and study commitments and forgotten to really read and reflect on the information I am given. Mimi x

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