Task 3A 'Current Networks'

Task 3A ‘Current Networks’


The networks I am currently involved in:


Facebook-

· To keep in contact with friends and family in various destinations around the world

· To upload photographs/videos if what I am currently doing

· Inspiration

· Keeping up to date with the Dance world – auditions, jobs, opportunities.

· Informal approach to networking



Twitter-

I have Twitter however I do not ever really use it!

· Inspiration

· Daily Quotations

· Keeping up to date with the Celebrity world

· Keeping up to date with Classes, Auditions and Choreographers



Emails-

· Job and Career opportunities – applying via email

· Local events and gigs

· Personal organisation

· Slightly more professional way of Networking than using Facebook email!



Instagram –

Instagram has to be one of my favourites! Why? It tends to be more positive than Facebook with inspiring pictures/ videos and quotations to boost your mind set!

· Inspiration

· To upload photographs/videos

· Play with simple photography – something I enjoy!

· Follow and be kept up to date of trends


I use Facebook on a daily basis to communicate with my friends (including colleagues) and family and also for inspiration purposes through photos, videos and to learn from other professionals in the Performing Arts Industry. It is undeniably a great way to stay in touch as almost everybody has facebook these days. Although I’d rather keep my professional and social networking separate I have not yet created a professional Facebook page but is something I hope to work on in the near future. It seems almost absurd that Facebook which comes with such a stigma is used for professional networking however from experience it is a network that Professional Choreographer, Dancers, Agents, and Companies all use as a form of keeping up to date in the industry, advertising auditions/castings/photo shoots and can unveil great opportunities. I know former students who have been messaged on Facebook as all the choreographer has is a name and a face they remembered from a particular class or workshop offering them an invite to a private audition or even a dancing job straight off! It is easier nowadays for people to find and contact you by simply a name or photo. On the other hand this also carries danger! Privacy is something that people using networking sites really need to consider, particularly those using them for professional reasons, as your personal lifestyle, photos, and comments made by you or others posting on your wall may not be deemed appropriate in a professional situation. Whilst at College it was a rule that our teachers did not add or accept students on Facebook as it was regarded as unprofessional until we had graduated and become working professionals ourselves. I completely agree. It seems that children get past age limitations as a growing number of children under the age of 10 actually use the site! Films have a certification deeming what’s appropriate for an 18 year old is not appropriate for the eyes of anyone under that age. However on Facebook children can have access to older people pages where the content is not suitable. As a Teacher I am very aware of this as there may be things on my page as an adult which would not be fitting for my younger students to see.

Building a Network through classes is something I have found relevant in this profession. Not only do I attend class to maintain and continually work on my technique but also as a way of meeting and networking with fellow dancers, teachers and choreographers. It is an opportunity for you to showcase your skill and you never know who is watching!!

Networking with fellow colleagues is a great way to converse, learn and reflect. In the staff room you can often come across conversations regarding problems or challenges a colleague has faced and by the end of the discussion the colleague has considered new ways to confront the problem, taken on advice and has a more positive approach to the situation, using others knowledge and experience to gage their own. You can also discover information which could be useful for your own development by talking to those with similar or ‘common’ interests. As I was talking with a colleague regarding teaching opportunities within our city we bounced off each other’s ideas discussing what was missing and whether or not it was something we could change. Networking definitely provokes food for thought!


Some professionals have their own websites or You Tube channel for posting their work, this form of networking is a perfect tool for connecting and advertising YOU. Setting up a You Tube channel is definitely something I would like to do once I have a strong enough portfolio of work to put up on the web for my own professional networking.

Since starting Bapp, I have signed up to Flickr and of course become part of Blogger and the blogging community! At the moment I don’t think I use them as much as I should to reap the benefits but I am definitely expanding my knowledge of social media and looking forward to the not so obvious social networking communities! It has opened my eyes to how these sites can allow other people (including agents, choreographers or teaching panels) to ‘see’ you without meeting in person. Some career prospects whether that is an audition or interview are not always easily accessible for instance a cruise ship or dancing contract which is in another country, and this is why social networking and Web 2.0 is essential in my professional practice. By simply ‘advertising’ myself in the correct way and on networks which are current and interactive in the industry I would open up doors for my career and development.

I am particularly excited about the variety of networking sites which I was not aware existed that are designed for Dancers, Teachers and supporting Performers in the tough industry! Through reading other blogs I have become more aware of auditions and casting opportunities.

I like to believe that a person’s motive for being part of a network is a moral and valuable reason and not to cause harm, offence or to make someone feel inferior to them. Unfortunately not everyone has the same affirmative ethics. I know of a few cases where people have befriended others simply for information or a stepping stone in the industry. Of course we all want to strive to be the most successful and although stepping on others may get them there quicker personally I feel I would rather work harder to get there, make and keep friends and morals along the way! The Performing Arts Industry can be fickle and working out who are your real friends is not always an easy task!

My ideal Network would be as mentioned above; a valuable and respected community which would bring together all those interested in Performing Arts. Giving them a place to advertise and post about current work, comment on posts, share information and knowledge and be able to communicate freely any queries or advice. It would accommodate for the aspiring performer, those in training, those qualified and those already professionally working. The knowledge and experience of those in the professional field would offer those not quite there yet the guidance and support and also any tips in being a successful practitioner. Something like an interactive Facebook group or a website connected by Facebook. In order to develop this I would need to first connect with the people who I’d like to bring together in the community and secondly using the tools of Web 2.0, develop and broaden the appeal to ensure the network is current, interactive and stimulating to its members. Essentially the network would need to be easily accessed and a use ‘on the go’ style system to fit around the life of a busy working professional.

As illustrated in the Reader, our effective engagement of Professional Networking may well impact on our success, promotion and development, our sense of worth and fulfillment, and even enjoyment in our working lives.