Alys May-James BA Professional Practice Blog

This week we had a Zoom call where everyone on each module could attend. It was a great opportunity to see what everyone is currently doing within their module. Module 1- starting to talk about their practice and what it means Module 2- thinking about what they want their inquiry to be about Module 3- Looking at starting to gather data for their research Although each module is looking at different things, all of them link with some overall themes- the ones we spoke about are listed below, however there are many more. Creativity The idea of ‘self’ Experience Reflection Motivation and Inspiration Ethics Creativity was a really interesting point to start with as it is so personal to each of us, and so we all had a slightly different view on it. Some people class themselves as creative and others don’t. Here are some of the key points we spoke about with regards to creativity. Are we taught it? Or is it innate within us? Are we born with it? Are we showing our vu...

Recently I have been looking into the importance of the arts and being creative. Having been a dance teacher and performer for many years, I believe the arts are extremely important.  These are some of my opinions why: improves confidence improves mobility gives students the freedom to express themselves gives students a sense of belonging or community creates more friendship groups teaches discipline improves communication skills I came across this blog from TedEd. https://blog.ed.ted.com/2018/04/02/why-dance-is-just-as-important-as-math-in-school/ Sir Ken Robinson talks about how creativity is within us all, and we should all have a right to access it and use it. However, many education systems put far more ‘importance’ on subjects such as maths and literacy. What I find interesting is how he talks about how being creative doesn’t have to stay within the arts. You can be creative in any subject. This is so important for children, because curiosity is a key way ...

Earlier on in the week I joined my second module one focused skype. It was nice to have some stability and familiarity with the uncertainty of the world right now. We discussed 3 main topics- Diagrams, Ethics and Literature. Diagrams We spoke about how some of us were struggling to come to terms with the idea of what a diagram actually was. It’s not clear cut, like an essay that we could have had plenty of practice doing from time at school. At first, I was really confused about it, but actually its ambiguity is what I’ve really enjoyed. I have been able to create what I want that reflects me. It’s personal to me and my own practice. It’s very rare to have opportunities like that.  We also spoke about how it’s visual. We already have our essay where we use words and theories to explain and explore our practice. The diagram is a visual representation that goes along side our essay. The two should work together. Something that one person mentioned that I hadn’t thought about...

‘Art has the power to upset, to disturb, to make us question our assumptions, to change us.’  (Berys Gaut, 2007) Working in the arts there are a lot of ethical considerations that need to be taken into account. We are creating things for an audience, whether it be a dance, a song, a play, a painting… With this comes responsibility. By creating this ‘art’ we are having an impact on people around us. But is this a good thing? Upset Art can and undoubtedly will upset some people. People can be triggered by many different things that can lead to sadness. An example for me, is Damien Hirst and his use of animals as ‘art’. Personally, I don’t believe work like, ‘Mother and Child (Divided)’ are ethical. He has used real animals, in this instance a cow and a calf, and used them for his art. Sometimes he keeps them whole and sometimes he bisects them. He then puts them in glass cabinets with formaldehyde (Biography, 2014). Consequently, many innocent animals lost their lives...