My first draft of my critical review is complete! I have mixed feelings, of relief the content is down on file and hopefully now it will just be tweeting and adapting rather than a full rewrite (fingers crossed), of worry for my feedback, and apprehension of beginning looking at my professional artefact.
I have enjoyed the process of looking for sources from different journals, YouTube and websites, feeling a great sense of progress within my practice as I have been able to take advice and knowledge from them to adapt my work. It is surprising once you begin to search, just how much content is out there for you to analyse and draw conclusions from. This has actually ended up being a small issue as, because I avefound so many useful resources, it has been difficult to condense into the 2500 word count. I have gone over this count as I felt getting in content was important for the first draft, as it's easier to condense existing work than having to add more on, which would mean more research, analysis and evaluation.
Now the wait..... For feedback,
Blogs will follow as I continue my final part of my BAPP journey
Friday 2 December 2016
Wednesday 9 November 2016
Finding yourself in the arts!
As the research into my inquiry progresses, I find many articles and writings that I can completely relate to, not only from my professional perspective, but often on a personal level. This statement from the 2009 Baring foundation article I feel goes so much further than entertainment for the elderly but an insight into many lives and how the arts can effect them;
'Participation in the arts has many benefits, the intrinsic value of creative expression, the affirmation of ones sense of self and the process of acquiring and developing skills which sometimes provides a livelihood'.
I found myself thinking through my day to day life, away from my profession in the arts, and just how much we incorporate the arts without realising. What would your life be without music? Without being able to enjoy a concert, or a show, be it live or on tv? How would you react if you realised you could never dance again? Or sing in the shower? We take these things for granted, yet without them our lives would simply not be the same. It is also a huge part of our social lives, attending plays or shows with friends, dancing with a partner at an event, singing along at a karaoke... imagine those social activities no longer taking place in your life and how that would effect your sense of self. This can often be the case within care homes that do not incorporate the arts of any form into their schedules, with residents having no form of entertainment or creative activity besides watching a television. Particularly those with dementia as 'for many people with dementia, diminishing confidence in communication and cognitive skills commonly result in withdrawal from usual social activities (De Haan 2016), they therefore they loose a big part of their lives and involvement with others.
However involving people in performance arts, be in live music they can sing along to, dance or movement workshops or other forms of arts activities, it brings people together into the same space, focusing on the same thing. This then encourages social interaction, creative expression and the chance to reform a major part or what was a 'normal life' before being in a care home. It is sometimes misjudged as a simple way to pass an hour or so for the residents yet it can give an 'opportunity for the subjects to be involved in social activities and reinforce(d) positive emotions towards relatives, friends and carers'(Sixsmith 2007).
I personally could never imagine a life without the arts... Could you?
Quotes taken from-
'An Evidence review on the impact of participatory arts on older people'pg 31 Sixsmith (2007)
'Green Candle Remember to Dance 'pg 8 (De Haan 2016)
'Green Candle Remember to dance', pg 10, The Baring Foudntion (2009)pg 21, Cutler, D. (2009) Ageing Artfully: Older People and Professional Participatory Arts in the UK. Baring Foundation
Friday 14 October 2016
Using props within performances
Continuing my research for my inquiry, I have come across many interesting papers and articles on performance arts within care homes. In 'Remember to Dance'(Vella-Burrows, Wilson 2016) they talk about the use of props in their dance sessions;
'A growing body of evidence has examined the benefits of props to stimulate sensory integration, interaction and self expression. Dance movement therapist Patricia de Tord observes that variety of props can be used to support participants co-ordination, creative impulses and imagination'
This got me thinking of my performance and the different shows I do. For some shows I use props and others I do not. For example in my 1940s shows, I give each resident a Union Jack flag to wave during the show. I feel this does encourage the. to participate more, as they feel a part of the whole thing, becoming involved rather than being outside observers. It often gets people feeling patriotic so gather a sense of pride for their country and the songs that were so relevant during a time the country was at war. This supports the idea of improving social integration and interaction, as I always find this show most people sing along, dance (if they are able) and wave their flags throughout.
One other example of this is during my Christmas festive shows, I give each resident a party prop e.g a tinsel scarf, santa hat, reindeer antlers etc. This appears to get them more into the party spirit, with the props being a focal point for interaction with others. Some props, the reindeer antlers for example, are very comical, so it usually strikes up laughter and conversation between residents,even ones that do not usually interact. The props also add a sense of occasion to the shows which I feel has a positive effect on the residents participation.
Moving forward as a professional I feel I should look into my other shows and see what props I could perhaps incorporate and how that would benefit the way in which the audience received the performance.
Quotes taken from- Remember to Dance
Evaluating the impact of dance activities for people in different stages of dementia
Trish Vella-Burrows and Lian Wilson
De Tord, P. and Braununger, I. (2015) Grounding: Theoretical application and practice in dance and movement therapy. The Arts in Psychotherapy, 43. DOI: 10.1016/j.aip.2015.02.001
'A growing body of evidence has examined the benefits of props to stimulate sensory integration, interaction and self expression. Dance movement therapist Patricia de Tord observes that variety of props can be used to support participants co-ordination, creative impulses and imagination'
This got me thinking of my performance and the different shows I do. For some shows I use props and others I do not. For example in my 1940s shows, I give each resident a Union Jack flag to wave during the show. I feel this does encourage the. to participate more, as they feel a part of the whole thing, becoming involved rather than being outside observers. It often gets people feeling patriotic so gather a sense of pride for their country and the songs that were so relevant during a time the country was at war. This supports the idea of improving social integration and interaction, as I always find this show most people sing along, dance (if they are able) and wave their flags throughout.
One other example of this is during my Christmas festive shows, I give each resident a party prop e.g a tinsel scarf, santa hat, reindeer antlers etc. This appears to get them more into the party spirit, with the props being a focal point for interaction with others. Some props, the reindeer antlers for example, are very comical, so it usually strikes up laughter and conversation between residents,even ones that do not usually interact. The props also add a sense of occasion to the shows which I feel has a positive effect on the residents participation.
Moving forward as a professional I feel I should look into my other shows and see what props I could perhaps incorporate and how that would benefit the way in which the audience received the performance.
Quotes taken from- Remember to Dance
Evaluating the impact of dance activities for people in different stages of dementia
Trish Vella-Burrows and Lian Wilson
De Tord, P. and Braununger, I. (2015) Grounding: Theoretical application and practice in dance and movement therapy. The Arts in Psychotherapy, 43. DOI: 10.1016/j.aip.2015.02.001
Friday 7 October 2016
Themed workshops within care homes.
Continuing my research on the Hearts and Mind project, they talk about their case studies, in which they go into care settings and conduct reminiscence arts workshops. These workshops include, dance, drama, singing and other creative arts. They explain how 'Most workshops were organised around a theme that was designed to prompt reminiscence and memories' and one theme was 'Summer holidays'. This immediately cast my mind back to a Summer themed show I did this year at a particular home. Previously I have talked about the importance of carer involvement and how the activities coordinators can really make or break an atmosphere for a show. When I arrived, they had completely transformed the downstairs of the home into a holiday camp seaside resort. Everything was decorated with bunting and seaside shop signs, all the staff were dressed as Butlins 'red coats', they were making fresh donuts and even had a candy floss stand. The residents were also wearing sun hats, sunglasses etc and it really was like stepping into a seaside town. Of course this created an extremely positive atmosphere from the get go as everyone was in 'holiday mood'.
My Summer show has all classic seaside songs such as 'I do like to be beside the seaside', 'Summer Holiday', 'My little stick of Blackpool Rock' and many more. Because these are such well known Summer songs, everybody was singing along and dancing, evoking memories from their own holidays in the past. With the help of the staff, residents were all involved, either singing, dancing and even throwing around a beach ball! When speaking to the residents afterwards they were sharing their own stories and the whole moral of the room was so positive.
Creating a reminiscent environment, I feel is so beneficial to these sessions, and it is shown through the residents participation and helping them relive past memories. I would love to see in the future, staff becoming more involved in activities, as the benefits are so clear to see in developing a greater living experience for residents in care homes.
Quotes taken from- 'Summative Evaluation of Hearts and Minds. A Three Year programme by Age Exchange Theatre Trust.' Royal Holloway University of London, Professor Helen Nichilson- pg 46.
Wednesday 5 October 2016
Getting the most from the arts
Whilst researching articles for my literature review I came across a very interesting statement, which I feel directly affects my work on a daily basis.
The 'Hearts and Mind' organisation ran a three year programme with 'Age Exchange Theatre Trust', writing up an evaluative report on this in between 2011-2013. They ran performance workshops in care and residential settings throughout those years and reported their findings. One recommendation they stated was, 'Age Exchange's creative practice and ability to influence the culture of care is restricted by a lack of management involvement, regulations in care settings and some inflexibility in the model of workshops' (Nicholson, 2013). I find this extremely true within many residential homes I perform in; factors such as funding cuts, restricts how often they can hire outside entertainment, lack of staff involvement plays a significant part in how much the residents become involved themselves. Also time restrictions, often due to set meal times, the only convenient time for shows are 2pm, so naturally these slots are always very busy so it is difficult for homes to book in the times and dates they desire.
Below are two extracts from journals, comparing two shows; one where I was left alone with the residents with no involve met from staff, and one experience which was completely the opposite.
Quote taken from: 'Summative Evaluation of Hearts and minds, A Three Year Programme by Age Exchange Theatre Trust, Royal Holloway University of London, Professor Helen Nicholson, 2013, pg 8)
Journal extract- May 2016
First show of the day was a 'Musical madness' show. My first visit to the residency, I was shown to the dining room where the residents had just finished breakfast so were still sat around tables, facing various directions of the room. I set up as instructed in the corner of the room, assuming the residents would be gathered around the area and turned around from the breakfast table. However I was soon enough left alone in the room without careers or staff and none of the residents were moved around to face the performance. Of course I cannot handle anyone so could not move them myself, so had to adapt my performance to move around the room so they could see me at some point.
Although the residents appeared to enjoy the show, and said they did afterwards, I felt most of them could not get a full experience due to being all over then room. Something so simple as moving everybody so they are in clear focus can have such an effect on an experience. They were not fully engaged as they had restricted view and therefore could get distracted or loose attention quickly.
Journal extract- February 2016
I arrived around 15 minutes early to set up, and the residents were already sat waiting listening to a 'Frank Sinatra' cd, which tied in well because I was performing a Swing style show. The activities co ordinator was handing out drinks to the residents and some snacks. There were three other care staff in the room tending to various residents as they were settling down for the show. Once the show started the residents began to sing along, with the careers and co ordinator going round to residents encouraging to sing and dance in their chairs. During the song 'Can't Take my Eyes off of you' they got several residents up to dance and then a few more got up on their own accord. This spurred the other residents to clap along to the song. This positive atmosphere was kept up the. For the rest of the performance wit various people getting up to dance throughout and everyone was singing along and clapping.
The two performance were so different from a little participation from the staff. I feel this is such an important part of performances as the residents know and trust the carers so are much more likely to let go and get more involved with their encouragement.
The 'Hearts and Mind' organisation ran a three year programme with 'Age Exchange Theatre Trust', writing up an evaluative report on this in between 2011-2013. They ran performance workshops in care and residential settings throughout those years and reported their findings. One recommendation they stated was, 'Age Exchange's creative practice and ability to influence the culture of care is restricted by a lack of management involvement, regulations in care settings and some inflexibility in the model of workshops' (Nicholson, 2013). I find this extremely true within many residential homes I perform in; factors such as funding cuts, restricts how often they can hire outside entertainment, lack of staff involvement plays a significant part in how much the residents become involved themselves. Also time restrictions, often due to set meal times, the only convenient time for shows are 2pm, so naturally these slots are always very busy so it is difficult for homes to book in the times and dates they desire.
Below are two extracts from journals, comparing two shows; one where I was left alone with the residents with no involve met from staff, and one experience which was completely the opposite.
Quote taken from: 'Summative Evaluation of Hearts and minds, A Three Year Programme by Age Exchange Theatre Trust, Royal Holloway University of London, Professor Helen Nicholson, 2013, pg 8)
Journal extract- May 2016
First show of the day was a 'Musical madness' show. My first visit to the residency, I was shown to the dining room where the residents had just finished breakfast so were still sat around tables, facing various directions of the room. I set up as instructed in the corner of the room, assuming the residents would be gathered around the area and turned around from the breakfast table. However I was soon enough left alone in the room without careers or staff and none of the residents were moved around to face the performance. Of course I cannot handle anyone so could not move them myself, so had to adapt my performance to move around the room so they could see me at some point.
Although the residents appeared to enjoy the show, and said they did afterwards, I felt most of them could not get a full experience due to being all over then room. Something so simple as moving everybody so they are in clear focus can have such an effect on an experience. They were not fully engaged as they had restricted view and therefore could get distracted or loose attention quickly.
Journal extract- February 2016
I arrived around 15 minutes early to set up, and the residents were already sat waiting listening to a 'Frank Sinatra' cd, which tied in well because I was performing a Swing style show. The activities co ordinator was handing out drinks to the residents and some snacks. There were three other care staff in the room tending to various residents as they were settling down for the show. Once the show started the residents began to sing along, with the careers and co ordinator going round to residents encouraging to sing and dance in their chairs. During the song 'Can't Take my Eyes off of you' they got several residents up to dance and then a few more got up on their own accord. This spurred the other residents to clap along to the song. This positive atmosphere was kept up the. For the rest of the performance wit various people getting up to dance throughout and everyone was singing along and clapping.
The two performance were so different from a little participation from the staff. I feel this is such an important part of performances as the residents know and trust the carers so are much more likely to let go and get more involved with their encouragement.
Wednesday 28 September 2016
Performing in Care Homes has its challenges
As explained in the previous blog, I have been looking at articles online that are relevant to my practice, finding a few interesting ones on the 'care home uk' website. They interview entertainers who share their thoughts, opinions and experiences within care homes. I found the following article particularly striking:
http://www.carehome.co.uk/news/article.cfm/id/1561490/performing-in-care-homes-has-its-challenges
There is no doubt that performing in care homes can be challenging, with heckling becoming a 'regular occurrence' that you have to learn to overcome. Carole Laine explains, 'It is inevitable that sometimes you will get heckled. Some service users cannot control their actions and it becomes like a tourettes twitch'. When I first began working in care homes, I was disheartened by any heckling and it did knock my confidence. However once you have adapted to this very sensitive and different environment, you learn to understand it is not a personal thing and simply have to brush it off. Laine goes on to say 'Sometimes it is a subconscious call for attention and I found if you make an effort to come closer and try to involve them gently then sometimes they calm down'. I do agree that this often works by involving them, yet sometimes it is clear they do not wish to be involved at all, so it is best to simply leave them alone and respect that they do not wish to be a part of the entertainment experience.
Andy Martin explains that he experiences heckling when performing 1940's WWII songs. Whilst, of course, I get the odd heckle, my 1940's shows tend to be the most well received. Below is an extract of my journal from a 1940's show performance;
Journal entry July 16
Today's shows consisted of a 1940s show for a 90th birthday and another 1940s show in the evening.
The first show was very lively with residents up and dancing to 'Lambeth Walk' and 'Pack up your Troubles in your old kit bag'. Residents responded well to the old wartime classics, knowing all the songs and most of the words to every one which was great as it created a really nice atmosphere to perform in. During 'We'll Meet again' a resident was quite emotional and began to cry whilst singing. After the show I went and spoke to them and they explained it was played at their partners funeral so it had sentimental value to the song, yet they do enjoy listening to it as it brings back fond memories of them. When speaking to residents afterwards, they all said how much they enjoyed listening to the old classics,waving a flag and singing along, bringing back many happy memories. The care home rebooked for another 1940s show in November for Remembrance day.
The second care home was a little quieter, with many residents asleep when I arrived. A couple of ladies were admiring my costume (1940s navy uniform) and how I did victory rolls in my hair. I find with the 1940s show my hair, makeup and costume has to be exact as it sparks a lot of interest with the residents and gets them reminiscing about their youth and how the fashion and hair was. Once I began singing, most of the residents woke up and began listening. Whilst they were not up dancing, most were singing along, waving their flag and smiling to every new song that was played. Afterwards I went round to speak to residents, with many commenting on the dancing and how they wish they could still dance and be as energetic. One lady described me as 'A breath of fresh air' whilst another simply said 'Too noisy!'. One gentlemen commented 'Do you do any Elvis, I like Rock and roll' which got a few others chatting about Rock and roll shows. The residency have booked again for a months time to come back and perform a 1950s rock and roll show as she also explained their were some Cliff Richard and Elvis fans.
Whilst I do think the residents enjoy the 1940s show, I do think it is important to get variety in your performances, to mix things up within different shows particularly if a resident requests a certain style.
Like Martin says 'I have found that there are increasing numbers of younger residents in the care homes, sheltered housing and day centres. Some of them were not even born when WWII happened so it is not always appropriate to keep bashing out Vera Lynn'. I completely agree that as the residents become younger, the style of music will have to adapt with the generations, but from my own experiences, it is still relevant for most residential homes and always goes down positively.
Certain songs can arouse emotions for the audience, bringing back memories and creating nostalgia. As mentioned in the article 'We'll Meet Again provokes tears' as it is such a poignant and sentimental song. Yet I do not avoid it when performing my 1940's shows as it is so important to that era, people expect to hear it and on average people smile, singalong and enjoy the song. Like Aimi Percival mentions ' I often get a few tears from songs and in all honesty this is why I make my sets more upbeat than slow. A lot of the time it is the male residents, which in some ways it is harder to experience, but I find a little talk afterwards about their memories or even just an acknowledgement often helps'. I too always ensure I go over and console anyone who may have been emotional. Most of the time they will say it brought back happy memories and they really enjoyed it. As Brian Shaw says 'Nostalgia is the best way to go'. I agree with his statement 'The dictionary defines it as ‘a sentimental or wistful yearning for the happiness felt in a former place, time or situation.’ I try to recreate that happiness and that is why we all get good feelings when we feel nostalgic… Residents always thank me for bringing back such memories'. I feel this is such an important element of shows in this environment and that plays a huge part in my set list, ensuring I pick well known songs people can relate to.
Although I agree entertainers in this field have to work hard, I strongly disagree with Laines statement that having 'costume changed regularly will re-stimulate'. Whilst this may work for some performers, I feel going behind a screen mid act to change, breaks the flow of the show, which would counter act the aim of re-stimulating. Not only do I feel the audience would loose interest, it seems to make the act less classy; In a theatre or caberat show it would be a cheap move to change on stage and would almost never happen. I aim to provide a high end service that is theatre standard, so I personally steer clear of costume changes. I do agree with her other parts of having 'choreography to give them something to watch' and not having 'lengthy introductions' to help keep the audiences attention.
Like the previous article, this one had been extremely beneficial at understanding a little more about this field of entertainment and how other people run their shows and what they feel is successful for them. Any other experiences would be greatly appreciated and would love to maybe create a SIG on this topic.
All quotes taken from www.carehomeuk.co.uk-'Heckling, laughter and tears - performing in care homes has its challenges but care home entertainers wouldn’t have it any other way'
05-Nov-13
Article By: Ellie Neville, Media and Marketing Manager
http://www.carehome.co.uk/news/article.cfm/id/1561490/performing-in-care-homes-has-its-challenges
There is no doubt that performing in care homes can be challenging, with heckling becoming a 'regular occurrence' that you have to learn to overcome. Carole Laine explains, 'It is inevitable that sometimes you will get heckled. Some service users cannot control their actions and it becomes like a tourettes twitch'. When I first began working in care homes, I was disheartened by any heckling and it did knock my confidence. However once you have adapted to this very sensitive and different environment, you learn to understand it is not a personal thing and simply have to brush it off. Laine goes on to say 'Sometimes it is a subconscious call for attention and I found if you make an effort to come closer and try to involve them gently then sometimes they calm down'. I do agree that this often works by involving them, yet sometimes it is clear they do not wish to be involved at all, so it is best to simply leave them alone and respect that they do not wish to be a part of the entertainment experience.
Andy Martin explains that he experiences heckling when performing 1940's WWII songs. Whilst, of course, I get the odd heckle, my 1940's shows tend to be the most well received. Below is an extract of my journal from a 1940's show performance;
Journal entry July 16
Today's shows consisted of a 1940s show for a 90th birthday and another 1940s show in the evening.
The first show was very lively with residents up and dancing to 'Lambeth Walk' and 'Pack up your Troubles in your old kit bag'. Residents responded well to the old wartime classics, knowing all the songs and most of the words to every one which was great as it created a really nice atmosphere to perform in. During 'We'll Meet again' a resident was quite emotional and began to cry whilst singing. After the show I went and spoke to them and they explained it was played at their partners funeral so it had sentimental value to the song, yet they do enjoy listening to it as it brings back fond memories of them. When speaking to residents afterwards, they all said how much they enjoyed listening to the old classics,waving a flag and singing along, bringing back many happy memories. The care home rebooked for another 1940s show in November for Remembrance day.
The second care home was a little quieter, with many residents asleep when I arrived. A couple of ladies were admiring my costume (1940s navy uniform) and how I did victory rolls in my hair. I find with the 1940s show my hair, makeup and costume has to be exact as it sparks a lot of interest with the residents and gets them reminiscing about their youth and how the fashion and hair was. Once I began singing, most of the residents woke up and began listening. Whilst they were not up dancing, most were singing along, waving their flag and smiling to every new song that was played. Afterwards I went round to speak to residents, with many commenting on the dancing and how they wish they could still dance and be as energetic. One lady described me as 'A breath of fresh air' whilst another simply said 'Too noisy!'. One gentlemen commented 'Do you do any Elvis, I like Rock and roll' which got a few others chatting about Rock and roll shows. The residency have booked again for a months time to come back and perform a 1950s rock and roll show as she also explained their were some Cliff Richard and Elvis fans.
Whilst I do think the residents enjoy the 1940s show, I do think it is important to get variety in your performances, to mix things up within different shows particularly if a resident requests a certain style.
Like Martin says 'I have found that there are increasing numbers of younger residents in the care homes, sheltered housing and day centres. Some of them were not even born when WWII happened so it is not always appropriate to keep bashing out Vera Lynn'. I completely agree that as the residents become younger, the style of music will have to adapt with the generations, but from my own experiences, it is still relevant for most residential homes and always goes down positively.
Certain songs can arouse emotions for the audience, bringing back memories and creating nostalgia. As mentioned in the article 'We'll Meet Again provokes tears' as it is such a poignant and sentimental song. Yet I do not avoid it when performing my 1940's shows as it is so important to that era, people expect to hear it and on average people smile, singalong and enjoy the song. Like Aimi Percival mentions ' I often get a few tears from songs and in all honesty this is why I make my sets more upbeat than slow. A lot of the time it is the male residents, which in some ways it is harder to experience, but I find a little talk afterwards about their memories or even just an acknowledgement often helps'. I too always ensure I go over and console anyone who may have been emotional. Most of the time they will say it brought back happy memories and they really enjoyed it. As Brian Shaw says 'Nostalgia is the best way to go'. I agree with his statement 'The dictionary defines it as ‘a sentimental or wistful yearning for the happiness felt in a former place, time or situation.’ I try to recreate that happiness and that is why we all get good feelings when we feel nostalgic… Residents always thank me for bringing back such memories'. I feel this is such an important element of shows in this environment and that plays a huge part in my set list, ensuring I pick well known songs people can relate to.
Although I agree entertainers in this field have to work hard, I strongly disagree with Laines statement that having 'costume changed regularly will re-stimulate'. Whilst this may work for some performers, I feel going behind a screen mid act to change, breaks the flow of the show, which would counter act the aim of re-stimulating. Not only do I feel the audience would loose interest, it seems to make the act less classy; In a theatre or caberat show it would be a cheap move to change on stage and would almost never happen. I aim to provide a high end service that is theatre standard, so I personally steer clear of costume changes. I do agree with her other parts of having 'choreography to give them something to watch' and not having 'lengthy introductions' to help keep the audiences attention.
Like the previous article, this one had been extremely beneficial at understanding a little more about this field of entertainment and how other people run their shows and what they feel is successful for them. Any other experiences would be greatly appreciated and would love to maybe create a SIG on this topic.
All quotes taken from www.carehomeuk.co.uk-'Heckling, laughter and tears - performing in care homes has its challenges but care home entertainers wouldn’t have it any other way'
05-Nov-13
Article By: Ellie Neville, Media and Marketing Manager
Remember to Dance!
I have just begun researching the 'Green Candle Company'; a dance company who work in several environments (including care homes). There will be many blogs to follow including my research on this blog, but wanted to share this video which is featured on their website which shows a project they work on. They do fantastic work and I recommend people check out their website www.greencandledance.com and I cannot wait to research them further.
Saturday 24 September 2016
Keeping up with the times!
As part of my practice, I always try to keep up with current affairs within the entertainment industry, particularly within the care and residential settings. 'Care Home U.K.' Often have interesting articles, with this next one being great for my inquiry and helping my own work within this field.
http://www.carehome.co.uk/news/article.cfm/id/1564836/some-performers-perspectives-on
As I predominantly work alone, it's good for me to read the thoughts and feedback from another performer in this area of work. Whilst I agreed with many points raised in the article, there were points where my own experiences were very different. Nicole Gaskell explains how her 'songs from the 50's, 60's and 70's are especially well received'. From my own experiences working within care homes I find 50's overall is well received and the 60's is often well received (dependent on residents). However the 70's often is not known by the audience so it doesn't go down as well as the other decade shows. Below is an extract from my journal recalling a particular 70's Disco show.
Journal Entry September 2016
One show today 'Disco Fever' for an elderly rest home. I was quite apprehensive about doing this show as I usually only do this for care homes for younger residents, e.g children's homes, disability homes etc. However they had specifically asked for a 70s show, so I presumed they would be quite lively and up for a dance and sing along.
When I arrived, I began setting up and played some background music from 'The Jackson Five' and a couple of residents seemed to be interested in what I was going to be doing. Once the show started the first number 'Waterloo' by Abba, the residents were clapping along and seemed to be enjoying themselves, but no singing along. As the show went on, many of the residents were not familiar with the 70s so be so began to switch off a little, with some going to sleep and others seeming to disengage. Whilst I felt they enjoyed the music and dance, the 70s did not really seem to be an era they connected with. I have performed at that care home before doing a 50s rock and roll show and also a Musical style show. Both those shows, residents were singing along to every song, a few getting up to dance and a lot more interaction throughout.
As these opinions differ so much, i will look into this further, trying to ask other performers in this field their thoughts and past experiences. Perhaps I am using material that may not be as suitable as what other entertainers use.
Gaskell goes on to say 'Whether its past memories, or the refreshing change of new faces and live entertainment, its always rewarding to know you've put a smile on that person's face' I feel this is the most crucial element of performing in these environments; It is so much more than singing frivolous songs. its providing a service through performance, which can effect people's moral and mood. This is why I chose to perform in these places as it becomes more than singing and dancing and I feel rewarded after each and every show.
The article has also helped me discover some new companies which I can look up research to develop my knowledge and also compare with my own experiences:
* Casagua Ltd Theatre Productions
*Arts on the Move- Alison Chaplin
*Red Sauce
Look out for more blogs on articles like these.. I would love to hear feedback from any similar topics or issues.
(All quotes taken from carehome.co.uk ''Drama has positive effect on mental health in care homes")
http://www.carehome.co.uk/news/article.cfm/id/1564836/some-performers-perspectives-on
As I predominantly work alone, it's good for me to read the thoughts and feedback from another performer in this area of work. Whilst I agreed with many points raised in the article, there were points where my own experiences were very different. Nicole Gaskell explains how her 'songs from the 50's, 60's and 70's are especially well received'. From my own experiences working within care homes I find 50's overall is well received and the 60's is often well received (dependent on residents). However the 70's often is not known by the audience so it doesn't go down as well as the other decade shows. Below is an extract from my journal recalling a particular 70's Disco show.
Journal Entry September 2016
One show today 'Disco Fever' for an elderly rest home. I was quite apprehensive about doing this show as I usually only do this for care homes for younger residents, e.g children's homes, disability homes etc. However they had specifically asked for a 70s show, so I presumed they would be quite lively and up for a dance and sing along.
When I arrived, I began setting up and played some background music from 'The Jackson Five' and a couple of residents seemed to be interested in what I was going to be doing. Once the show started the first number 'Waterloo' by Abba, the residents were clapping along and seemed to be enjoying themselves, but no singing along. As the show went on, many of the residents were not familiar with the 70s so be so began to switch off a little, with some going to sleep and others seeming to disengage. Whilst I felt they enjoyed the music and dance, the 70s did not really seem to be an era they connected with. I have performed at that care home before doing a 50s rock and roll show and also a Musical style show. Both those shows, residents were singing along to every song, a few getting up to dance and a lot more interaction throughout.
As these opinions differ so much, i will look into this further, trying to ask other performers in this field their thoughts and past experiences. Perhaps I am using material that may not be as suitable as what other entertainers use.
Gaskell goes on to say 'Whether its past memories, or the refreshing change of new faces and live entertainment, its always rewarding to know you've put a smile on that person's face' I feel this is the most crucial element of performing in these environments; It is so much more than singing frivolous songs. its providing a service through performance, which can effect people's moral and mood. This is why I chose to perform in these places as it becomes more than singing and dancing and I feel rewarded after each and every show.
The article has also helped me discover some new companies which I can look up research to develop my knowledge and also compare with my own experiences:
* Casagua Ltd Theatre Productions
*Arts on the Move- Alison Chaplin
*Red Sauce
Look out for more blogs on articles like these.. I would love to hear feedback from any similar topics or issues.
(All quotes taken from carehome.co.uk ''Drama has positive effect on mental health in care homes")
Tuesday 13 September 2016
A New Term... Getting Started!
After reading through Reader 7 and Module 3 Handbook, I felt the best way to ease myself back in would be a quick mind map of 'How do I get started' getting my ideas together and focusing back in on the task in hand.
Whilst in previous modules we covered literature reviews, I have created a few points of interest to continue to research which may help my own professional inquiry. Using feedback from my tutor from Module 2, I am looking to slightly adapt my inquiry so it is more focused upon the entertainment element and how I can adapt my show programs, rather than the actual health benefits of performance. However these health/performance related articles will be a huge benefit to see what other organisations are in place for care and residential homes, and how they run to benefit the clientele the most.
If anyone knows of any other articles or blogs that are related to performance arts within care settings, I would love to discuss ideas further perhaps developing an online focus group on this topic?
Good luck to everyone else beginning BAPP whatever module you may be starting!
Monday 18 April 2016
Task 6c- Award Title
This has been something that has been bothering me for weeks now, choosing my award title for my degree. I trained in Musical Theatre and continue to work in this field so at first thought this would be the natural choice for me. But then I got to thinking about my career since leaving college and the work I have done and continue to do and it covers such a wide range of genres and styles. One day I am performing a pop show as part of a UK theatre tour, the next a 1940s corporate gig, to a country and Western show in a care home. It covers so much more than just musical theatre so I decided the best choice would be 'Performing Arts'.
The title 'Performing Arts' can be an umbrella for a many number of things that suit my expertise and career not just as a performer but as a teacher. I pride myself on being an all rounder of singing dancing and acting, so this would be most suitable. I feel the title 'Musical theatre' would have fenced me in in terms of my skill set as my practice is much broader than this one genre. Also this way I am much more open to many other opportunities of a wide spectrum when other professionals with this title as it can be adapted to many things.
Hopefully this title will be excepted and I cannot wait to gaining this qualification to further my career!
The title 'Performing Arts' can be an umbrella for a many number of things that suit my expertise and career not just as a performer but as a teacher. I pride myself on being an all rounder of singing dancing and acting, so this would be most suitable. I feel the title 'Musical theatre' would have fenced me in in terms of my skill set as my practice is much broader than this one genre. Also this way I am much more open to many other opportunities of a wide spectrum when other professionals with this title as it can be adapted to many things.
Hopefully this title will be excepted and I cannot wait to gaining this qualification to further my career!
6b- tools
Observations
I have decided to do both observations of others (rehearsals for shows) as well as observations during my own performances (how residents act, react and the feedback).
Observations
I think this will be beneficial for my research as, although other people can be interviewed and surveyed, using this tool I can see first hand the performances and reflect and critique what I feel works and what could be improved. With the consent of the participants, I plan to video record the rehearsal sessions, so I can look back upon them repeatedly to make notes and to analyse in detail. My accounts of these observations will be of a qualitative nature, as I feel quantitive would not be useful for my inquiry. The downside to this tool is just how time consuming it would be to attend multiple rehearsal sessions, then recording the findings from them. However I do feel the positives outweigh this, so I am prepared to take the time to do this in order to get the most from my inquiry.
This is all further explained in a previous blog- More thinking points Reader 6
I have decided to do both observations of others (rehearsals for shows) as well as observations during my own performances (how residents act, react and the feedback).
Observations
I think this will be beneficial for my research as, although other people can be interviewed and surveyed, using this tool I can see first hand the performances and reflect and critique what I feel works and what could be improved. With the consent of the participants, I plan to video record the rehearsal sessions, so I can look back upon them repeatedly to make notes and to analyse in detail. My accounts of these observations will be of a qualitative nature, as I feel quantitive would not be useful for my inquiry. The downside to this tool is just how time consuming it would be to attend multiple rehearsal sessions, then recording the findings from them. However I do feel the positives outweigh this, so I am prepared to take the time to do this in order to get the most from my inquiry.
This is all further explained in a previous blog- More thinking points Reader 6
6B-tools
Interviews
This is tool that I feel will not only benefit myself but also the people I am interviewing. As Bell says it is an advantage that “can follow up on ideas, probe responses and investigate motives and feelings” (Bell, 2005, p.157). This means I can get a full insight into how someone works, what their feelings are and their motives behind the choices they make within their career.
A great advantage of this is that there are many ways of interviewing someone, so you have more windows of opportunity to get information. These include
• face to face or over the telephone
• with an individual or a group of people
• using a structured list of questions or a more informal method of
interaction
(Reader 6-pg 17h)
As I am already using questionnaires as another tool, I will keep away from just using a structured list of questions, as I feel they will be very similar, so I am not fully utilising the way in which I can extract information. Instead I will try to get as many accounts of experiences I can, to build up a file of different experiences from a variety of people, to draw upon and analyse. When people are interviewed and record their experiences with me, it will automatically make them reflect themselves, in turn benefiting them as they can evaluate the positives and negatives of these experiences.
Structure-
Although it will be semi structured in the sense I will give heading on a few topics that need to be covered , I would like the interview open and follow a narrative enquiry style. That way people are free to talk about what they wish, giving room for feelings, motives and overall a more in depth interview as they can give as much info as they wish. The only problem with this is ensuring interviewees do not branch off from the chosen topics and go off on tangents. This is why I will have a few headings of topics to ensure I get the relevant accounts from the interview.
Another limitation is time. As I wish to conduct as many interviews as possible, this will require a significant amount of time for both myself and the interviewee. I must ensure I plan these a great deal ahead of time so I can mange a schedule that fits in for me and my interviewees so I can carry out all of them successfully.
Recording the interviews-
If possible I will aim to video these interviews, then transcribing it afterwards. This way I can look back upon them several times and pick up on tone of voice body language etc which adds a completely new dimension to just written words. The limitation if this, is all candidates will have to consent to this, so it may not always be possible if they do not wish to be filmed or wish to be anonymous. Instead I will either write theirs answers, or dictaphone the interview transcribing it afterwards keeping the details confidential.
Overall though, I do feel this is great tool for the inquiry as I will be able to find out first hand form other performers, just what they think of the industry and specific field we work within.
This is tool that I feel will not only benefit myself but also the people I am interviewing. As Bell says it is an advantage that “can follow up on ideas, probe responses and investigate motives and feelings” (Bell, 2005, p.157). This means I can get a full insight into how someone works, what their feelings are and their motives behind the choices they make within their career.
A great advantage of this is that there are many ways of interviewing someone, so you have more windows of opportunity to get information. These include
• face to face or over the telephone
• with an individual or a group of people
• using a structured list of questions or a more informal method of
interaction
(Reader 6-pg 17h)
As I am already using questionnaires as another tool, I will keep away from just using a structured list of questions, as I feel they will be very similar, so I am not fully utilising the way in which I can extract information. Instead I will try to get as many accounts of experiences I can, to build up a file of different experiences from a variety of people, to draw upon and analyse. When people are interviewed and record their experiences with me, it will automatically make them reflect themselves, in turn benefiting them as they can evaluate the positives and negatives of these experiences.
Structure-
Although it will be semi structured in the sense I will give heading on a few topics that need to be covered , I would like the interview open and follow a narrative enquiry style. That way people are free to talk about what they wish, giving room for feelings, motives and overall a more in depth interview as they can give as much info as they wish. The only problem with this is ensuring interviewees do not branch off from the chosen topics and go off on tangents. This is why I will have a few headings of topics to ensure I get the relevant accounts from the interview.
Another limitation is time. As I wish to conduct as many interviews as possible, this will require a significant amount of time for both myself and the interviewee. I must ensure I plan these a great deal ahead of time so I can mange a schedule that fits in for me and my interviewees so I can carry out all of them successfully.
Recording the interviews-
If possible I will aim to video these interviews, then transcribing it afterwards. This way I can look back upon them several times and pick up on tone of voice body language etc which adds a completely new dimension to just written words. The limitation if this, is all candidates will have to consent to this, so it may not always be possible if they do not wish to be filmed or wish to be anonymous. Instead I will either write theirs answers, or dictaphone the interview transcribing it afterwards keeping the details confidential.
Overall though, I do feel this is great tool for the inquiry as I will be able to find out first hand form other performers, just what they think of the industry and specific field we work within.
6b continued- tools
Reviewing literature
I did touch on this subject in a previous blog (Reader 6- Food for thought), commenting on how I have gathered articles, journals etc in the past as a way of furthering my knowledge within my chosen career. I find reviewing Literature is a great way of research as often they give in depth detail of a particular subject e.g 'funding for arts in care' focusing in on this so I can collect many notes and facts on it.
I think it is important to find literature from a number of sources e.g magazines, online blogs, essays from books, newspapers etc as they are all written very differently so you gain info in a variety of ways, therefore expanding your knowledge on many levels. Keeping up to date with current affairs within your trade is extremely important, as in order to move forwards and progress yourself, you must be aware and up to speed with anything happening in your field so you stay ahead of the game. For example, whenever 'care homes uk' publish a new article about entertainment I always ensure I read and review it, taking into account any positive and/or negative comments about the industry, and reflecting how I can adapt to changes in the industry to suit my performances.
However when reviewing literature, it is important to take into consideration who has written it, and what viewpoint they will already have on this subject. For instance an article written by an entertainer who themselves work within care homes, will have a completely different viewpoint from a journalist writing about funding within the arts, or a scientist writing about the neurological affects on the arts. I find gathering as many different viewpoint as possible helps establish an unbiased overall inquiry, as many professional opinions will be reviewed and reflected upon.
I did touch on this subject in a previous blog (Reader 6- Food for thought), commenting on how I have gathered articles, journals etc in the past as a way of furthering my knowledge within my chosen career. I find reviewing Literature is a great way of research as often they give in depth detail of a particular subject e.g 'funding for arts in care' focusing in on this so I can collect many notes and facts on it.
I think it is important to find literature from a number of sources e.g magazines, online blogs, essays from books, newspapers etc as they are all written very differently so you gain info in a variety of ways, therefore expanding your knowledge on many levels. Keeping up to date with current affairs within your trade is extremely important, as in order to move forwards and progress yourself, you must be aware and up to speed with anything happening in your field so you stay ahead of the game. For example, whenever 'care homes uk' publish a new article about entertainment I always ensure I read and review it, taking into account any positive and/or negative comments about the industry, and reflecting how I can adapt to changes in the industry to suit my performances.
However when reviewing literature, it is important to take into consideration who has written it, and what viewpoint they will already have on this subject. For instance an article written by an entertainer who themselves work within care homes, will have a completely different viewpoint from a journalist writing about funding within the arts, or a scientist writing about the neurological affects on the arts. I find gathering as many different viewpoint as possible helps establish an unbiased overall inquiry, as many professional opinions will be reviewed and reflected upon.
Task 6b- reflections on 4 research tools
After careful thought and consideration I decided these will be the 4 tools I will use within my research:
1. Questionnaires/surveys
2. Interviews
3. Reviewing and analysing documents
4. Participant Observer
Over the next couple of blogs I will be reviewing these tools, working out what are the positive and negative implications when using them in my inquiry.
Questionnaires
I used this as my pilot tool for task A and I explained my reasonings for using this tool. I did a lot of researching online for existing questionnaires to see the format and types of questions asked. I found a few examples of questionnaires online, but thought this one was particularly effective at first glance;
Please answer the survey sincerely.
Mark the Answer in RED please.
Questionnaire
1. Gender: Female \Male
Age: ____.
2. Do you dance? (Professionally or as a sport/ a hobby)
• Yes.
• No.
• Used to dance.
• I would like to learn how to dance.
3. Which style of dancing is more appealing to you?
• Modern types of dancing because of the cool extreme moves and the unlimited possibilities of movement.
• Classic types of dancing because of the clean technic and the glorious costumes.
• I like both styles same way.
• I like the movement of one style and the costumes of another.
4. Do you think that the stereotype of "dancing is for girls" still exists?
• Yes.
• No.
• Only for the modern styles of dancing such as Hip Hop and Jazz.
• Only for the classic styles of dancing such as Ballroom dancing and Ballet.
5. Do you believe that a dance can express and show real feelings or thoughts?
• Yes.
• No.
• Only for the modern styles of dancing.
• Only for the classic styles of dancing.
6. Are you uncomfortable with some styles of dancing?
• Yes. I'm not comfortable with the "extreme" forms of this art.
• Yes. With too brutal modern styles, for example: brutal Hip hop.
• Yes. With too close \ old and “mechanic” classic style.
• No. I’m fine with all the different styles of this art.
7. Which one from the following describes best your perception of dancing?
• A hobby.
• An art.
• A profession.
• A sport.
8. Do you think some styles will become irrelevant or even will disappear from the world?
• No this art, with its’ all different styles, is internal.
• Yes this art will disappear completely.
• Yes the classic ones, they are too limiting and old-fashioned.
• Yes the modern ones, they are too rebellious and “rough”.
9. Do you see dancing as a sport?
• No.
• Yes.
• Yes, only the modern styles of dancing.
• Yes, only the classic styles of dancing.
10. What in your opinion will happen to dancing as a sport? Please explain___________________________________.
What in your opinion will happen to dancing as an art? Please
explain___________________________________.
Taken from- http://www.dance-forums.com/threads/survey-about-dancing.40569/
Although the subject is not really relatable to my inquiry, I think the format and wording of the questions are good at getting the needed information. Although they are closed questions, I like the way they have provided more answers than simply 'yes' or 'no'. This allows room for a wider range of opinions and information. I will take the format and style of questionnaire to possibly use for my own research. To develop on these questions I will leave a comment box at a the bottom of each one to allow people to elaborate on an answer should they wish. That way I have a chance at getting even more from the questionnaire, extracting as much information as I possibly can. This is a tool I will definately choose for my research work as I feel it is quite a quick and direct way of finding things out from fellow professionals, without necessarily having to find the time to sit them down and fully interview them.
However after looking at the comments for this survey I saw many criticisms about the questionnaire that I fully understand and have take on board for when conducting my own.
Comments such as;
I don't understand... "modern" and "classical"? Ballroom is sort of both, and neither. Are you sure
you're looking for ballroom dancers to complete your survey? (Dbk jan 18th 2012)
Dance is a broad subject and I suspect that your poll reflects the particular specialized part of dance that you are involved in, but which many/most of us are not. I suspect that you are more involved with performance dance, which I understand can be separated into jazz ("modern") and ballet
("classical") -- please pardon my ignorance here -- , whereas I and many here are more involved in social partner dancing ... even though those involved in ballroom also tend to be involved in ballroom competition dancing (DWise1 jan 19th 2012)
Looking at these comments has made me understand the importance of specifics, making sure each question is clear and to the point, so it can be understood and therefore answered easily and correctly. Being vague leaves people confused and as a result uninterested so will not be willing to answer in full. My questions are specific to a certain calibre of performers so, they will already be on the same wavelength which is good, but I still need to check each question is specific to the profession and has no room for people to be confused.
1. Questionnaires/surveys
2. Interviews
3. Reviewing and analysing documents
4. Participant Observer
Over the next couple of blogs I will be reviewing these tools, working out what are the positive and negative implications when using them in my inquiry.
Questionnaires
I used this as my pilot tool for task A and I explained my reasonings for using this tool. I did a lot of researching online for existing questionnaires to see the format and types of questions asked. I found a few examples of questionnaires online, but thought this one was particularly effective at first glance;
Please answer the survey sincerely.
Mark the Answer in RED please.
Questionnaire
1. Gender: Female \Male
Age: ____.
2. Do you dance? (Professionally or as a sport/ a hobby)
• Yes.
• No.
• Used to dance.
• I would like to learn how to dance.
3. Which style of dancing is more appealing to you?
• Modern types of dancing because of the cool extreme moves and the unlimited possibilities of movement.
• Classic types of dancing because of the clean technic and the glorious costumes.
• I like both styles same way.
• I like the movement of one style and the costumes of another.
4. Do you think that the stereotype of "dancing is for girls" still exists?
• Yes.
• No.
• Only for the modern styles of dancing such as Hip Hop and Jazz.
• Only for the classic styles of dancing such as Ballroom dancing and Ballet.
5. Do you believe that a dance can express and show real feelings or thoughts?
• Yes.
• No.
• Only for the modern styles of dancing.
• Only for the classic styles of dancing.
6. Are you uncomfortable with some styles of dancing?
• Yes. I'm not comfortable with the "extreme" forms of this art.
• Yes. With too brutal modern styles, for example: brutal Hip hop.
• Yes. With too close \ old and “mechanic” classic style.
• No. I’m fine with all the different styles of this art.
7. Which one from the following describes best your perception of dancing?
• A hobby.
• An art.
• A profession.
• A sport.
8. Do you think some styles will become irrelevant or even will disappear from the world?
• No this art, with its’ all different styles, is internal.
• Yes this art will disappear completely.
• Yes the classic ones, they are too limiting and old-fashioned.
• Yes the modern ones, they are too rebellious and “rough”.
9. Do you see dancing as a sport?
• No.
• Yes.
• Yes, only the modern styles of dancing.
• Yes, only the classic styles of dancing.
10. What in your opinion will happen to dancing as a sport? Please explain___________________________________.
What in your opinion will happen to dancing as an art? Please
explain___________________________________.
Taken from- http://www.dance-forums.com/threads/survey-about-dancing.40569/
Although the subject is not really relatable to my inquiry, I think the format and wording of the questions are good at getting the needed information. Although they are closed questions, I like the way they have provided more answers than simply 'yes' or 'no'. This allows room for a wider range of opinions and information. I will take the format and style of questionnaire to possibly use for my own research. To develop on these questions I will leave a comment box at a the bottom of each one to allow people to elaborate on an answer should they wish. That way I have a chance at getting even more from the questionnaire, extracting as much information as I possibly can. This is a tool I will definately choose for my research work as I feel it is quite a quick and direct way of finding things out from fellow professionals, without necessarily having to find the time to sit them down and fully interview them.
However after looking at the comments for this survey I saw many criticisms about the questionnaire that I fully understand and have take on board for when conducting my own.
Comments such as;
I don't understand... "modern" and "classical"? Ballroom is sort of both, and neither. Are you sure
you're looking for ballroom dancers to complete your survey? (Dbk jan 18th 2012)
Dance is a broad subject and I suspect that your poll reflects the particular specialized part of dance that you are involved in, but which many/most of us are not. I suspect that you are more involved with performance dance, which I understand can be separated into jazz ("modern") and ballet
("classical") -- please pardon my ignorance here -- , whereas I and many here are more involved in social partner dancing ... even though those involved in ballroom also tend to be involved in ballroom competition dancing (DWise1 jan 19th 2012)
Looking at these comments has made me understand the importance of specifics, making sure each question is clear and to the point, so it can be understood and therefore answered easily and correctly. Being vague leaves people confused and as a result uninterested so will not be willing to answer in full. My questions are specific to a certain calibre of performers so, they will already be on the same wavelength which is good, but I still need to check each question is specific to the profession and has no room for people to be confused.
Task 6a- pilot tool
For my pilot tool, I decided to construct a survey/questionnaire that people involved in entertainment within care homes could answer. The reason I chose this as I felt I could collect a wide range of info from many different people within quite a short questionnaire, that can be accessed easily.
Here is the mock up questionnaire
Performing within care and Residential homes:
How did find the experience of working in this environment?
1. Enjoyable
2. Average
3. Disliked
Please comment on why you feel this way
How do you advertise your services to care homes?
1. Calling homes and offering your shows.
2. Emailing and websites
3. All of the above
Please comment if your chosen advertising is successful
How do you find it making continuous bookings and keeping busy?
1. Easy, we have a clientele that use us constantly and our bookings are always full
2. Ok, we do have some returning clientele but have to work hard to fill all bookings
3. Difficult, we are constantly having to push for future bookings
Please comment as to why you think this
Which era of music did you find worked best for the residents?
1. 1930-40s
2. 1950-60s
3. 1960s onwards
Please comment on why you chose your answer
How long do you think is most suitable for a performance?
1. Under 30 minutes
2. 35-45 minutes
3. 45-55 minutes
4. An hour plus
Please comment on why this is the most suitable time
Choose which format best describes your performance
1. All upbeat and happy songs
2. Mostly upbeat songs with a few nostalgic ballads
3. Mostly nostalgic ballads with a few up beat songs
Please comment as to why you choose this format
Choose an option that best describes your performances
1. Singing- little to no movement, simply standing behind a microphone with no interaction with residents.
2. Singing and dancing- a musical theatre style performance with dancing with no interaction with the residents.
3. Interactive and immersive performance- singing, dancing, encouraging residents to sing an dance along, enabling with residents.
Please comment as to why you chose to run your performances this way.
How was your performance received?
1. Very well- Residents were singing along, applauding all gave good feedback
2. Ok- some residents were responding, but some did not. Received some good feedback,
3. Badly- no residents were interacting and responding, no good feedback received.
Please comment on why you chose this answer
What do you feel is most important when performing to residents within care homes.
1. The song choice- ensuring the songs are what they would like to hear
2. Giving a quality performance- ensuring it is visually stimulating and of a high standard of singing and dancing.
3. Having nice costumes and good props for the theme of the show.
Please comment on why you think this is the most important
How beneficial do you think performances within care homes are?
1. Extremely beneficial, with residents gaining a lot from the experience.
2. Quite beneficial, some residents gaining from the experience
3. Not beneficial at all, the residents do not gain from the experience
Please leave an example of an experience which supports your answer
These are my first draft of questions for my inquiry. Do you think these are suitable? I am trying to cover lots of ground within it, do you think I can extract enough information?
Feedback would be so gratefully appreciated.
Here is the mock up questionnaire
Performing within care and Residential homes:
How did find the experience of working in this environment?
1. Enjoyable
2. Average
3. Disliked
Please comment on why you feel this way
How do you advertise your services to care homes?
1. Calling homes and offering your shows.
2. Emailing and websites
3. All of the above
Please comment if your chosen advertising is successful
How do you find it making continuous bookings and keeping busy?
1. Easy, we have a clientele that use us constantly and our bookings are always full
2. Ok, we do have some returning clientele but have to work hard to fill all bookings
3. Difficult, we are constantly having to push for future bookings
Please comment as to why you think this
Which era of music did you find worked best for the residents?
1. 1930-40s
2. 1950-60s
3. 1960s onwards
Please comment on why you chose your answer
How long do you think is most suitable for a performance?
1. Under 30 minutes
2. 35-45 minutes
3. 45-55 minutes
4. An hour plus
Please comment on why this is the most suitable time
Choose which format best describes your performance
1. All upbeat and happy songs
2. Mostly upbeat songs with a few nostalgic ballads
3. Mostly nostalgic ballads with a few up beat songs
Please comment as to why you choose this format
Choose an option that best describes your performances
1. Singing- little to no movement, simply standing behind a microphone with no interaction with residents.
2. Singing and dancing- a musical theatre style performance with dancing with no interaction with the residents.
3. Interactive and immersive performance- singing, dancing, encouraging residents to sing an dance along, enabling with residents.
Please comment as to why you chose to run your performances this way.
How was your performance received?
1. Very well- Residents were singing along, applauding all gave good feedback
2. Ok- some residents were responding, but some did not. Received some good feedback,
3. Badly- no residents were interacting and responding, no good feedback received.
Please comment on why you chose this answer
What do you feel is most important when performing to residents within care homes.
1. The song choice- ensuring the songs are what they would like to hear
2. Giving a quality performance- ensuring it is visually stimulating and of a high standard of singing and dancing.
3. Having nice costumes and good props for the theme of the show.
Please comment on why you think this is the most important
How beneficial do you think performances within care homes are?
1. Extremely beneficial, with residents gaining a lot from the experience.
2. Quite beneficial, some residents gaining from the experience
3. Not beneficial at all, the residents do not gain from the experience
Please leave an example of an experience which supports your answer
These are my first draft of questions for my inquiry. Do you think these are suitable? I am trying to cover lots of ground within it, do you think I can extract enough information?
Feedback would be so gratefully appreciated.
Thursday 14 April 2016
More thinking points- Reader 6
Reader 6- further notes
The Reader was extremely useful as it had thinking pints throughout, after each topic, helping me reflect on what I had just read. I felt it was useful to blog these thoughts to share them within my professional network and perhaps get some feedback on other peoples thoughts.
Analysing observations
What preparation do you need to do for your pilot observation?
As I wish to understand how people plan their entertainment sessions within care homes I will aim to record a rehearsal of some performers, along with another recorded interview afterwards. That way I can clearly see how they structure their shows and ask them what choices they make and why they make them.
Are there specific things on which you are focusing? How are you recording the data? Why?
Specifics-
*How Long are your shows and why?- grasps an idea of perfect session lengths.
* Song choices- eras, genres etc
* How to adapt to different spaces.
* What themes do you do? Which one works best? Why?
I will record this session using a video using a video device as I can then look back on the rehearsal process repeatedly, to ensure I capture all details of the session. I will then record these findings using qualities notes. As I am working with consenting adults at this point I will not need a gatekeeper.
Insider Researcher
What is your own position as an insider- researcher?
Working within care and residential homes, I am able to observe and account experiences of performances within different environments. I can compare my own experiences with that of other professionals I interview throughout my inquiry to get a balanced viewpoint.
What are the important considerations about the people and the culture of the organisation(s) that you work in (paid or unpaid) that the audience for your inquiry need to know about?
As discussed in previous blogs, working with vulnerable adults, it is vital all ethical considerations are carefully thought out. Anyone involved at all will be made aware of precautions and restrictions within the research.
Have you discussed this with your SIG and your professional network?
I have discussed this within my professional network (friends/peers) as I am intending to use them as part of the research within my inquiry. They understand the restrictions and ethical considerations within such a sensitive inquiry and are too looking forward to seeing the outcome of the research.
Having all these tools for research means you can really gain a huge amount of information about your chosen question, getting the best possible results!!
The Reader was extremely useful as it had thinking pints throughout, after each topic, helping me reflect on what I had just read. I felt it was useful to blog these thoughts to share them within my professional network and perhaps get some feedback on other peoples thoughts.
Analysing observations
What preparation do you need to do for your pilot observation?
As I wish to understand how people plan their entertainment sessions within care homes I will aim to record a rehearsal of some performers, along with another recorded interview afterwards. That way I can clearly see how they structure their shows and ask them what choices they make and why they make them.
Are there specific things on which you are focusing? How are you recording the data? Why?
Specifics-
*How Long are your shows and why?- grasps an idea of perfect session lengths.
* Song choices- eras, genres etc
* How to adapt to different spaces.
* What themes do you do? Which one works best? Why?
I will record this session using a video using a video device as I can then look back on the rehearsal process repeatedly, to ensure I capture all details of the session. I will then record these findings using qualities notes. As I am working with consenting adults at this point I will not need a gatekeeper.
Insider Researcher
What is your own position as an insider- researcher?
Working within care and residential homes, I am able to observe and account experiences of performances within different environments. I can compare my own experiences with that of other professionals I interview throughout my inquiry to get a balanced viewpoint.
What are the important considerations about the people and the culture of the organisation(s) that you work in (paid or unpaid) that the audience for your inquiry need to know about?
As discussed in previous blogs, working with vulnerable adults, it is vital all ethical considerations are carefully thought out. Anyone involved at all will be made aware of precautions and restrictions within the research.
Have you discussed this with your SIG and your professional network?
I have discussed this within my professional network (friends/peers) as I am intending to use them as part of the research within my inquiry. They understand the restrictions and ethical considerations within such a sensitive inquiry and are too looking forward to seeing the outcome of the research.
Having all these tools for research means you can really gain a huge amount of information about your chosen question, getting the best possible results!!
Monday 11 April 2016
Reader 6- food for thought.
Reader 6- quick questions
After going through Reader 6, I thought it would be useful to blog some of the thinking points, to gain feedback of anyone else who is researching similar topics.
How is professional inquiry similar to other professional activity in which you are involved?
As a freelance performer, it is important to carry out research in order to stay ahead of the game, knowing what work is out there and how I can create more opportunities within my professional life.
When beginning to work within care and residential homes, I asked many other performers who do the same thing, for advice and tips for how to set things up. This is an informal way of collecting data as I was almost interviewing them with questions that would help me within my area of work.
I also looked up other companies who entertain within residential homes, to grasp pricing, times and structures of their business in order to fit in the market, whilst being a competitive price for shows.
Do you search and review sources from literature, gathering information for decision making?
I often look at articles about music therapy, blogs and magazine articles both on and offline to gain more knowledge about my chosen line of work. Whilst I do not formally review them, I take notes of anything I feel will be beneficial for me. For example I am now looking to expand from just shows, to more interactive classes and sessions incorporating dance and song, therefore I keep up to date with groups such as the Parkinson's dance group in association with the English ballet. They post interesting articles that would help me understand what is involved in their sessions and how I will be able to set them up myself.
Do you collect differing points of view in order to have a balanced viewpoint for which to make decisions?
Obviously the more people you talk to, the more opinions you hear, the broader your knowledge. Although I do have my own thoughts, I am always extremely open to hearing how others work and their opinions. I pride myself on being open minded as I feel you need to gain a balanced viewpoint to help you be more adaptable within your chosen field.
How is it different?
Before BAPP course! the researching and data collecting was quite spontaneous and informal- doing things as and when they come along. Since the inquiry, my skills have become more focused and structured, with the module readers helping me hone in on exactly what data to collect and which tools are helpful in gathering information.
After going through Reader 6, I thought it would be useful to blog some of the thinking points, to gain feedback of anyone else who is researching similar topics.
How is professional inquiry similar to other professional activity in which you are involved?
As a freelance performer, it is important to carry out research in order to stay ahead of the game, knowing what work is out there and how I can create more opportunities within my professional life.
When beginning to work within care and residential homes, I asked many other performers who do the same thing, for advice and tips for how to set things up. This is an informal way of collecting data as I was almost interviewing them with questions that would help me within my area of work.
I also looked up other companies who entertain within residential homes, to grasp pricing, times and structures of their business in order to fit in the market, whilst being a competitive price for shows.
Do you search and review sources from literature, gathering information for decision making?
I often look at articles about music therapy, blogs and magazine articles both on and offline to gain more knowledge about my chosen line of work. Whilst I do not formally review them, I take notes of anything I feel will be beneficial for me. For example I am now looking to expand from just shows, to more interactive classes and sessions incorporating dance and song, therefore I keep up to date with groups such as the Parkinson's dance group in association with the English ballet. They post interesting articles that would help me understand what is involved in their sessions and how I will be able to set them up myself.
Do you collect differing points of view in order to have a balanced viewpoint for which to make decisions?
Obviously the more people you talk to, the more opinions you hear, the broader your knowledge. Although I do have my own thoughts, I am always extremely open to hearing how others work and their opinions. I pride myself on being open minded as I feel you need to gain a balanced viewpoint to help you be more adaptable within your chosen field.
How is it different?
Before BAPP course! the researching and data collecting was quite spontaneous and informal- doing things as and when they come along. Since the inquiry, my skills have become more focused and structured, with the module readers helping me hone in on exactly what data to collect and which tools are helpful in gathering information.
Friday 1 April 2016
Task 5c
Task 5c
Reader 5- What I have learnt
Before going through Reader 5, my knowledge on ethics was quite limited, only briefly going over it in Module 1. I now have a much better understanding of the subject and how important it is in both my professional and personal life to abide by ethical practices that are put in place.
What is important to realise is ethics are not always black and white, but often there is a grey area of uncertainty. One must always question whether the acts they are carrying our are good and whether they are necessary. I have to constantly ask myself these questions when carrying out any investigations as I do not wish to upset or affect anyone's life negatively though my investigations. As the term 'ethics' originates from the Greek word 'ethos' (meaning character), it prompts me to question decisions I make and if it reflects my character in a good way. each if the three main contexts; personal, professional and organisational come into practice within my life, particularly when entertaining within care homes as it covers such a vast spectrum of people and circumstances.
Case Study 1 'Mid Staffordshire Inquiry Unhealthy System', raised many questions for me as it directly affected so many people's lives on a number of levels. How did all these top professionals not realise so many people were at risk? Why was a public inquiry denied? Who's door do these ethical responsibilities lie?
I think the ethical issues stand on all levels; personal, professional, organisational and even societal.
Personal- People were dying unnecessarily, under other peoples care who were consciously making decisions that directly effected them. Why did people in authority not know? If you are placed in that position of power, you have a moral responsibility to ensure people are as safe as possible. Francis has an obligation (personal and professional) to bring the situation to light to certify it won't happen again.
Professional- As a medical practice, supposedly holding one of the longest established ethical systems, where were these ethics during this time? This applies to the ethical values from the very bottom all the way to the top and the CEO of the NHS.
Organisational/ Societal- This issue lies deeper into the way the NHS is run. The NHS have no moral obligation to be honest when things go wrong. As one of the largest and most important systems in our country, I feel this is ethically wrong, particularly when people's health and lives are at stake. It is also interesting to know that community health councils were abolished over ten years ago, making it a struggle for patients voices to be heard.
Where do the limits for responsibility lie?
Predominantly for me I feel Nicholson and Bower are most responsible. As head of Mid Staff hospitals, they must have a clear overview of all operations throughout the staff; from healthcare workers,nurses and doctors to auditors and managers. If the 'pivotal cog' in a machine does not operate effectively, then how can the machine be expected to run efficiently?
However I do feel there are overlaps, as although it is largely their responsibility, they were not physically the ones looking after the patients. Therefore you would have to investigate the medical staff in the hospitals. It is difficult to decipher who is most to blame, and would need much more investigation to enable the whole truth to be resolved.
This case study was a very useful way to gain a better understanding of these issues and how it can filter through many levels. When conducting my own inquiry I must not only consider one platform e.g personal, but ensure all grounds are covered for a complete ethically responsible inquiry.
Evolution of ethics
'Most ancient thinkers, including Aristotle were concerned with the character of an individual. In considering this they would look at what makes a person good, or what virtues an individual could have.' After reading this section, I made a list of virtues that were relevant to myself, my professional life and how they could effect my career if I did not hold these values. Aristotle 'considered virtues to be mid-points between two extremes' so I found extremes of each virtue to find the mid point.
Virtue- Extremes
Confident---- reserved and arrogant
Hardworking---- lazy and workaholic
Approachable---- shy and overwhelming
Ambitious----settled and dreamer.
These are virtues I think are essential to be both a performer and working with people within care homes. I pride myself on being an honest caring person, who can be approached easily and provide a confident and professional performance.
Case study 2- photography in Ethics.
This photo, was a huge ethical dilemma which provoked many debates within the media and ethical arguments for years.
Having studied the different theoretical approaches to ethics I came up with points from each view to see how they differ.
Consequentialist View
* His role of an 'observing photographer' is irrelevant if another human life is at stake.
* The photographers were told not to approach anyone as there were risks of an epidemic and catching illnesses- a moral struggle of risking your safety for the life of another?
Deontologist View
* His action was wrong and he should have taken action and helped the dying girl rather than stand back and observe,
Virtue Ethicist View
* He was obviously guilty about his action. Does this mean because his morals were good, yet he had to obey rules means he did the right thing?
This case study demonstrates the battle between professional boundaries and what is morally right. I have learnt the different approaches to ethics and depending on your theoretical viewpoint, the ethics can change and have a completely different point of view. It poses an important question about what you choose to show on social media. What may be an interesting or thought provoking to one person, could be highly offensive to another.
Case Study 3- The Dance class
This was obviously useful as it directly related to my profession, and by analysing this case I could break down clearly what ethical issues occur everyday in the performing arts industry.
The issues raised in this case were;
* Teachers only spending one minute on warm ups- not good for students health and well being. Also teaching them bad habits.
* When interviewing the school owner- they said they were running a business, having to pay rents and earning money. What the teachers do in the class is 'their business' and 'a full studio is better than an empty one'. Business interests come before teaching standards.
* Teacher 2- Belittled one dancer and the whole class ignored it. When he was interviewed he said 'I am only preparing her for the real world, if she can't survive a bit of criticism in my class she is not going to last long in a dance company'
Descriptive ethics-
No warm ups run the risk of injury. Bullying/singling someone out is a bad teaching method. Not caring he may have upset someone, lack of compassion which is a desirable trait for a teacher to have.
Theoretical Normative Ethics-
Being a bully is a bad virtue, therefore singling someone out and being negative, no matter what the intention is wrong. He could have communicated in a more positive and professional manner. I feel in this instance it is ethically wrong as it will humiliate and single out the dancer, lowering her self esteem.
However you could argue this teaching method is ethical on the grounds he actually has good intentions of preparing her for the real world. Relativism comes into this as sometimes the performance industry is tough, and often it is deemed acceptable to be shouted at and not be considered a bully. I personally feel, as a teacher myself, there are far better approaches than being unnecessarily harsh on someone.
Overall this Reader clarified just how important attention to detail is regarding ethics within an inquiry. Along with the previous device, I now know many codes of conduct and systems that help me conduct a responsible inquiry that will be beneficial to myself and also the people involved.
Reader 5- What I have learnt
Before going through Reader 5, my knowledge on ethics was quite limited, only briefly going over it in Module 1. I now have a much better understanding of the subject and how important it is in both my professional and personal life to abide by ethical practices that are put in place.
What is important to realise is ethics are not always black and white, but often there is a grey area of uncertainty. One must always question whether the acts they are carrying our are good and whether they are necessary. I have to constantly ask myself these questions when carrying out any investigations as I do not wish to upset or affect anyone's life negatively though my investigations. As the term 'ethics' originates from the Greek word 'ethos' (meaning character), it prompts me to question decisions I make and if it reflects my character in a good way. each if the three main contexts; personal, professional and organisational come into practice within my life, particularly when entertaining within care homes as it covers such a vast spectrum of people and circumstances.
Case Study 1 'Mid Staffordshire Inquiry Unhealthy System', raised many questions for me as it directly affected so many people's lives on a number of levels. How did all these top professionals not realise so many people were at risk? Why was a public inquiry denied? Who's door do these ethical responsibilities lie?
I think the ethical issues stand on all levels; personal, professional, organisational and even societal.
Personal- People were dying unnecessarily, under other peoples care who were consciously making decisions that directly effected them. Why did people in authority not know? If you are placed in that position of power, you have a moral responsibility to ensure people are as safe as possible. Francis has an obligation (personal and professional) to bring the situation to light to certify it won't happen again.
Professional- As a medical practice, supposedly holding one of the longest established ethical systems, where were these ethics during this time? This applies to the ethical values from the very bottom all the way to the top and the CEO of the NHS.
Organisational/ Societal- This issue lies deeper into the way the NHS is run. The NHS have no moral obligation to be honest when things go wrong. As one of the largest and most important systems in our country, I feel this is ethically wrong, particularly when people's health and lives are at stake. It is also interesting to know that community health councils were abolished over ten years ago, making it a struggle for patients voices to be heard.
Where do the limits for responsibility lie?
Predominantly for me I feel Nicholson and Bower are most responsible. As head of Mid Staff hospitals, they must have a clear overview of all operations throughout the staff; from healthcare workers,nurses and doctors to auditors and managers. If the 'pivotal cog' in a machine does not operate effectively, then how can the machine be expected to run efficiently?
However I do feel there are overlaps, as although it is largely their responsibility, they were not physically the ones looking after the patients. Therefore you would have to investigate the medical staff in the hospitals. It is difficult to decipher who is most to blame, and would need much more investigation to enable the whole truth to be resolved.
This case study was a very useful way to gain a better understanding of these issues and how it can filter through many levels. When conducting my own inquiry I must not only consider one platform e.g personal, but ensure all grounds are covered for a complete ethically responsible inquiry.
Evolution of ethics
'Most ancient thinkers, including Aristotle were concerned with the character of an individual. In considering this they would look at what makes a person good, or what virtues an individual could have.' After reading this section, I made a list of virtues that were relevant to myself, my professional life and how they could effect my career if I did not hold these values. Aristotle 'considered virtues to be mid-points between two extremes' so I found extremes of each virtue to find the mid point.
Virtue- Extremes
Confident---- reserved and arrogant
Hardworking---- lazy and workaholic
Approachable---- shy and overwhelming
Ambitious----settled and dreamer.
These are virtues I think are essential to be both a performer and working with people within care homes. I pride myself on being an honest caring person, who can be approached easily and provide a confident and professional performance.
Case study 2- photography in Ethics.
This photo, was a huge ethical dilemma which provoked many debates within the media and ethical arguments for years.
Having studied the different theoretical approaches to ethics I came up with points from each view to see how they differ.
Consequentialist View
* His role of an 'observing photographer' is irrelevant if another human life is at stake.
* The photographers were told not to approach anyone as there were risks of an epidemic and catching illnesses- a moral struggle of risking your safety for the life of another?
Deontologist View
* His action was wrong and he should have taken action and helped the dying girl rather than stand back and observe,
Virtue Ethicist View
* He was obviously guilty about his action. Does this mean because his morals were good, yet he had to obey rules means he did the right thing?
This case study demonstrates the battle between professional boundaries and what is morally right. I have learnt the different approaches to ethics and depending on your theoretical viewpoint, the ethics can change and have a completely different point of view. It poses an important question about what you choose to show on social media. What may be an interesting or thought provoking to one person, could be highly offensive to another.
Case Study 3- The Dance class
This was obviously useful as it directly related to my profession, and by analysing this case I could break down clearly what ethical issues occur everyday in the performing arts industry.
The issues raised in this case were;
* Teachers only spending one minute on warm ups- not good for students health and well being. Also teaching them bad habits.
* When interviewing the school owner- they said they were running a business, having to pay rents and earning money. What the teachers do in the class is 'their business' and 'a full studio is better than an empty one'. Business interests come before teaching standards.
* Teacher 2- Belittled one dancer and the whole class ignored it. When he was interviewed he said 'I am only preparing her for the real world, if she can't survive a bit of criticism in my class she is not going to last long in a dance company'
Descriptive ethics-
No warm ups run the risk of injury. Bullying/singling someone out is a bad teaching method. Not caring he may have upset someone, lack of compassion which is a desirable trait for a teacher to have.
Theoretical Normative Ethics-
Being a bully is a bad virtue, therefore singling someone out and being negative, no matter what the intention is wrong. He could have communicated in a more positive and professional manner. I feel in this instance it is ethically wrong as it will humiliate and single out the dancer, lowering her self esteem.
However you could argue this teaching method is ethical on the grounds he actually has good intentions of preparing her for the real world. Relativism comes into this as sometimes the performance industry is tough, and often it is deemed acceptable to be shouted at and not be considered a bully. I personally feel, as a teacher myself, there are far better approaches than being unnecessarily harsh on someone.
Overall this Reader clarified just how important attention to detail is regarding ethics within an inquiry. Along with the previous device, I now know many codes of conduct and systems that help me conduct a responsible inquiry that will be beneficial to myself and also the people involved.
Saturday 26 March 2016
Task 5b
Task 5b
Codes of conduct
After researching many codes of conduct and ethical issues within my chosen topic of entertainment within care and residential homes, I came across many acts and legislations which were applicable to this. I would not say necessarily say they differed from my initial thoughts in 5a, but expanded my knowledge, so I have a solid understanding of what ethical measures I need to take when carrying out my inquiry.
Data protection is upmost important and although I had a rough idea of what it entailed before, I now know exactly what is required and how it would affect my inquiry.
1. The Data Protection Act
The Data Protection Act controls how your personal information is used by organisations, businesses or the government.
Everyone responsible for using data has to follow strict rules called ‘data protection principles’. They must make sure the information is:
used fairly and lawfully
used for limited, specifically stated purposes
used in a way that is adequate, relevant and not excessive
accurate
kept for no longer than is absolutely necessary
handled according to people’s data protection rights
kept safe and secure
not transferred outside the European Economic Area without adequate protection
(Taken from the Data Protection Act- https://www.gov.uk/data-protection/the-data-protection-act)
When interviewing or observing people, I will endeavour all personal data will be kept confidential, with the information I gather used only for the inquiry. I will also make certain no personal or uncomfortable questions are asked that may make the party uncomfortable or feel exploited. This is particularly important as I will be talking about illnesses such as Parkinson's and Alzheimer's, I have to be really sensitive about details regarding health that should be kept private.
More specifically I looked on the Alzheimer's Europe website which raised a few ethical points I felt were relevant to my work; 'Many people who are in the early stages of dementia have the capacity to consent to participation in research. However, it is important that researchers understand that people with dementia may have certain difficulties with comprehension, attention span, memory and communication. For this reason, researchers need to take extra care to ensure that the information they have given has been understood and to respect each person’s pace.' (Alzheimer-Europe.org Consent in case of incapacity or reduced capacity to consent) As this may sometimes be the case with my interviews, I must be completely respectful, understanding people work at different paces and also I must certify, if working with a resident, that a carer is present throughout any interview.
This leads on to 'Substitute decision-making' regarding people who cannot consent because of dementia. It is vital 'the research entails only minimal risk and minimal burden for the individuals concerned'(Alzheimer-Europe.org substitute decision making). I would never wish to cause burden on anyone, especially vulnerable people so I have to make everything as easy and enjoyable as possible.
When conducting any research or interviews it is 'the researchers’ responsibility to ensure that potential participants fully understand what is involved as this is the basis for informed consent. Once the study is underway, the researchers may acquire additional information which they need to share with participants.' (Alzheimer-Europe.org The general Procedure). Everything should be clearly laid out to make it easily understood for anyone involved with no hidden agendas or uncertainties.
The last website I looked at was The British Psychological Society (www.bps.org.uk/sites/defaults/files/documents/codes_of_human_research.pdf)
On the whole they covered similar issues to Alzheimer Europe ensuring you respect the integrity of the people involved with your research knowing the 'knowledge must be generated and used for beneficial purposes' (2.3 Social Responsibility).
With regards to respect and dignity they have a great value statement I think is good for my work-
'2.1 Respect for the autonomy and dignity of persons
Value statement: ‘Psychologists value the dignity and worth of all persons equally, with sensitivity to the dynamics of perceived authority or influence over others and with particular regard to people’s rights including those of privacy and self-determination’ (Code of Ethics and Conduct, 2009, p.10).'
I feel this is a value statement I have to adopt myself when carrying out my inquiry, as I wish to maintain all respect not only for the people involved but for myself and my business as an entertainer, knowing I am researching for beneficial purposes, whilst helping others and making them feel influenced determined for a better cause.
Overall I hold all these ethical values anyway throughout my professional and personal life, so I will not find anything unusual or uncomfortable to adopt.
If anyone knows of any other websites that are useful for ethical values, please comment below as any feedback is extremely helpful.
Codes of conduct
After researching many codes of conduct and ethical issues within my chosen topic of entertainment within care and residential homes, I came across many acts and legislations which were applicable to this. I would not say necessarily say they differed from my initial thoughts in 5a, but expanded my knowledge, so I have a solid understanding of what ethical measures I need to take when carrying out my inquiry.
Data protection is upmost important and although I had a rough idea of what it entailed before, I now know exactly what is required and how it would affect my inquiry.
1. The Data Protection Act
The Data Protection Act controls how your personal information is used by organisations, businesses or the government.
Everyone responsible for using data has to follow strict rules called ‘data protection principles’. They must make sure the information is:
used fairly and lawfully
used for limited, specifically stated purposes
used in a way that is adequate, relevant and not excessive
accurate
kept for no longer than is absolutely necessary
handled according to people’s data protection rights
kept safe and secure
not transferred outside the European Economic Area without adequate protection
(Taken from the Data Protection Act- https://www.gov.uk/data-protection/the-data-protection-act)
When interviewing or observing people, I will endeavour all personal data will be kept confidential, with the information I gather used only for the inquiry. I will also make certain no personal or uncomfortable questions are asked that may make the party uncomfortable or feel exploited. This is particularly important as I will be talking about illnesses such as Parkinson's and Alzheimer's, I have to be really sensitive about details regarding health that should be kept private.
More specifically I looked on the Alzheimer's Europe website which raised a few ethical points I felt were relevant to my work; 'Many people who are in the early stages of dementia have the capacity to consent to participation in research. However, it is important that researchers understand that people with dementia may have certain difficulties with comprehension, attention span, memory and communication. For this reason, researchers need to take extra care to ensure that the information they have given has been understood and to respect each person’s pace.' (Alzheimer-Europe.org Consent in case of incapacity or reduced capacity to consent) As this may sometimes be the case with my interviews, I must be completely respectful, understanding people work at different paces and also I must certify, if working with a resident, that a carer is present throughout any interview.
This leads on to 'Substitute decision-making' regarding people who cannot consent because of dementia. It is vital 'the research entails only minimal risk and minimal burden for the individuals concerned'(Alzheimer-Europe.org substitute decision making). I would never wish to cause burden on anyone, especially vulnerable people so I have to make everything as easy and enjoyable as possible.
When conducting any research or interviews it is 'the researchers’ responsibility to ensure that potential participants fully understand what is involved as this is the basis for informed consent. Once the study is underway, the researchers may acquire additional information which they need to share with participants.' (Alzheimer-Europe.org The general Procedure). Everything should be clearly laid out to make it easily understood for anyone involved with no hidden agendas or uncertainties.
The last website I looked at was The British Psychological Society (www.bps.org.uk/sites/defaults/files/documents/codes_of_human_research.pdf)
On the whole they covered similar issues to Alzheimer Europe ensuring you respect the integrity of the people involved with your research knowing the 'knowledge must be generated and used for beneficial purposes' (2.3 Social Responsibility).
With regards to respect and dignity they have a great value statement I think is good for my work-
'2.1 Respect for the autonomy and dignity of persons
Value statement: ‘Psychologists value the dignity and worth of all persons equally, with sensitivity to the dynamics of perceived authority or influence over others and with particular regard to people’s rights including those of privacy and self-determination’ (Code of Ethics and Conduct, 2009, p.10).'
I feel this is a value statement I have to adopt myself when carrying out my inquiry, as I wish to maintain all respect not only for the people involved but for myself and my business as an entertainer, knowing I am researching for beneficial purposes, whilst helping others and making them feel influenced determined for a better cause.
Overall I hold all these ethical values anyway throughout my professional and personal life, so I will not find anything unusual or uncomfortable to adopt.
If anyone knows of any other websites that are useful for ethical values, please comment below as any feedback is extremely helpful.
Tuesday 22 March 2016
Task 5a
Task 5a
Possible ethics I need to consider in my inquiry.
As I am intending to inquire about arts within care and residential homes, I will be faced with many ethical concerns and problems, I will have to ensure they are looked into properly and dealt with accordingly. This first blog are my initial thoughts before reading through all the ethical acts.
- Because I am working with elderly and/or disabled people, I must ensure I always refer to each person or group of people with the correct terms. Reader 5, Case Study 5, Taken from Walliman, N. (2009) “Honesty & Research Ethics” (Chapter 8). in Your Research Project. 2nd ed. London: Sage p. 343, is a great example of how important it is to address people properly. Rather than using correct and appropriate language to address someone such as 'elderly,' he simply addresses them as 'the old dears', an extremely unprofessional term, that could potentially cause offence. I will ensure every address or reference will be written with up most politeness.
- Every person, whether it be a carer,resident, family member or coworker, must be protected under the Data Protection act. I must certify no personal details are revealed and the policies of the care home are kept private should they wish so. This is also important for myself and my business, as I feel discretion and privacy are essential if I wish to keep my clients happy, rather than openly writing about them and their management.
- Also, particularly as I am working with vulnerable people, my questions must be chosen carefully. It is crucial I do not make anyone feel uncomfortable with questions that are too personal or difficult to answer. Every person interviewed must be aware they can retract at any time, if they feel the investigation is not suitable for them.
These were my initial thoughts, without any detailed research. My following blog will contain facts from data protection, human rights etc. However I would love to hear peoples thoughts on this and if any other issues you feel may crop up. All feedback is greatly appreciated.
Possible ethics I need to consider in my inquiry.
As I am intending to inquire about arts within care and residential homes, I will be faced with many ethical concerns and problems, I will have to ensure they are looked into properly and dealt with accordingly. This first blog are my initial thoughts before reading through all the ethical acts.
- Because I am working with elderly and/or disabled people, I must ensure I always refer to each person or group of people with the correct terms. Reader 5, Case Study 5, Taken from Walliman, N. (2009) “Honesty & Research Ethics” (Chapter 8). in Your Research Project. 2nd ed. London: Sage p. 343, is a great example of how important it is to address people properly. Rather than using correct and appropriate language to address someone such as 'elderly,' he simply addresses them as 'the old dears', an extremely unprofessional term, that could potentially cause offence. I will ensure every address or reference will be written with up most politeness.
- Every person, whether it be a carer,resident, family member or coworker, must be protected under the Data Protection act. I must certify no personal details are revealed and the policies of the care home are kept private should they wish so. This is also important for myself and my business, as I feel discretion and privacy are essential if I wish to keep my clients happy, rather than openly writing about them and their management.
- Also, particularly as I am working with vulnerable people, my questions must be chosen carefully. It is crucial I do not make anyone feel uncomfortable with questions that are too personal or difficult to answer. Every person interviewed must be aware they can retract at any time, if they feel the investigation is not suitable for them.
These were my initial thoughts, without any detailed research. My following blog will contain facts from data protection, human rights etc. However I would love to hear peoples thoughts on this and if any other issues you feel may crop up. All feedback is greatly appreciated.
Friday 11 March 2016
Arts in Health: A review of the medical literature
Dr Rosalia Lelchuk Stancoff (2004)
2.4 The effects of the arts in Mental Health- pages 24- 3
This was a report done by the Arts Council, England, reviewing medical literature in order to create a national arts and health strategy to improve the work within the health care services. Dr Staricoff has taken many theories and sections of literature in order to make a 'significant contribution to strengthening the evidence base and to improving our understanding of the impact of the arts on health.'(Hewitt,pg 2).
I chose this report to review as, although many people can see the positive effects of arts within healthcare, without grounding evidence, it will lack the stability to grow and develop further. The chapter I decided to focus on was '2.4 The effects of Arts in Mental Health' as it contained many points and arguments that relate directly to my work and help my expand my knowledge within this field.
How would we describe complete health? The World Health organisation (1948) uses the term 'equilibrium' stating it involves a 'physical, mental and social well being and not merely the absence of disease'. I feel this is something that is often overlooked as we simply concentrate on a physical state of health, particularly within a care setting e.g a hospital, rehabilitation or care home. Numbers of patients are sometimes quite high with fewer staff able to focus on more social well being activities, only having time to physically take care of them. This is where outside organisations are needed with the arts playing 'a pivotal role in achieving this equilibrium' (Jamison 1994). Throughout my experience of working in care homes as an entertainer, I have found that the more art and creative activities included within a weekly program, generally, the better the morale overall within the residents. A study found that the arts within a care setting, in this instance Alzheimer's patients, increased 'self esteem' and they had a 'more positive attitude towards their family and staff',(Smith 1992). Therefore it is not only beneficial for the patients themselves, but for the families who are directly effected by a loved one having the disease, and creating a more positive working environment for the staff, thus having a knock on effect overall within the care home.
'The introduction of the arts into mental health care helps the patient find new ways of self-expression and act as a vehicle for establishing communication with others' (Killick, 1999a, Killick 1999b, Alan 2000). I am particularly interested in this, as I go into a Residential unit that cares for young adults with severe Autism, entertaining them with music and dance performances. On a day to day basis communication and self expression can be difficult for those with Autism, yet the effects the performances have on the residents is so uplifting and positive to see. As they feel they are in a safe and controlled environment, they really let go, singing and dancing along the music and communicate with the carers and other residents. Speaking to the carers afterwards they comment on how much they get out of the performance sessions as the positive lift seems to last, not only for the duration of the show but for the rest of the day. It is clear to see just how much the arts can, in many instances change the outlook and general well being of a person.
However 'it is important to note that the introduction of creative arts, such as dance and drama, music, visual arts and creative writing in mental health could have potential risk factors' (pg 25). I have encountered a few occasions, where it has been too demanding for the residents and they have become unhappy or agitated. One example was within a home specialising in care for adults with learning difficulties and disabilities. Once the music began, they became extremely excitable, which then lead to a state of agitation the onto aggression. The performance was simply too much for them to cope with, so was not actually suitable for them. Whilst on the whole these activities are undeniable effective, it is vital we maintain 'an awareness of the potential dangers of these activities.'(Dobson, 2000; Mot tram, 2003).
Although my work with healthcare settings, is a pre set show that is for entertainment purposes, it often becomes very interactive with some residents getting up and having a dance within the performance. Hokkanen (2003) claims that ' social dancing gives patients another way of communicating, supports spontaneous activity and increases physical movements'. I find getting the residents up to dance is mostly down to the activities co ordinator, as they will lead them up and dance with them, encouraging and even helping those who are less able. I have found that the more involved the co ordinator becomes within the performance, the greater the experience the residents have. I think this is because it 'creates a supportive environment and helps the patient achieve a state of independence (Palo-Bengtsson 1998; Palo Bengtsson 2000). The encouragement of the activities co ordinator gives the residents the confidence to the participate in singing and dancing, enabling the most from the performance.
The section on 'Music intervention in Mental health' backs up many articles I have read before suggesting just how important music therapy is, yet so much more research is needed, which requires much more funding. One particular area which needs to be developed is the use of 'reminiscence therapy'- using music to help patients recall events of their life. Often after a show, particularly my 1940's World War 2, residents will chat to me about where they were at that time, going into great detail, describing all senses and sounds, and how the songs brought back those memories for them. Not only does it help them with memory but also encourages them to communicate with others by sharing those memories. 'Previous studies have indicated that music also helps Alzheimer's patients to maximise their social functions'(Glyn 1992, Sanmandham 1995), therefore if linked with reminiscence therapy it captures to aspects that will help the residents. Could this be because when they are more relaxed they are able to free their mind? Jennings (2002) states that 'it has been recently confirmed that music significantly reduces physical agitation' which makes me question whether this relaxation and reduction of agitation is the trigger for all the other things.
This Chapter was extremely helpful to me as it backs up so many ideas I have been looking through and create a solid grounding for all my other research. I feel the topics relate so well with my professional practice so I can continue to work and learn, with a greater understanding.
2.4 The effects of the arts in Mental Health- pages 24- 3
This was a report done by the Arts Council, England, reviewing medical literature in order to create a national arts and health strategy to improve the work within the health care services. Dr Staricoff has taken many theories and sections of literature in order to make a 'significant contribution to strengthening the evidence base and to improving our understanding of the impact of the arts on health.'(Hewitt,pg 2).
I chose this report to review as, although many people can see the positive effects of arts within healthcare, without grounding evidence, it will lack the stability to grow and develop further. The chapter I decided to focus on was '2.4 The effects of Arts in Mental Health' as it contained many points and arguments that relate directly to my work and help my expand my knowledge within this field.
How would we describe complete health? The World Health organisation (1948) uses the term 'equilibrium' stating it involves a 'physical, mental and social well being and not merely the absence of disease'. I feel this is something that is often overlooked as we simply concentrate on a physical state of health, particularly within a care setting e.g a hospital, rehabilitation or care home. Numbers of patients are sometimes quite high with fewer staff able to focus on more social well being activities, only having time to physically take care of them. This is where outside organisations are needed with the arts playing 'a pivotal role in achieving this equilibrium' (Jamison 1994). Throughout my experience of working in care homes as an entertainer, I have found that the more art and creative activities included within a weekly program, generally, the better the morale overall within the residents. A study found that the arts within a care setting, in this instance Alzheimer's patients, increased 'self esteem' and they had a 'more positive attitude towards their family and staff',(Smith 1992). Therefore it is not only beneficial for the patients themselves, but for the families who are directly effected by a loved one having the disease, and creating a more positive working environment for the staff, thus having a knock on effect overall within the care home.
'The introduction of the arts into mental health care helps the patient find new ways of self-expression and act as a vehicle for establishing communication with others' (Killick, 1999a, Killick 1999b, Alan 2000). I am particularly interested in this, as I go into a Residential unit that cares for young adults with severe Autism, entertaining them with music and dance performances. On a day to day basis communication and self expression can be difficult for those with Autism, yet the effects the performances have on the residents is so uplifting and positive to see. As they feel they are in a safe and controlled environment, they really let go, singing and dancing along the music and communicate with the carers and other residents. Speaking to the carers afterwards they comment on how much they get out of the performance sessions as the positive lift seems to last, not only for the duration of the show but for the rest of the day. It is clear to see just how much the arts can, in many instances change the outlook and general well being of a person.
However 'it is important to note that the introduction of creative arts, such as dance and drama, music, visual arts and creative writing in mental health could have potential risk factors' (pg 25). I have encountered a few occasions, where it has been too demanding for the residents and they have become unhappy or agitated. One example was within a home specialising in care for adults with learning difficulties and disabilities. Once the music began, they became extremely excitable, which then lead to a state of agitation the onto aggression. The performance was simply too much for them to cope with, so was not actually suitable for them. Whilst on the whole these activities are undeniable effective, it is vital we maintain 'an awareness of the potential dangers of these activities.'(Dobson, 2000; Mot tram, 2003).
Although my work with healthcare settings, is a pre set show that is for entertainment purposes, it often becomes very interactive with some residents getting up and having a dance within the performance. Hokkanen (2003) claims that ' social dancing gives patients another way of communicating, supports spontaneous activity and increases physical movements'. I find getting the residents up to dance is mostly down to the activities co ordinator, as they will lead them up and dance with them, encouraging and even helping those who are less able. I have found that the more involved the co ordinator becomes within the performance, the greater the experience the residents have. I think this is because it 'creates a supportive environment and helps the patient achieve a state of independence (Palo-Bengtsson 1998; Palo Bengtsson 2000). The encouragement of the activities co ordinator gives the residents the confidence to the participate in singing and dancing, enabling the most from the performance.
The section on 'Music intervention in Mental health' backs up many articles I have read before suggesting just how important music therapy is, yet so much more research is needed, which requires much more funding. One particular area which needs to be developed is the use of 'reminiscence therapy'- using music to help patients recall events of their life. Often after a show, particularly my 1940's World War 2, residents will chat to me about where they were at that time, going into great detail, describing all senses and sounds, and how the songs brought back those memories for them. Not only does it help them with memory but also encourages them to communicate with others by sharing those memories. 'Previous studies have indicated that music also helps Alzheimer's patients to maximise their social functions'(Glyn 1992, Sanmandham 1995), therefore if linked with reminiscence therapy it captures to aspects that will help the residents. Could this be because when they are more relaxed they are able to free their mind? Jennings (2002) states that 'it has been recently confirmed that music significantly reduces physical agitation' which makes me question whether this relaxation and reduction of agitation is the trigger for all the other things.
This Chapter was extremely helpful to me as it backs up so many ideas I have been looking through and create a solid grounding for all my other research. I feel the topics relate so well with my professional practice so I can continue to work and learn, with a greater understanding.
Wednesday 9 March 2016
Literature Review- Parkinsonsdance.blogspot.com
Parkinson's patients: Yes we can Dance
Whilst researching possible articles and theorists relating to dance and Parkinson's disease, I came across Bob Dawson's blog. He is a Parkinson's patient who blogs, in detail, about how dance helps him and other patients, along with researching different theories and journals, giving his own opinions. I found this even more beneficial than if I would have just found the articles alone as I can see and understand first hand how actual patients feel about it and relate the the theories. He says 'if you have Parkinson's, it is my personal, non- scientific opinion that you should find music that you get off on, play it LOUD, and start to move to music. EVERYDAY'. What I found most striking though, was his statement: 'Dance to bother the scientists/ Dance to raise a question'. This was what drew me in to read more and explore his blog further.
Dawson has had the courage to questions scientist Dr Daniel J.Levitin who stated 'Many mental illnesses are now known to undermine the ability to dance or perform rhythmically- Schizophrenia and Parkinson's to name just two.' (page 253 of “This is Your Brain on Music” by Dr. Daniel J. Levitin, neurologist at McGill University, published by Penguin, September 2007). When this award winning scientist was challenged by Dawson, he simply said he should not 'pit against the judgement of experts'. Yet Dawson goes on to present two case studies, (one himself, one another woman), to support that in fact dance is extremely beneficial to help mobilise those with Parkinson's.
He provides this video, showing no mobility and a real struggle to walk yet look what happens once the music begins.
It raised so many questions for me:
- what is it in the brain that stops us from walking, yet allows us to move to music?
- is it purely neurological or are there some emotional connections, which pushes o restrict us?
- how can I apply my skills as a dancer to help those with Parkinson's?
- what funding is put into further research of dance with Parkinson's
The second study on Dr Hu's research into the disease, helped begin to answer these some of these questions:
A single study at the University of Calgary
Striking a chord
By Anthony A. Davis
It’s a short length of masking tape stuck on a floor, but for some reason Sheila McHutchison can’t step over it. She freezes in her tracks, as if the tape were as impassable as a penitentiary wall.
Parkinson’s disease can do strange things to people. The most common symptoms of this incurable brain disease are tremors, usually beginning in one arm or hand, muscular rigidity and slowness of movement. But in some cases – Sheila is one – the disease also causes patients to freeze up at certain sights, making a simple task like walking impossible. For some, the visual stimulus might be the line between a carpet and hardwood flooring or a crack in a sidewalk. In Sheila’s case, it’s the tape.
But then someone puts on Sheila’s favourite song, ABBA’s “Dancing Queen,” and she has a pas-de-deux with her husband, John. A moment later, facing that little stretch of tape, she easily walks across it. Music seems to melt Parkinson’s freezing effect.
Sadly, three or four minutes after the music subsides, Sheila’s hands again begin to tremble and her upper body wobbles. She is led again to the masking tape and, once again, freezes like a statue when she tries to step over it.
That tape was stuck there by Dr. Bin Hu, head of a national Parkinson’s research project centred in Calgary. Dr. Hu and his collaborators are trying to find out why music, at least temporarily, melts the paralyzing effects of Parkinson’s in some patients….
…Sheila emphasizes that Parkinson’s has not taken over her life. “I have Parkinson’s, but Parkinson’s doesn’t have me,” she says. And when the music plays, she feels like her old self. . .
… Dr. Hu explains that scientists have made great strides in studying how the brain reacts to music. For example, Dr. Robert Zatoore’s group at McGill University has found pleasant music activates almost the same brain regions as those that mediate feelings of reward and pleasure. “What is amazing is that these reward pathways also exist in rats,” Dr. Hu says. Recently, Dr. Hu’s laboratory and researchers in Japan have discovered so-called “cue” neurons, the brain cells that apparently only respond to rewarding auditory tunes but not neutral sounds. When researchers gave rats a sweet drink or other pleasurable reward after playing a certain kind of beep – the rodent’s version of a favourite tune – they discovered that cue cells “fired like crazy” whenever the beep was sounded again. In the meantime, the rats moved 30 to 50 per cent faster than without the “music.”
Dr. Hu believes that cue cells are spared from Parkinson’s disease. When these cells respond to music (and it can’t be any music, explains Dr. Hu, “it must be connected to a person’s feelings, connected to recollections of something enjoyable”), they release chemicals that help Parkinson’s patients temporarily get back their control of movements.
Last December, Dr. Hu and his colleagues began studying Parkinson’s patients who exhibited positive musical responses. His team hopes to eventually study about 30 people, and… Dr. Hu hopes to conduct some of their studies in the homes of patients. … Dr. Hu’s team will capture each step of a patient’s movement using a wireless motion detector and high-speed video recording, a computer system specially developed by Ed Block, chief engineer in the group.
“One of our goals is to make the music effect last longer,” explains Dr. Hu. Another is to figure out how we can help train more Parkinson’s patients to use music as an alternative way of treatment. Both of these goals will greatly benefit from our basic research on the brain pathways and chemicals related to the music effect. Extrapolating from those discoveries, the team will try to develop new and more effective treatments for the illness.
When Dr. Hu’s research project was officially announced in Calgary, country-music star Paul Brandt was on hand to explain how Parkinson’s not only robs individuals of control over their bodies, but also takes an immense toll on sufferers’ families. Brandt’s father-in-law, Bernie Peterson, is in the late stages of Parkinson’s.
Brandt, a former registered nurse at the Alberta Children’s Hospital before breaking out into country music, said he felt a “bit cheated” because of Parkinson’s. Shortly after he met his future wife, Elizabeth, her father, Bernie, had a heart attack in 1994. As his arm hung down from a hospital gurney, Bernie noticed an odd trembling in his fingers. “He didn’t know it then,” recounts Brandt, “but Parkinson’s disease had taken a hold of him and his plans and his wife and his family. And I guess, in a way, it kind of took over me, too. You see, I never really got to meet Bernie, the father-in-law that could have taught me how to finally fix my truck on my own, or remodel an old classic or build a deck on my house. He couldn’t do these things anymore by the time I met him.”
Bernie, a once vigorous man who had flown the first fighter-jets used in the United States Air Force…, today can’t sit alone in a chair. Tremors rock him so badly that, unless his wife, Freda, is there to repeatedly prop him up, he eventually slides helplessly out of most chairs. “You learn to suffer in a kind and forgiving nature,” says Bernie of how he copes with Parkinson’s. “There’s no other way to do it.”
Bernie’s singing son-in-law shook his head when he first heard about Dr. Hu’s project. “I’ve always been skeptical of music therapy honestly,” admits Brandt. “But when I saw this video (of Sheila) suddenly being able to move because of music, and heard the doctors talking about it, honestly my first response was that maybe they would try and use my music and it would actually make patients worse.”
But he realizes now the research is no joke. “It’s almost dreamlike that music could be used to be a treatment for a disease like Parkinson’s.” Sure, it’s always been good for healing an aching heart, says Brandt, “but who knew it could be used for an aching mind.”
Anthony A. Davis is a Calgary writer. First published in Apple Magazine
I felt this needed to be included in this review, so you could see just how science and emotional connections are combined to create more effective studies. Working in the social and care sector, even through exercise and entertainment, we must never get bogged down by the science, but concentrate on the people.How their lives are effected. I will continue to follow Dawson's blog and his other posts about dance and Parkinson's. Using this alongside scientific and formal documents and articles, I feel I can really create the right balance in my research to enable me to fully understand the importance of arts within care homes and the social sector.
Tuesday 8 March 2016
Task 4d
Literature Review
The Baring Foundation- Creative Care Homes
This was one of the first articles I really studied for this Module, and found it was full of useful ideas, case studies and reports that would help my research into The Arts within care homes. It has also provided me with many other reports and articles on this subject matter. As I work in entertainment within care homes, I feel this will really help develop my skills in this area and give me a clearer understanding of just how important this is within social care.
The authors David Cutler, Des Kelly and Slyvie Silver claim their purpose of the article was to 'celebrate existing good practice in the use of the arts with and for older people in residential care and to inspire more and better work'.(foreword p.1) I feel it is imperative the good work is celebrated as the arts are so often overlooked, particularly within the social sector, so spreading positive feedback can help potentially create more interest and therefore more need for funding. As artist Annie Abers mentions 'Sometimes we can be given the impression that the arts are only for people who belong to a rather exclusive club,' (p.4) yet this report demonstrates how they can be easily accessed in a variety of ways and have marvellous benefits for the recipients.
Taking part (p.4,5)
This section provided me with some interesting insights and further reading for other articles I will review separately. They all state how the arts benefit people within care and the different reasons for having activities in place.
- 'There is increasing recognition of the benefits for everyone of having the chance to take part more actively in the arts and the impact of participation on our physical and mental health and well-being' (Hayes, J & Povey, S, (2010) The Creative Arts in Dementia Care: practical person-centred approaches and ideas, Jessica Kingsley, London)
- 'Many activities, though not all, take place in groups and bring with them social interaction and a sense of inclusion, countering a common aspect of older age – loneliness, isolation and depression'
'Some arts activities can allow us to express our often hidden identities and in so doing, to challenge what others assume about us'. (Taylor, M, Self-identity and the arts education of disabled young people, (2006) Disability and Society, (20), 7, 763-778).
I am particularly interested in Taylor's idea of allowing people to express hidden identities. I often go to perform in care homes and find residents happily singing and dancing throughout the show, only to be then told by a career, they are usually very reserved and are hard to communicate with. How does music and art connect with people to have this effect?
One of the case studies in this article, helps to answer this question, as it focuses on 'Singing for Brain sessions'; a technique run by the Alzheimer's society. (P.11)
The St Monica trust (www.stmomicatrust.org.uk) is a specialist dementia service in Bristol and North Somerset, and uses this technique throughout its care homes.
They have many aims and targets for these sessions, but these few points really stood out to me and my practice.
- 'to improve and maintain the neurological pathways through deeper breathing and gentle movement;(there is ongoing research into the relationship between singing and the area of the brain concerned with speech; there are many anecdotal reports that during singing sessions people with dementia demonstrate improved lucidity and sociability;)'
- 'to lift/prevent depression through the use of elements which surprise, reassure, support, inspire and mediate, reframing a negative life viewpoint into a positive one;'
- 'to express emotions by singing songs that evoke many types of emotion or feelings that might be triggered by them;'
It has inspired me to look deeper into the actual science behind the connection between singing and speech and the neurological pathways. Also the psychological theories relating music with depression and how it can help.
The study also mentions using 'well designed song folders to enable residents to see a song on a single page. However I disagree with this being an effective tool, as I have tried this myself and was overall unsuccessful. During my first set of Christmas singalong shows in care and residential homes, I used a large font, clear Carol sheet for the residents to use and read from. I found, in general, they were simply not used and often just discarded on the floor. Residents were happy to sing along with words they already knew and enjoy parts they didn't. I would be interested to interview a few other entertainers and round who do this to see what their feedback is.
They use props and instruments including 'scarves bubbles and props to add a dimension of storytelling and fun'. This I completely agree with as I always feel it becomes so much more interactive and keeps the residents engaged in another way, so I tend to include props in all my shows to add to the theme of the music.
The Current place of Arts in NCF Care Homes. (P.6)
A review in August 2011 of the NCF (not for profit care homes in England) States that 82.1% include art activities within their care services. These included:
- 'the singing circle' for people with dementia
- theatre, dance and music performance
- activities linked to events such as Burns Night, Christmas or themed days.
My work is directly linked to all these as I include singalong sections in my theatre and music performances, linking them in with festivals and events like Christmas and Easter. I would like to investigate first hand, through interviews and feedback, just how much of an impact these activities have on a daily basis to the residents and their well being.
'It is interesting to note that almost every organisation recorded ‘reminiscence-type’ activities and the majority have regular ‘music and movement’ sessions (in some cases daily) which can improve physical fitness levels, general health and well-being and impart ‘feel-good’ benefits for all involved.' (P.6)
Other Case Studies
The article features many other case studies, conducted by many organisations set up around the country, all providing something different for the clientele so I turn having different effects and benefits.
- The Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution (www.rmbi.org.uk) use 'Sonas therapeutic communication' and 'circle dance in association with Dementia UK. They have 'a variety of entertainers come into the RMBI homes to hold sessions'.
- Ladder to the Moon (www.laddertothemoon.co.uk) focus more upon training staff, using creative and drama techniques to change attitudes and create 'active support between staff' helping them develop a better living environment for the residents, 'shifting the culture of care away from ‘getting tasks done’ to ‘supporting individuals to have the best possible quality of life’.'
- Oxford concert (www.oxfordconcertparty.com) use musical sessions, with aims of 'opening up musical experiences for prisoners, refugees and asylum seekers, people with mental health needs, children and young people in educational settings as well as older people.' They use music, song, dance and poetry which they have said ' brought the participants together and created a very supportive and fun atmosphere, generating visible responses from everyone'. The organisation also uses musical instruments from various cultures to gain 'another dimension of sensory experience from being able to hear and make sound from these musical instruments.'
Each of these studies, I will look into further detail as my course progresses, and will look into contacting some of these organisations to get some feedback about their services.
In conclusion, I found this article extremely interesting, opening up many other doors of research that I can get stuck into throughout this module. What I found really interesting was the way in which arts not only helps the residents directly, but training staff with art techniques to help them become more effective carers. This is something completely new to me and I lol forward into researching this further. I would also like to develop a greater understanding of the brain activity that happens when people with dementia engage in art related activities.
If you have any feedback about any of the subjects raised in this blog I would love to hear peoples ideas and opinions.
The Baring Foundation- Creative Care Homes
This was one of the first articles I really studied for this Module, and found it was full of useful ideas, case studies and reports that would help my research into The Arts within care homes. It has also provided me with many other reports and articles on this subject matter. As I work in entertainment within care homes, I feel this will really help develop my skills in this area and give me a clearer understanding of just how important this is within social care.
The authors David Cutler, Des Kelly and Slyvie Silver claim their purpose of the article was to 'celebrate existing good practice in the use of the arts with and for older people in residential care and to inspire more and better work'.(foreword p.1) I feel it is imperative the good work is celebrated as the arts are so often overlooked, particularly within the social sector, so spreading positive feedback can help potentially create more interest and therefore more need for funding. As artist Annie Abers mentions 'Sometimes we can be given the impression that the arts are only for people who belong to a rather exclusive club,' (p.4) yet this report demonstrates how they can be easily accessed in a variety of ways and have marvellous benefits for the recipients.
Taking part (p.4,5)
This section provided me with some interesting insights and further reading for other articles I will review separately. They all state how the arts benefit people within care and the different reasons for having activities in place.
- 'There is increasing recognition of the benefits for everyone of having the chance to take part more actively in the arts and the impact of participation on our physical and mental health and well-being' (Hayes, J & Povey, S, (2010) The Creative Arts in Dementia Care: practical person-centred approaches and ideas, Jessica Kingsley, London)
- 'Many activities, though not all, take place in groups and bring with them social interaction and a sense of inclusion, countering a common aspect of older age – loneliness, isolation and depression'
'Some arts activities can allow us to express our often hidden identities and in so doing, to challenge what others assume about us'. (Taylor, M, Self-identity and the arts education of disabled young people, (2006) Disability and Society, (20), 7, 763-778).
I am particularly interested in Taylor's idea of allowing people to express hidden identities. I often go to perform in care homes and find residents happily singing and dancing throughout the show, only to be then told by a career, they are usually very reserved and are hard to communicate with. How does music and art connect with people to have this effect?
One of the case studies in this article, helps to answer this question, as it focuses on 'Singing for Brain sessions'; a technique run by the Alzheimer's society. (P.11)
The St Monica trust (www.stmomicatrust.org.uk) is a specialist dementia service in Bristol and North Somerset, and uses this technique throughout its care homes.
They have many aims and targets for these sessions, but these few points really stood out to me and my practice.
- 'to improve and maintain the neurological pathways through deeper breathing and gentle movement;(there is ongoing research into the relationship between singing and the area of the brain concerned with speech; there are many anecdotal reports that during singing sessions people with dementia demonstrate improved lucidity and sociability;)'
- 'to lift/prevent depression through the use of elements which surprise, reassure, support, inspire and mediate, reframing a negative life viewpoint into a positive one;'
- 'to express emotions by singing songs that evoke many types of emotion or feelings that might be triggered by them;'
It has inspired me to look deeper into the actual science behind the connection between singing and speech and the neurological pathways. Also the psychological theories relating music with depression and how it can help.
The study also mentions using 'well designed song folders to enable residents to see a song on a single page. However I disagree with this being an effective tool, as I have tried this myself and was overall unsuccessful. During my first set of Christmas singalong shows in care and residential homes, I used a large font, clear Carol sheet for the residents to use and read from. I found, in general, they were simply not used and often just discarded on the floor. Residents were happy to sing along with words they already knew and enjoy parts they didn't. I would be interested to interview a few other entertainers and round who do this to see what their feedback is.
They use props and instruments including 'scarves bubbles and props to add a dimension of storytelling and fun'. This I completely agree with as I always feel it becomes so much more interactive and keeps the residents engaged in another way, so I tend to include props in all my shows to add to the theme of the music.
The Current place of Arts in NCF Care Homes. (P.6)
A review in August 2011 of the NCF (not for profit care homes in England) States that 82.1% include art activities within their care services. These included:
- 'the singing circle' for people with dementia
- theatre, dance and music performance
- activities linked to events such as Burns Night, Christmas or themed days.
My work is directly linked to all these as I include singalong sections in my theatre and music performances, linking them in with festivals and events like Christmas and Easter. I would like to investigate first hand, through interviews and feedback, just how much of an impact these activities have on a daily basis to the residents and their well being.
'It is interesting to note that almost every organisation recorded ‘reminiscence-type’ activities and the majority have regular ‘music and movement’ sessions (in some cases daily) which can improve physical fitness levels, general health and well-being and impart ‘feel-good’ benefits for all involved.' (P.6)
Other Case Studies
The article features many other case studies, conducted by many organisations set up around the country, all providing something different for the clientele so I turn having different effects and benefits.
- The Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution (www.rmbi.org.uk) use 'Sonas therapeutic communication' and 'circle dance in association with Dementia UK. They have 'a variety of entertainers come into the RMBI homes to hold sessions'.
- Ladder to the Moon (www.laddertothemoon.co.uk) focus more upon training staff, using creative and drama techniques to change attitudes and create 'active support between staff' helping them develop a better living environment for the residents, 'shifting the culture of care away from ‘getting tasks done’ to ‘supporting individuals to have the best possible quality of life’.'
- Oxford concert (www.oxfordconcertparty.com) use musical sessions, with aims of 'opening up musical experiences for prisoners, refugees and asylum seekers, people with mental health needs, children and young people in educational settings as well as older people.' They use music, song, dance and poetry which they have said ' brought the participants together and created a very supportive and fun atmosphere, generating visible responses from everyone'. The organisation also uses musical instruments from various cultures to gain 'another dimension of sensory experience from being able to hear and make sound from these musical instruments.'
Each of these studies, I will look into further detail as my course progresses, and will look into contacting some of these organisations to get some feedback about their services.
In conclusion, I found this article extremely interesting, opening up many other doors of research that I can get stuck into throughout this module. What I found really interesting was the way in which arts not only helps the residents directly, but training staff with art techniques to help them become more effective carers. This is something completely new to me and I lol forward into researching this further. I would also like to develop a greater understanding of the brain activity that happens when people with dementia engage in art related activities.
If you have any feedback about any of the subjects raised in this blog I would love to hear peoples ideas and opinions.
Tuesday 1 March 2016
Task 4A- continued
As I continue to research and look into my profession, I have added some more inquiry questions I feel I could really get stuck into as they interest me on many levels and feel there is a lot to be looked at.
1. As I work in providing entertainment in care homes, I am interested in music therapy. How is music and dance a form of therapy, particularly for people with Alzheimer's or dementia?
2. I also work as a freelance teacher, working with children of all ages. How is performing arts a good choice for children, regardless as to whether they wish to take it up as a career? What positive effects does it have and how does it set them up for adult life?
3. Can choreography and music be a platform to communicate current affairs and events in an entertaining way? As the news can always be quite negative, people (especially younger people) can avoid watching it or reading about it. How can performance be used to get the news across to others?
Any feedback would be greatly appreciated :-)
1. As I work in providing entertainment in care homes, I am interested in music therapy. How is music and dance a form of therapy, particularly for people with Alzheimer's or dementia?
2. I also work as a freelance teacher, working with children of all ages. How is performing arts a good choice for children, regardless as to whether they wish to take it up as a career? What positive effects does it have and how does it set them up for adult life?
3. Can choreography and music be a platform to communicate current affairs and events in an entertaining way? As the news can always be quite negative, people (especially younger people) can avoid watching it or reading about it. How can performance be used to get the news across to others?
Any feedback would be greatly appreciated :-)
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