Task 3a - Current Networks

When thinking about how to approach this task I thought that I would take each of the questions and try to answer them individually to make sure that I cover all of the topics to an extent that I can easily check up on and also speak on specific elements in relation to a specific focus and therefore will be listing and answering the questions in this post.

Before answering the questions I decided to have a look at my current networks.  I made a list of everything in my current professional practice that I consider to be a network and then analysed the ways in which I was connect to these.  The list that I created is as follows:

·      Teacher

·      Class

·      Performers

·      Choreographers

·      Musical Theatre/Commercial Dancers

·      BAPP

·      Agent

·      Stage School

·      Clients

·      Friends

·      Family

·      Colleagues

·      Employers

·      BBC/Nickelodeon/Lime Pictures

·      TV & Film Directors

·      Mainstream Education

·      Head Teacher – Mainstream Education

·      Head of Department – Mainstream Education

·      Middle Leaders – Mainstream Education

·      Senior Leadership Team – Mainstream Education

When looking at the above list and beginning to analyse the information which it holds I started to see that many of these link together and that a trace line can be mind to find the origin of my whole network.  On reflection following the analysis I have realised how important networking is, even if I previously haven’t realised that I was in fact ‘Networking’.

What are the current and different ways (tools) that you have, or do, engage your professional network?
And
Are there methods, approaches and technologies that you use socially that might apply and help you develop your professional networking?

There is a great saying; ‘It’s not what you know, it’s who you know’.

I think that in the performing industry there is nothing more true than this statement.  After looking at the different tools of networking that I currently use, or have previously used;

·      Facebook

·      Twitter

·      Blogging

·      Personal Contact Details – Phone Numbers/E-mail Addresses

·      Agent

·      Word of Mouth

I have come to believe that one of my strongest and most successful methods of networking for me has been my network of friends and previous colleagues.  Though the method of word of mouth through my group of friends is the most successful method of networking, in my opinion, due to the influx of social media in the industry, this method would not be as strong without the inclusion of things like Facebook, Twitter and Blogging sites.  It is through these sites that my network of friends is able to strive and work to it’s strongest as I am constantly connected to my friends.  Social media has had a fantastic impact on the way in which professionals within the arts network.  I have found that whilst my Facebook is mainly filled with my friends, I also tend to link up with other professionals that I have come into contact with through my Facebook account.  This enables me to stay in the minds of the professionals that I have worked with and also give them the opportunity to contact me at the click of a button.  This does however throw up some problems with reference to the combining of my private and professional life, similar issue to those that I presented in a previous task.  

Due to the fact that I consider friends and word of mouth to be the strongest and most natural way to network, it is the way that I choose to network the most.  I consider this to be one of the best ways to network due to the fact that a positive relationship can then be included into the working environment, one can have an understanding of how the other likes to work and this can then make the job more enjoyable.  As previously stated there are some problems that can present themselves through working and networking through friends and the establishment of friendships.  One of the most prominent possible problems that could be presented through this kind of work is the blurring of the fine line that stands between professional and personal.  When working with friends I am always careful that the barrier between my professional and personal world isn’t crossed.  The way that I am able to ensure this is mainly due to my change in attitude as soon as the professional scenario has been entered.  With this being said, it is always important to remember that having a positive, friendly relationship with the people I work with will usually enhance my work and the working environment.  

What are the established (and different) ways that others use their networks, especially if they are more established or experienced practitioners that you admire?

When working with more established or experienced practitioners, at first I was quite ‘star struck’ due to the fact that I often admired their works or have an understanding of their works and the success that they held through these. 

Lots of established choreographers have Facebook, Twitter, a blog or their own website which they can be contacted directly through.  They, commonly, will use these aspects of social media to advertise job opportunities, castings that they are holding, perspective projects that they are considering or shows that they are currently working on.  The use of social media in these ways is allowing them to build upon and thus develop their industry network. 

When training I have lots of contact with industry professionals who were brought in to the stage school to either teach classes or deliver lectures.  I found that not only was this a great way for me, as a student, to build my network, this was also consider a great way for the professional to build their network.  Occasional, professional choreographers would hold impromptu auditions for up coming work within the classes that they were teaching.  This meant that they were able to build their network in three different ways at once; they were teaching for a stage school and therefore building up contacts with the owner and other teachers, they were auditioning dancers to build their network of potential cast members and also they were meeting students who admired their work and therefore promoting their profile amongst the next generation of dancers. 

Having professional choreographers come in to the stage school and audition me from an early age was something that I found very useful to start building up my professional network.  I found this particularly useful when graduating as not only did I have a network of professional choreographers, I was also in the network of those their I have auditioned and performed along side. 

After speaking to one of my friends that works professionally within the arts I heard of the how she is relentless in the building of her professional network.  She told me about how she auditions every year as a stage dancer for shows like The X-factor just to be able to meet and speak to the choreographers that work on the show.  She said that even though the show holds auditions yearly, they always seem to have the same cast of dancers, with possibly a few exceptions, due to the choreographer knowing how those dancers work.  This method of networking has recently paid off as she has managed to gain a part of a different ITV show working with some of the same choreographers.

When you reflect upon current networks, can you think about the motives of others to be in the network and what values and purpose they have in mind?

Due to the impact of Web 2.0 on networking, networks and never solely used by the person who has originally built up the network.  The individuals network can be accessed and used by a third party to their advantage and therefore it is common that others will try to build themselves into strong networks and use them to their advantage as they have not had to put in the work that is needed to build up a strong for themselves.  Therefore the superior motive of a third party to join a successful network would be to reap the rewards of being a part of such a network with minimal work output on their part. 

What would your ideal network look like and why?
And
What realistic things could you do to work towards developing your ideal network?

As I have previously stated, my favorite method of networking, and therefore the basis for my ideal network, is the use of my network of friends and the use of word of word of mouth.  The main reason that this is my ideal method of networking is due to the fact that whilst I can come across as a very confident person, my confidence really does show when I am working with people that I have already built a positive relationship with. 

To develop into my ideal network I would have to be for proactive in ‘putting myself out there’ to a greater extent.  The first way that I would do this would be to create professional social media accounts which I could link up with only the people that I would like in my professional circles on.  I could also widen my knowledge of established practitioners and different types of practitioners that are not within my precise areas of expertise.  I am happy with the quality of my networks as they stand but do understand that I commonly achieve in the area that I feel safe and to be able to get out of my safety zone I need to expand my networks to my students and their parents through the use of word of mouth, thus continuing my network cycle and building upon itself. 

What tools and methods do you need to use? What do you know about your current, and intended networks, and importantly, what do you not know?

In today’s 21^st industry, Web 2.0 is a very important tool within networking.  It gives people the ability to be connected within their networks at all times and allows individuals to build on their networks through their contacts.  With this being a very important tool I do also believe that another very important tool is word of mouth and the ability to speak to people in a positive way and a way that is going to make you stay prominent in that persons mind.  With regards to the different things that I do not yet know, I think that there will be many things that fit this category, and not just for me but for everyone.  With the continuous development in social interaction, there are constantly things that not everyone will understand, but I think that one of the most important things that I have learnt about the successful building of networks is to not solely rely on the use of Web 2.0 and meeting and speaking to individuals face-to-face is still something that will make a more memorable impact.