1. Oral Presentation
Module WBS3760
30th January 2012 6.00pm
Rebecca Jane Gaskell

2. (INTRODUCTION)
The reason why I started BAPP course and what I
initially hoped to gain from the course.
I Graduated with a National Diploma in Professional Dance.
National Diploma showed my practical skills but felt academically this degree could
bring more balance to my qualifications.
Potentially in the future I would like to teach within a vocational setting and hoped
this course could bring me closer to this making for a stronger application.

3. Exploring new options in my career. Looking
where I saw my career progressing onto.
Establishing where I wanted my career to progress.
Beginning my search for a new teaching role that would allow my transition to
combine performing and teaching.
Overcoming my initial reservations about this search for a new role.
My discovery of a company called Mainstream Theatre Arts (MTA), who is now my
current employers.
Explanation of how my new role has helped me to progress.

4. Why I chose to explore ‘Does a teaching role within the arts
impedes the opportunity to perform’ as my inquiry Focus.
My career reflection and analysis looking at why many other performers had chosen to teach.
With my choice to pursue a more permanent teaching role it seemed obvious to investigate the
effects of teaching and performing cohesively and what effect this could have on others
whether positive or negative.
By taking on a teaching role full time I became pulled away from performance opportunities
more than I first thought.
I thought could teaching really be seen as a benefit or hindrance when applying for
performance work. So I wanted to know what the likes of casting directors and fellow
performers felt about this.
Reasons why many
performers turn to
teaching?
15
10
5
0

5. How I went about investigating this-my inquiry
methods.
I used many methods to obtain opinions on what the combination of a performance and
teaching role in performing arts could provide. By holding:
- one to one interviews,
- focus groups,
- and producing a survey
I hoped to gain a true indication of the impact a combined teaching and performance role was
perceived from other industry professionals.
All of this information I hoped would provide me personally with the reassurance to aid
my transition smoothly.
Performers
Combined teaching performers
Teachers
Student Performers
6% 6%
47%
41%
Participants:

6. The outcome of my inquiry and what I discovered
During my inquiry I was able to address other issues such as what casting directors were
looking for at auditions and what they felt the best way to present a CV to catch their attention.
Finding what I personally would want from experienced professionals gave me further insight
into how my decision to combine performance and teaching could affect me long term.
The information I received especially from my surveys proved extremely compelling and as a
result I compiled graphs and charts to show a true representation from across the board of
participants.
Does teaching benefit a performer’s CV Presentation Can/should a teaching and
career? Yes include performance role be combined
performance and for a long term career?
teaching credits to
show continuous Indifferent No Yes
Yes teaching can 21% employment
20% benefit a No keep
performers performance and
career teaching credits
54% separate 20%
No teaching 25%
21% 59% won't benefit a Difficult decision
6%
performers its dependant on 74%
career the type of job you
are applying for.

7. My Professional Artefact:
Why I chose to produce an advice booklet to show
how my inquiry has helped me and could be useful to
others.
Having received responses from over 30 different professionals all connected to the
performing arts industry I felt I had collected enough information from which to produce an
advice booklet from.
This would be my Professional artefact and something which my inquiry had been heading
towards. Having gained varied insight which had personally given me reassurance, guidance
and cause for me to revaluate my personal situation.
The basis for creating my Professional artefact in the form of an advice booklet which would
cover issues such as:
- The expectations and realities of the performing arts industry.
- What combining a teaching and performance role in the arts could do for your career?
- The impact combining both teaching and performance credits on the same CV could have.
- General advice from: Casting professionals, Professional performers, current Performing
teachers, Teachers and Training performers.

8. Having gone through this whole experience what I
have learned and what I will take forward for
my future career.
Looking at how I have simplified the choices that come with combining a
performance and teaching role.
How I believe my new role with MTA goes hand in hand with the path of my degree
course, and has given me the opportunity to work in a position of relevance to my
studies that started out as just an idea.
Prior to this course I never thought I would have had the confidence and knowledge
to apply myself to such a role.
The realisation that performing is very much my passion with teaching coming a
close second.

9. Thank you for your time please feels
free to ask any Questions.
????