I believe my inquiry will not only benefit myself but also my work colleagues and fellow BAPP arts students who are performers themselves. I will do this by researching, identifying and providing knowledge and information on how to become a successful performer, how to develop yourself and also provide entertaining and memorable shows/performances for an audience.
I have noticed within my WBL corporation that we as performers on the cruise are frequently reminded of our job as 'entertainers', our job is to entertain the guests. Since cruise ships is a vacation industry. we have to provide broadway style shows and make sure the guests feel like they are enjoying themselves.
During my inquiry, I aim to research and respond to my findings, my goal is to better myself and my cast onboard the Carnival Paradise if I can accomplish it, set up investigating and find a successful formula for creating memorable performances. I hope to develop good practice by carrying out my investigation and also hope to empower and give suggestions and inspiration to my colleagues and associates. I hope to build a shared vision of great performance and entertainment to my cast onboard my ship.
The ideas for conducting my inquiry are as follows:
Using my hosting qualities that are encouraged within my workplace, I would like to follow through with some Qs and As to guests pre watching our shows then follow up afterward. I would like to conduct informal interviews and ask them:
-What makes a show entertaining for you?
-What draws the most attention to you when watching a performer?
-What makes the show most enjoyable for you and your family?
-Why do you come to shows?
After watching the shows I would like to follow up with them and ask what they though, what entertained them the most, who they watched the most, what drew attention and what their overall experience was like.
My inquiry is a genuine area of interest, it is real and it is sustainable. I may not be able to get a right or wrong answer, or something that is definite or mutually felt/agreed upon. I believe that this is going to be an extensive research programme, and a lifetime inquiry, for me, I will never stop learning and growing as a performer. I will seek to continue learning and researching on this line of inquiry throughout my career as a performer.
I plan to conduct my research by capturing evidence and being stimulated within my workplace. I will plan to build/utilise real life ongoing activity and experience whilst conducting it in an ethical way. This will act to inform my professional practice.
Reading through the material for part 6 I believe my research will be conducted in a more qualitative sense. It will be 'interpretivistic' in its nature and be led by social and individual perspectives. Although my research is being situated as it is specifically going to be monitored in my place of work (onboard a cruise ship) I hope that this will not hinder my results or limit them in any way. I do not intend to create a hypothesis and determine an answer or theory; my research will be non bias and free in its nature. I do not intend to prove or predict a theory.
During my research I will use observational methods that will involve me being a participant of the event being studied but I will also act as an outsider and be a freestanding/sideline viewer. I will be observing and collecting my research by noting reactions given by the audience during our shows, both collecting reactions that are verbal and non verbal. I will not only be asking them physically face to face their views and opinions but also observing their reactions and behaviour during the performances themselves.
Its important to note the diversity of age, culture, religion, values and group types of both crew and passengers. This is a widely diverse ship that welcomes and supports many different backgrounds and ethnicity's. This is good for my research as I can work with a very broad array of people that can assist greatly in my results being not only fair, but perplexing and interesting due to the diverse sourcing.
I would like to direct my interviews formulating a mix of techniques using:
-a semi structured interview
-informal interviews
I would like to conduct open questions and also topic questions giving my participants a wide scope for response and opinion. Towards the end of the interview I would like however, to pose a leading question to connect to my main line of inquiry.
I would like my questions to be quite open to allow the opportunity for interviewees to speak on behalf of their own free will, although directed by myself, I would not want my participants to feel as if they can only give me a closed response. I would casually introduce them to the topic of the shows and then direct some questions on performance and entertainment in an informal way this is so that my participants do not feel any pressure or under any stress to give an answer they may think I want to hear as a researcher.
I will take written notes afterwards so that my interviewees do not feel under pressure to create an exact response or formal answer. I would also conduct my interviews face to face as I like to take a personal approach.
I will make sure I draft and send an email of my intent and purpose of my inquiry to my department head which is my Cruise Director, I will ask him to sign in agreement and ensure I am under the supervision and permission of a professional body.
As well as interviewing the guests onboard and conducting face to face informal questioning and observation, I would like to construct a focus group utilising my cast members for further development and research into my line of inquiry. I would set up a specific seating plan and will want my focus group to be organised in a formal way which will differ from the informal questioning posed to the guests. Questions will be answered individually, one at a time by each and every member of the group. This would be formal, specific and the terminology used to pose the questions will be relevant to our professional practice. I would have both myself and my dance captain record all responses. I would like all cast members to introduce themselves, their role, age and experience before answering the questions. The focus group will be monitored and managed by both myself and the dance captain to ensure the validity and control of the group.
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