Back to Beginnings

 

I'm really not at all sure how I'm now in Module Three and about to start my research inquiry. But here we are. 

It's been quite the ride to get to this point and I have a distinct feeling it's going to be that way right to the end. Armed with coffee, a laptop, and a few hopes and prayers, it's time to commence the final chapter.

As usual, it's all looking a bit foggy and misty at this end of the path, but if I've learnt anything up to now, it's that you have to keep the faith and keep moving.

I have just had a relatively nice induction back into the course however, in the form of the 'Meet Your Programme Team' meeting with Helen, Sam, Pedro, and a handful of the students.

This was an opportunity to get to know the story of each staff member a little more and have an insight into their own practice, something we haven't had much of so far. With Helen in the world of dance, Sam in the world of music, and Pedro in the theatre world, it was interesting to listen to their different journeys, inspirations, works, and stimulations.

Although unsurprising given both our practices are based around dance, some of Helen's practice really resonated with me, particularly her work to make dance accessible for everyone by teaching in SEN schools and schools in socio-economic areas that have students who may not otherwise be exposed to dance or have the opportunity to pursue it.

Recently I have been involved in the same kind of work and a few weeks ago taught at a summer school for Primary aged children to introduce them to dance and creative expression through movement. It was a big success and the school are now considering weekly classes as an after-school activity. I do not put this down to teaching on my part, but the sheer need for children to be allowed and facilitated to express themselves in a safe, creative, physical capacity.

I asked Helen what she found to be the biggest challenge in this work and how she overcame it. Her response was the biggest challenge is the gatekeepers to the school. As she said, 'the children are not the problem'. The children want to dance when they are given the chance to. It's getting into the schools that is the difficult part.

It seems we had exactly the same experience. The solution? Truthfully, the big solution is a change in society's views towards arts education and the need for dance in schools. Realistically, because we can't achieve that in a day, it is to articulate and find the language to get around the gatekeepers and their mindsets. 

I don't consider dance educators to be 'right' and the gatekeepers to be 'wrong' (though sometimes this is case) but rather educational gatekeepers are not fully educated on how they might be hindering education by only facilitating what they consider 'good education'.

It was interesting to hear more of Sam's story after a little insight that we got last term, and his passion and determination to pursue music is abundantly clear, not least in the fact he took a subject he scored a 'D' in at A-Level and went and got himself a PhD in it. I take my hat off to that.

I was particularly intrigued by his interdisciplinary work in northern lower socio-economic areas that asked children their opinions on topics like politics, climate, and healthcare. He said that there were amazing ideas coming from the children about how they think things should be and what we should do. This I can well believe. Society is often too busy trying to mould children to listen to them. A tragic and self-injuring neglect of their creative, intelligent ideas.

Sam also mentioned his love of interviews in research as they are a way of collecting stories, a chance to ask someone why they do what they do. I connected to this too both in my love of hearing people's stories on a human level and the power to inform and communicate that they hold. My research inquiry is, after all, on storytelling in education. 

Finally we were introduced to Pedro, who I had not met before but immediately found interesting to listen to. Pedro had an unusual route into theatre, via a graphic design BA course that saw him repeatedly base his projects on and in theatre work. 

He said that when he's asked what he does, he replies he 'works in theatre' because he cannot be pinned down to one thing - given he works as a performer, writer, director, set designer, and translator, he is not wrong.

What's interesting about this is he said being flexible in practice allows him to 'scratch different itches' and work from different perspectives when shaping theatre. As he says, doing changes thinking and thinking changes doing. A concept I may be needing for module three.

If I had to put money on how this term is going to go, I would say it's going to be challenging at times, enlightening at others, messy in the middle, rewarding at the end, and there will be lots and lots and lots of questions. Lots of questions.

Module Three here we come x