Task 3A - Current networks

My current professional networking is done mostly online. I use Twitter to follow accounts/companies that are arts and education related, as well as people I admire. Even if I do not connect personally with these accounts it keeps me in the loop and guides me to related stories or events that may be of interest to me. I do also follow some groups on Facebook which are arts and education related for the same reason. However, I wouldn't contact them through Facebook but try to find a more direct form of contact, eg passing on my email as I find this comes across as more professional. I use other sites such as IdeasTap (which is sadly closing down), they send notifications via email that are relevant to the interests that you outline when signing up. Through them I have attended workshops in both acting and teaching. Also Spotlight, this doesn't only provide castings but advice for people in the performing arts industry. They also run events throughout the year such as the Surviving Actors. This is great for networking face to face with people. There are classes, workshops and seminars that you can attend. Last year I attended a great one with Charlotte Sutton, associate casting director at the National Theatre. Another great place you can attend masterclasses is at the Theatre Royal Haymarket, check out their website for upcoming events. I attended a good one with Dame Diana Rigg. It was wonderful to hear her speak about her life as an actress and how she dealt with all the in between jobs. It was her I remember saying that it's a great thing to find something else you are good at other than acting. At the time I was struggling to decide about doing this course and committing to full time teaching. Therefore, her advice really helped me.
       I find it also important to keep in contact with friends and colleagues you have worked with in the past. Make that effort, go and see their shows, show your support. Help them and they will help you. Go to see new things at the theatre. Nothing can inspire you like seeing an amazing piece of theatre. It keeps you relevant and their is potential for meeting new people. Also, something I should do more of, getting to classes.

Established companies or professionals will have other networks that I admire such as maybe putting on annual events, like the Spotlight ball. These kinds of events can get industry professionals together. Thinking in terms of education or theatre schools, they can create networks by sending teachers out for specific training. Being actively involved in local communities to get the profile of the school out there.  Even encouraging children to do exams with external exam boards such as LAMDA which are well known and respected. Some invite guest teachers into their schools to do one off or special workshops. These can create excitement within the students and inspire them, especially if the person is well known, as well as creating a good reputation for the school.

In my private social life I am very proactive. I love being around people and will often be the one organising things. In my professional networks I am not as proactive. As mentioned I follow a lot of sites which do give me information and food for thought. I think I should now push myself to initiate conversations or make new connections personally with people. I am confident but I often get wary of being too pushy or not coming across well to new people.

People may have many motives for being part of professional networks. To get work, to gain advice or to raise their profile. Networks bring people from different walks of life together. Especially with so many online we should take advantage.

I am now at a point in my career where I have to think about what my priorities are. I do not want to spread myself too thin. If I am honest with myself at the moment my acting career is taking a back seat to a full time job as a drama teacher and university work. Which is not to say I no longer want to act, I do, but something has got to give. I don't have the same time to go to class, to be free for castings and to spend time looking for castings as I used to. I feel happy about my goal of possibly gaining teaching qualifications or building my own theatre school. To achieve these goals I must be part of the appropriate networks. I will continue to follow a lot of acting networks and attend class when I can, I must keep myself fresh to be a good teacher. However, I must build up a more ideal teaching network.

To do this I could:

• Look into training courses.
• Suggest to the owner of the theatre school having guest tutors do workshops with children, who I could also learn from.
• Ask more advice from my boss, she is someone I admire and I should not be shy to ask.
• Initiate more conversation with my colleagues about their experiences. We don't see each other often because of the nature of how the classes run. I could make more effort to check in with them.
• Not be shy to ask teachers in the schools I work in about their experiences.
• I could look into new online networks. LinkedIn, TES (Times Educational Supplement) which Jess mentioned on her blog - this looks really helpful.
• I could get business cards.
• And generally be more bold in promoting myself.

My networks are definitely a work in progress as unlike some other professions I don't have a set path mapped out, but maybe by connecting more effectively with others that path will become more clear to me. Connecting on the BAPP blogs is already helping me feel much more in tune with my work and I love to keep up with others that are focusing on arts in education.