Task 1B Continued… An Ever changing Web 2.0

If Web 2.0 is continuously changing and evolving, must we as professionals change as well?

   After going through the reader, this particular section on an evolving Web 2.0 really got me thinking. Ulrich et al mentions ‘one of the key aspects of a Web 2.0 model is that these services are constantly evolving and that each platform is progressively developed and replaced’ (Ulrich et al (2008)). This is most relevant to me in terms of social media. 

   I used to be stuck in my ‘Facebook ways’ not wanting to move on to any other form of networking, until I realised just how much I was missing and all the opportunities I had been unaware of.Now to connect through Facebook you must be friends, however twitter allows you to follow people you do not know and see what they are posting. I soon realised my peers were going to auditions and castings after seeing posts on twitter from directors and choreographers. My account was set up the next day and it has helped me no end in staying in the loop within the industry. In order to remain pro active you must be prepared to evolve and change in order to grow. I am constantly seeking new blogs to follow, and new sites and forums to join to help the evolution of my career, as opportunities can be just a click away!

   

    This leads me on to communities developed within Web 2.0 and the importance of connectivity. Now Mark Zuckerburg, the founder of facebook, has claimed ‘connectivity is a basic human right’ (Sheerlaw 2014). Now this is a strong claim to make in my opinion, but after breaking it down, I noticed just how much my life depends on connectivity, particularly through Web 2.0, and how much it would be altered if I did not have access to these networks.

    I have joined many online communities which have helped me get jobs, find classes, given audition tips and advice, not to mention make many contacts within the industry. Take ‘The Hustle’ for example, a large facebook community group for performance arts professionals. People post about jobs, auditions, new classes to attend and also general info about the industry and what is hot and what is not. I have used this forum to find out about castings which lead me to a UK tour contract, attended master classes with top industry professionals after seeing them post, and also been put in contact with a physio to help with a previous injury. Without this community all these things would have not been so accessible and I may not have been so successful in my career. Also ‘Stage school teachers UK’, another group forum, has put me in touch with many schools around the country and provided many employers for teaching dance and musical theatre.

With over 500 million Facebook users and 289 million twitter users worldwide, it would appear clear to see that connecting through social networks could help our professional development in one way or another.  

Task 1B- Web 2.0…. A Whole New World

 Now before beginning the BAPP course if someone would have asked me what Web 2.0 was, I would have absolutely no clue… Despite the fact I have used it several times a day, for several years, for several purposes!

Web 2.0 is the ability to communicate through the internet, breaking the barriers of simple creator and reader relationships. Sites such a Facebook, Twitter or other social networking sites are probably the first that spring to mind, yet others such as wiki’s Google and blogs all create web based communities in which people can contribute and have input.

  What did I use Web 2.0 for initially?

Well like most teenage girls I began using the internet for sites such as My Space, then as I got older it progressed to Facebook, before becoming hooked on Twitter and Instagram. These were used purely for social purposes; catching up with others, looking at friends holiday and nights out pictures, and seeing all the juicy gossip from Twitter about my favourite celebrities. I never realised just how important this could be for my career or the huge platform it provides professionally.

Tim O’Reilly’s Meme successfully and clearly captures the uses of Web 2.0 as a platform

(O’Reilly, T (2006) ‘What is Web 2.0: Design Patterns and Business Models for the Next Generation of Software’- www.oreilly.com/pub/a/web2/archive/what-is-web-20.html)

   Once you discover all the possibilities and avenues to explore within Web 2.0, you understand just how much this can help within your line of work and what these networks can lead to.

Participation… Do I need to do it?

  Now with endless networks and social media sites, is it important to get involved? How should I get involved? How often should I get involved? These are all questions I’m sure many of us have had, not just on a social level, but a professional one.

Hamilton (2000) sums up why it is important to participate saying, ‘participation is a function, in part, of the reduction of barriers to access (such as time, skill and financial commitment) and that an increase in participation can contribute to the successful building of relationships and the democratisation of media (Hamilton 2000,p.371).

  I began to see just how much participation on Web 2.0 has altered my life and career.

The biggest example of this happened about a year ago. Whilst aimlessly scrolling through Facebook I came across a post from a classmate at Performing Arts School. This person works for a University in Malaysia, who was at the time interviewing new Performing Arts teachers, and simply was posting if anyone in the UK may be interested.

I replied and pursued this, getting into contact with the president of the uni, then via Skype (another handy 2.0 tool) and sending videos via DropBox and Youtube (yes two more 2.0 tools in there), becoming successful in the process and teaching out is Asia for several months.

   Without participating in these networks, getting a job in Malaysia would be extremely difficult, with long drawn out phone calls and letters and I would have almost never have known the job was available in the first place.

  I have also had several job offers though the network Linkd In, a great Web 2.0 network linking like for like professionals. Since posting my CV becoming active within the site, I have had several emails from Schools and Institutes offering me jobs based on my profile and what they have seen on Linkd In.

Now someone tell me participation is not important???? 

In the next few blogs I will continue with journey of discovering the endless possibilities within Web 2.0 

First Skype Session!!

Wow! Well I have just had my first skype session of the course, lead by Adesola and Paula and including students from all three modules.

    If ever there was a significant moment in realising the importance of Web 2.0 and the ability to communicate over the internet it was this session.

  Going into the course I felt a little overwhelmed at the thought of studying again, how to approach the tasks, and if what I am doing is actually correct. Speaking to students who are either going through the same process, or who have been through it, I realise I am definitely not alone in this, and it takes a while to find your feet within your course and what approach you take. Listening to others opinions, concerns and challenges within the three modules has made me see the course as a whole and how each module leads to the next.

   Having this Skype network is so valuable as a tool, as sometimes simply working through the reader proves to be quite difficult, so being able to get feedback and opinions from both tutors and students opens the mind to many other possibilities you would not have got from a Web 1.0 reader.

   Adesola asked why we thought it was important to do a CV in module 1, and what people felt was the purpose on module 1 tasks. This was a defining moment for me seeing that it was all about self reflection. We must be able to evaluate ourselves in order to see where we are at, what we have achieved, looking back in order to be able to push forward. Hearing module 2 and 3 students speaking about their reflective and analytical tasks of others, it is crucial to understand ourselves and our own personal journey before trying to understand and analyse the journeys of others.

I now feel I can look at the course in a whole new light, constantly working on my growth and reflection of my professional practice, rather than feeling bogged down by tasks, now I understand their purpose.

Thanks for everyone involved and all the thought provoking ideas and feedback.
Look forward to the next session

Everyday Cv

Ami Evans

PROFILE:

Highly motivated individual who prides herself on her team working capability and her ability to deliver in a timely and accurate manner.

Understanding of the end to end process and where the key points of contact are to ensure Customer deliverables are achieved.

My training in performing Arts have developed my communication skills, confidence and ability to work in a team.

The Mill Pub- 2015- Present Bar Tender and Waitress

Harrods Knightsbridge- 2013-2014 Sales Assistant and Promotions team

Monsoon Accessorize- Retail Group,- September 2007- February 2012 Sales Assistant

Anchor Pub- December 2008- September 2009 Bar Tender

EDUCATION AND  QUALIFICATIONS:

2009- 2012

Italia Conti Stage School

Gaining a performing arts diploma

2007-2009

Tupton Hall School

Achieved 3 A levels

A in Drama

Bs in English Literature, Dance

2002-2007

Hasland Hall Community School

Achieved 9 GCSE’s

A*s in Drama, Dance, English Literature

As in English language, Science Double Award, Textiles,

B in Maths

C in French

PERSONAL DETAILS:

Nationality- British

Civil Status- single

Date of Birth- 07/11/1990

Other- Full UK Driving License

Email- ************

Telephone- 07*********

INTERESTS-  My interests are musical theatre and camera acting, where I continue to pursue my goal of performing to the highest possible standard.

REFEREES:

Deana Wooley

Manager of Monsoon Chesterfield

01246 2*****

Paul Evans

P.E Sales Consultancy, Managing Director

07********

Personal Agency as a 'catalyst for change'

Development of task 1A

So after reading Paula's latest blog, talking of Mezirow's explanation of Personal Agency;

Personal ‘agency’ is related to the capacity of someone to be actively involved in what they do, making changes and perhaps even experiencing a transformative process (Mezirow, 1981). 

This sparked many thoughts for me about myself, my professional practice, and how I feel it is so important to embrace change in order to grow in our career. Keeping proactive within our career is crucial, particularly in an ever changing world of technology and new Web 2.0 networks developing all the time. 

With this in mind I have looked at my Linked In profile, as this is the most accessed and viewed portal of my Cv.  I have altered the skills section, making sure everything is channelled towards myself as a performer and teacher, rather than general skills that can be quite vague and unimpressive. I have also looked at others Cvs to see ways in which I can change and improve to become more appealing to an employer. I noticed some people include other jobs such as bar work and retail within their professional CVs. Whilst I understand these show an employer various skills such as time keeping, organisation and team work, I feel I would like to keep this separate from my performance and teaching CV, keeping everything on their relevant to the industry.

However as all performers know too well, the work does not always come flooding in and we often find ourselves in these jobs, to pay our bills, rent etc. So I decided I would create a third CV for this purpose, including all my experience in retail, bar work and everything in between.  

By taking a look at my work, and the work of others, I am able to reflect on positive areas and ways in which I can enhance myself and my profile for others to see, therefore becoming a catalyst for change within my professional practice.

Task 1A development of ' About Me'

So now I feel I am getting into the swing of things a little, feeling my way through in the hope I am doing it right. I've managed to look through other blogs from students past and present, and taken on board many things that I think will help me and work out my own path in professional practice.
    Past graduate Georgie Bird is an old classmate and friend of mine who took the course a couple of years back, so naturally I was drawn to look at her blogs for some inspiration and guidance from a peer. The first thing I thought was how well she had put across her personality and I could almost hear her voice as I read through the blogs. To me this is fantastic and crucial in blogging and development of professional practice through Web 2.0
   Surely as performers we are marketing tools for our product ,which of course is ourselves, so remaining too formal or robotic does not reflect ones true self. Whilst writing and communicating in a clear and coherent way, she still manages to put a certain flare and personality in her work which really stood out for me. Her 'about me' section is chatty, without being inappropriate, letting you into her world and her life experiences.
   When writing my own 'About Me' section I tried to draw upon this and create a profile which truly reflected me and my personality whilst remaining professional and being aware of who may view my profile. I edited it several times as I sometimes rambled or became too informal, but I feel I am now happy with the final edit and how others will view and perceive me.

Others choose to remain quite short and to the point, which I feel is a neat a clear presentation within your profile, and I understand why people do this. However, it almost become CV like and doesn't place a personal stamp on things in the way I wish to be identified and noticed.

Task 1a

Professional Profile

As both a performer and a freelance teacher, marketing myself and my skills are top priorities in order for my business (myself) to thrive and for jobs to keep coming in.

  Usually the first point of call for an employer of course is a CV, a way of quickly scanning your skills to see if you may be suitable for the next stage towards the job in question. However, my skill sets and experience needed for a Musical theatre or commercial job may completely differ from a children's ballet teacher position. Therefore two separate Cvs seem most appropriate in order to sell myself in the correct way for each field. 

Teaching CV

                             Ami Evans   

PERSONAL DETAILS

Nationality- British

Civil Status- Single

Other- Full UK Drivers Licence

Contact- 07*********

Email- amikaraevans@gmail.com

Career Experience-

Performance Arts Programme Leader, Limkokwing University Malaysia

·   Running Performance Arts course, (Professional Diploma) ensuring lectures run smoothly, looking after student’s welfare and education within the university.

· Adapting course Modules - Writing new modules and adapting old ones to ensure the up most best training for the students. Working with AQA and MQA quality assurance to develop the best possible curriculum for students.

· Co curricular course- Developed an extra curricular course in Performance Arts for international students to gain extra credit within their course. Created the course, approved my MQA, worked with faculty and students on how they can work this into their studies and develop their own academic journey by introducing the arts into their programme.

· Lecturer- subjects included Ballet, Contemporary Dance, Jazz, Body conditioning, Singing Techniques, Performance Critique and Audition Technique. Working with students to develop their technique and performance skills to become all rounded performers.

·  Business and Finance- Ensuring all fees are paid for, working with finance and bursary to determine outstanding fees, sourcing funding for scholarships and working with students who have financial issues to solve their problems.

·   Marketing and Recruitment-

1. Took an active role in recruiting students, this includes coming up with recruitment plans, working closely with marketing, attending education fairs counselling and recruiting students. Briefing the marketing department on your programmes and working with the online team to ensure advertising is maximised and every outlook is covered.

2. You are expected to produce or instigate your own marketing materials such as brochures, videos/show reel, flyers etc, coordinated with CCC (content creation centre).  This included conceptualising, producing the text and either create photographic content or produce a variety of suggested content.

· Industry collaborations- Working with dance schools and music centres around Malaysia, to work on collaboration programmes; creating a student referral programme in which the institutions become a feeder school for the university.

·   Choreographer for International Dance Crew- Worked with the top talent from over 160 countries represented at the university, to choreograph for top events on Campus and nationally.

Freelance Teacher 2012- 2015 

RAZZAMATAZ THEATRE SCHOOL- Dance/Drama/Singing teacher (Hampstead
and Barnet branches). Age range 2-18 years.
CFBL FRENCH PUBLIC SCHOOL LONDON- Classical and Contemporary Teacher. Age range 7-14 years.
EMMANUEL C OF E PRIMARY SCHOOL- Drama Teacher. Age Range 6-10 years.
WALTHAM FOREST SUMMER SCHEME- Commercial/Street and Drama teacher. Age range 5-18 years.
BARBIE MUSICAL MEDIA LAUNCH- Musical theatre workshop leader. Age range 5-10
DIVERSE PERFORMANCE ARTS HERTFORDSHIRE- Musical theatre teacher and Adult choir. Ages 5 and above

Performer

JINGLE BELL ROCK 2014- Singer/dancer UK corporate tour, Bluebird entertainment, dir. G. Mckendrick
SALUTE TO THE 70’S 2014- Dancer, Rhyl Pavilion, dir. Gary Birstles
THE POP FACTOR 2014- singer/dancer UK tour, Adrenaline Productions, dir. Hayley-Jane
Simmons
HEADLINERS (P&O AURORA)2012- Dancer/Singer, Headliners Theatre Company, dir.
Steve Bee
CLASSICAL SPECTACULAR 2012/2013- Dancer, Royal Albert Hall, Raymond Gubbay, dir.

Charlene Quaye
A CHORUS LINE 2012- Cassie, Avondale Theatre, dir. Richard Peakman
MADE2MOVE 2012 Dancer,Landor Theatre choreo. Gregory Apostolidis

Education and Training

ITALIA CONTI ACADEMY OF THEATRE ARTS- 3 Years performing arts  National Diploma (Level 6 First Degree- In Association with Trinity College of London, and University of Middlesex)

A LEVELS- A Drama
 2 Bs Dance, English Literature
GCSE’s- 4 A*s Dance, Drama, English Literature, Textiles
 3 As English Language, Double Science Award
 B Maths
 C French
IDTA dance training- Advanced Level in Jazz, Ballet, Tap, Modern and Freestyle with Honours.

Performer Cv 

Ami Evans

Height- 5"6

Mid Brown Hair

Brown Eyes 

Soprano F to top C

Excellent Dancer- Ballet, Tap, Modern, Commercial, Jazz and contemporary all to advanced Levels

Full UK Drivers License

Stage Combat

Training- Italia Conti 3 year performing Arts 

THEATRE

JINGLE BELL ROCK 2014- Singer/dancer UK corporate tour, Bluebird entertainment, dir. G. Mckendrick
SALUTE TO THE 70’S 2014- Dancer, Rhyl Pavilion, dir. Gary Birstles
THE POP FACTOR 2014- singer/dancer UK tour, Adrenaline Productions, dir. Hayley-Jane
Simmons
HEADLINERS (P&O AURORA)2012- Dancer/Singer, Headliners Theatre Company, dir.
Steve Bee
CLASSICAL SPECTACULAR 2012/2013- Dancer, Royal Albert Hall, Raymond Gubbay, dir.

A CHORUS LINE 2012- Cassie, Avondale Theatre, dir. Richard Peakman
MADE2MOVE 2012 Dancer,Landor Theatre choreo. Gregory Apostolidis

Contact- 07533488017

amikaraevans@gmail.com

As you can see the performer one is much shorter with simple headings and skills, that can be read quickly in an audition situation, where the casting director does not have time to read detailed paragraphs and explanations.

And of course in this industry, image is so important and head shots must be kept up to date at all times.

I also make sure I keep my Linked In profile spot on (as mentioned in previous blog) as I have had many professionals approach me for jobs and interviews through this Web 2.0 channel. 

Please feel free to comment on any aspects of either Cv any feedback is really appreciated.