Dear Blog reader
I am no longer a tutor/supervisor/faculty member on the BAPP course at Middlesex University. I really believe in the principle of the course and I am extremely grateful to have been with it from the beginning of the birth of BAPP as an on-line (blog using) structure. This blog goes back to our first steps into this format in 2009. I am so happy to have the blog as an archive of the process and processes of the BAPP/ MAPP community.
Adesola
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Yes, qualitiative research is about the depth and the detail -
Hi
I am not holding any more one-to-one tutorial this week. I am having to cancel them. But I have put a doodle poll on Unihub so you can reschedule for the week beginning February 8th. Please also remember to attend the Zoom inductions on Friday or Saturday.
Adesola
We are excited to be starting back with BAPP after the Winter break. The first week of term is February 8th. We have induction and welcome back Zooms on February 5th & 6th (look on Unihub/BAPP schedule for the link addreses for those). Over the coming weeks (this week or next week) before February 8th you will recieve a welcome back email from your supervisor and you should also book a one-to-one with them(using the appropriate doodle poll address.
We are looking forward to a productive, reflective, insightful term ahead.
On Friday we had a Skype discussion that began with 'data: what if you can not interview anyone?!" The prompt in this discussion is about making sure your data collection is not just about going and asking people to solve the problem of your inquiry for you. The prompt is also Iabout looking at where information you can use to reflect on your inquiry questions, comes from - not necessarily from other people just like you. A strong source of data is from other scholars and artists who have spend many years thinking about issues that resonate with your own inquiry. Usually looking at existing work is the key to opening-up your own ideas.
Other points that were made were:
When does data end?
Data has a life of its own – which is why we need a moment when we stop collecting it (!) and turn attention and focus to analysis.
The reflective report in Module Three is about the whole process of the inquiry not just what you now know/think of your inquiry topic.
Take aways:
Even though topics are different, the learning experience and what people found have become about understanding our own practices.
People attending the conversation will be posting blogs and putting links in the comments below. what do you feel?
At all times, but particularly at this 2020 moment, it important to be a part of the voice of performing artists. We are currently looking for Student Voice Leaders for the coming year in BAPP. Please contact Helen or myslef or our current Student Vice Leaders.
There is also this opportunity: Here is information about the One Dance UK programme, past students with BAPP have been successful Dance Ambassadors. One Dance UK’s Dance Ambassadors are a team of young people aged 18- 25 from across the UK who believe in the power of dance! Ambassadors are passionate young people who would like to advocate for the importance of dance and assist with the delivery of One Dance UK’s activities at a local, regional and national level.
We welcome applications from ALL young people who can contribute positively to the Dance Ambassadors programme around their current commitments. Applicants do not have to be studying or working in dance to be a Dance Ambassador and they can love any style of dance. We welcome applications from ALL young people regardless of background, experience or ability – they simply have to demonstrate a passion for dance. We really want to make sure that our Dance Ambassadors fully represent young dancers, so we are keen to hear from people of varying cultures, religions, genders, sexual orientations and ethnicities and from all parts of the UK! Applications from young people with disabilities are particularly welcome!
Dance Ambassadors will:
• Learn about the varied work of One Dance UK and other dance organisations.
• Develop their potential as a member of the dance sector by learning about the varied roles and careers in and around dance.
• Gain a wealth of new skills, knowledge and experience and build their CV.
• Have the opportunity to volunteer at a variety of dance-related events, both with One Dance UK and in partnership with other organisations, developing contacts along the way.
• Have their say on the future of dance!
Applications close 7 December 2020
In the PP programmes we separate Ethics into two elements ethical procedures (the things you have to do to comply with different social / personal/ organisational 'rules') and ethical considerations (the thinking and discussions that can lead to those 'rules'). Another way of describing the ethical conversations element is 'the discourses' around a subject. The ethical considerations are the thoughts and 'arguments' about something. Such as the inner discussion you might have as you decide whether or not to do something. I think the film 'The Push' on Netflix is a really good way to start to think about the world of ethics. In it, people seem to lack the habit of using ethical considerations to in order to consider what their actions mean. How we make meaning or link meaning to actions is a part of ethical considerations.
People seemed to enjoy watching a Netflix show (The Social Dilemma) and then commenting on the topics it raised. What are your thoughts on what ethical considerations are after watching the show. Not comments on your judgement of the decisions made (!!!) but your thoughts on the act of consideration and how useful it is...
Looking forward to hearing what you feel
Our Friday evening Skype discussion with a Module Two focus was interesting. The main point we made was that in Module Two you are learning about research by researching how to research– what are different ways people research? And what ways do you want to adopt when you plan research yourself. Of course, you already research in different ways but maybe you have not called it research. For instance, all those thinking about their practice in Module One are in some ways researching themselves. When you are in a performing arts class (dance, music) as you develop your art form you are researching in terms of trying out shifts in your practice – Theresa talked about this.
Within research the analysis (how you make meaning of information) is key. This is the use of Critical Thinking – not being criticalbeing judgemental or looking for ‘truth’) when you are thinking, but thinking critically (being analytical). For me critical thinking is about asking questions about the things we take for granted, asking about the ‘normal’ things we see. In the paper ‘the right to research’ (2006) Arjun Appaduria writes:
‘I maintain that knowledge is both more valuable and more ephemeral due to globalisation, and that it is vital for the exercise of informed citizenship…I …explore the democratisation of the right to research, and the nexus between research and action…
…All human beings are, in this sense, researchers, since all human being make decisions that require them to make systematic forays beyond their current knowledge horizons.’ (Appadurai, 2006, p. 167)
People in the skype are carrying on the conversations we had through their blog posts. Please go to the comments below to make a comment yourself. and also find links to people’s posts.
Appadurai, A. (2006). The Right to Research. Globalisation, Societies and Education 4(2), 167 - 177. doi:10.1080/14767720600750696
It is Friday of the second week back. I am excited to be in a new term. We have added a couple of new ideas:
The new email for myself and Helen with the 'PPACI' in the address: the idea of this email was so all student emails have their own mail box. I am getting my head around the second email now but it has taken a couple of weeks. I thought all of the emails sent to my new email address were coming to my computer but I have just found they are not all coming! So I am now starting a routine of checking them twice (on my computer and on-line!!). This is annoying because the whole point of the new email address to try to avoid missing emails !! If you have not had a response from me and were expecting one maybe resend.
The second change seems to be working really well. That is to book tutorials you can go to UniHub programme page > Tutorials folder and under your Supervisors name is a doodle poll link where you can see openings for tutorial over two week blocks. I will renew my doodle every two weeks across the term.
It has been great talking to everyone on in the Skype one-to-one welcome (back) tutorials and the first group skypes. There have been some great blog posts starting us off thinking and discussing also. I am looking forward to reading what people are finding, exploring and discovering through your blog posts as the term progresses.
Adesola
We had a great skype discussion today. We looked at the discussion as a kind of improvisation – working out how to add ideas and recognize points for questions and notice how and when to move the conversation along. This is the skill of debate rather than just a group working towards a consensus. Our goal was to understand something better by sharing ideas, and verbalizing them with others. Everyone contributed to the improvisation and we came across a few interesting ideas and points through the conversation. People are blogging about this and putting the link in the comments below. Please carry the conversation on in the blogs.
Here are some points I found interesting:
Performance artists are used to getting things done quickly – learn it - perform it- done!! In this course you are not getting told what to do but how to approach what to do. Although performers are getting told what to do the performance part is also what you do with it. It is quick (you have to learn steps quickly) but them you have to continue to find greater and greater meaning (depth) in the steps the more you perform them so that islike the course – something that builds knowledge the more you practice it .
Questioning to find out more – not to find out answers.
We talked about different starting points – 1) outside (dates and circumstances that make you start), 2) inner personal feeling of beginning something, 3) personal shifts that make you realize you have started.
Looking forward to seeing everyone’s post
