1. Research Advisor - Laura Bissell's comments on my MCP503 Intro & Outline
2. An interview survey I am conducting on teachers of Performance Art.
RESEARCH ADVISOR RESPONSE TO MCP503 INTRO &
OUTLINE
This Introduction looks like a really good start.
There is a sense of the rationale behind the project and, importantly, the
sense of wishing to situate your practice within a wider discourse. This is well
written although you do have a tendency to start sentences with the word “And”
which is not always necessary. In the paper I think it is necessary to define
the terms you are using as we have discussed – terms such as “Performance Art”
and “Pedagogy” can be defined at the outset to ensure clarity in terms of your
usage. I am also interested to see how you explore “body-based performance
methods” which you refer to towards the end.
The outline is clear and well-structured. In terms
of your objectives, the first one is pretty vast! Perhaps you could hone this
down a little as at the moment it is encompassing a lot and this means there is
a lot of expectation and a lot to achieve. It is good in the next section that
you are using words like “introduce” as this indicates the level you are aiming
for which is commendable. The goals are good, again, there are quite a lot of
them! What is really achievable to the time? Perhaps if you make a plan of the
sessions and align the goals to the exercises and task you are doing you will
get a clearer sense of what is going to be manageable. Overall you rationale
and goals feel clear and I look forward to seeing how this work develops.
Good luck with the next stage of the research!
MY RESPONDING E-MAIL
Thank you so much for your
feedback Laura.
You are quite right to note my tendency to be
over-ambitious! Although it is actually much more under control than it used to
be! (My life has been full of many sleepless nights staying up working,
determined to fulfill everything I said I was going to do!)
I took note of your commendation for stating some things as an "introduction" - & perhaps I should revise my objectives with that in mind. Rather than stating "we are going to accomplish this" - to say "we are going to introduce this idea & begin to examine it".
So, in other words, we won't be
covering less ground - but the manner in which we cover it will be to plant
seeds, introduce the idea of ... etc.
As you pointed out, I realize that I did overlook clearly
defining the two key elements of my work as they pertain to this project -
those of Performance Art & of Pedagogy. I went into defining Why before
having first defined What (making the mistake of assuming what's obvious to me
is obvious to everyone!)
But I'm relieved it's a good start for this stage of the
process!
I'm reading & researching some theatre & dance body-based performance methods at the moment ... I'm especially resonating with Anne Bogart's Viewpoints (& about to do some research on Mary Overlie) & also looking at Augusto Boal - methods that I have been indirectly exposed to & influenced by.
I also want to find more information about Nagouchi Gymnastics - once I get back to Asheville, there is a Butoh dancer/teacher there who is a quite a goldmine on the subject.
It would probably be a good idea for me to start posting a
journal of this process on the blog.
INTERVIEW SURVEY
Dear
(personal
greeting)
My name is Claire
Elizabeth Barratt; I’m an inter-disciplinary performance artist and director of
Cilla Vee Life Arts – a performing
arts organization based in Asheville, NC.
I am also an MFA
candidate with the Transart Institute, a low-residency postgraduate art program
accredited by Plymouth University in the UK.
My field of
research is on pedagogy for performance art and I am currently amassing
information about how individual teachers are approaching this progressive
subject in their own teaching environments.
As an aid to
conducting this research I have compiled a list of “interview” questions. If
you would be amenable to contributing to this project, please see the attached
file to view the questions.
I realize that
replying to each question in detail could prove to be rather time-consuming,
but whatever time commitment you are able to give will be very useful and much
appreciated.
The information
you provide will be used for research purposes specific to this project only. A
report will be given on my private student blog as a general overview of the
information gathered.
Please let me
know if you prefer to remain anonymous or to be acknowledged as a participant.
Please reply by
e-mail to this address: cilavee@gmail.com
If you prefer to
speak directly, please reply by e-mail and we can set up a time to talk via
phone or skype.
Your response
will be most useful before April 1st, if possible – however I will
still benefit from your insight after that date.
Thank you for
your consideration and I look forward to hearing from you.
Claire E Barratt
Cilla Vee Life Arts
Transart Student
Blog
INTERVIEW QUESTIONS for TEACHERS of
PERFORMANCE ART
1.
What is your
definition, or a definition you most resonate with, of Performance Art?
2.
Are you yourself
a Performance Artist?
If so, please
give some background information about your own creative practice.
If not, what
context informs your teaching of performance art? (e.g. art history,
philosophy, performance studies)
Please give some
information about your area of expertise in relation to performance art.
3.
If you are an
artist, would you say that your practice is pedagogical?
Do you consider
teaching as part of your own artistic practice, or is it something separate?
Please comment on
this.
4.
As a teacher of
performance art, who is your student body?
Is it academic or
community based?
Please describe
the setting(s) in which you teach (If academic, which department is your course
under?) and who your students are.
5.
Do you find the
institution in which you teach has a compatible agenda to your own pedagogy?
Please comment if
you find this relevant.
6.
Please give an
example of your syllabus – goals and objectives and a timeline of your class
schedule over a given time period (e.g. a semester or workshop series)
7.
Is there a
specific emphasis, method or school of thought on which you base your pedagogy
– or do you encompass a wide variety of methods?
Please describe
your pedagogical influences.
8.
Do you include a
(or number of) specific body-based movement method(s) in your pedagogy?
If so, please
describe how you approach this aspect of your class.
9.
What kind of
ratio would you say your course contains of theory and history to practice and
action?
Are there ways
you integrate them? Please describe.
10.
Is one of your
objectives for students to create their own original work?
If so, how is
this developed over the course of your timeline?
Do the students
perform this work?
If so, please
describe your production methods in staging student work.
11.
What would you
say is distinctive about you as a teacher of performance art?
What do you bring
to a class that is unique to you?
12.
Are there aspects
of performance art that you would like to explore and develop further in your
pedagogy?
If so, what are
they and how do you envision introducing them in the future?
13.
Please give any
other information or comments that you feel are pertinent to your work and
pedagogy – or feel free to suggest questions that I have not addressed.
Thank you so much
for your time and willingness to share your thoughts and experiences in this
innovative field of work.
If you are
interested in viewing my progress with this project, please visit my Transart
student blog at: http://transartcebtransart.blogspot.com/
Claire Elizabeth
Barratt – MFA 1 – Research project – Transart Institute
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