1. Could you tell us how you would identify yourself as a practitioner and the context in which you’d like to work including who your audience or target market would be?
Over my three years at university, I have had to find my own identity as a practitioner and performer. This has been challenging at times in certain modules particularly at the start of my studies, I found it more difficult to make my voice and ideas heard. However, through this struggle I have developed my skills and found my own voice. Part of this has come with me finding my own style and what I find important to speak about.
It is my belief that we are living in an extremely important time for women’s right; the #MeToo movement began a powerful and important intervention in the systematic oppression and abuse of women especially within the entertainment industry which has only continued and grown since. Women are angry; and rightfully so. Whilst moves have been made towards equality, it is clear we still have a long way to go until this is fully achieved. It is through seeing these changes and acknowledgment of longstanding abuses of power that I have become more interested in Feminist theory and performance and over time, this has massively influenced my work.
It is because of this I would consider myself to be a practitioner who specialises in feminist performance and the experiences of women, both in practical performance and in academic writing. I would also describe myself as an art activist, using my work to engage the public, sparking conversations about topics which may not otherwise be started. A huge part of this is my ambition to educate the public on the untold stories of women throughout history. For a long time the only stories that have been recorded and noticed are those of powerful white men, which denies recognition of the experiences of women, ethnic minorities and other marginalised groups. The only way I believe that we can overcome this is to rediscover those stories through research and translate them into art, be that onto the stage, canvass, screen or otherwise. For me this means involving myself fully in that research and condensing that into scripts and performances for the stage as well as academic research. As a practitioner, I also have specific interest and focus on academic writing. Through my accompaniment writings I am able to unpack the meaning and importance behind my performances and delve into the questions surrounding them.
Because of this, I would conclude that my audience for the work I have so far completed is one that is open to learning, and I believe my work could have significant bearing in an educational setting, in schools and universities. This is because in telling stories about strong women which have often been left untold we can allow young women to see themselves on stage and be empowered by that.
2. How is your identity as a practitioner both reflected in the portfolio; and produced by the portfolio?
My identity as a practitioner is clearly reflected in my professional portfolio. I have used a range of my work from both second and third year to evidence my learning and growth throughout that period. The common feature all the works displayed in my portfolio is that they all focus on feminist issues and ideas. This is central to my work and writings and is what I would consider to be my main focus when writing and creating work. By focusing so clearly on one area I have been able to develop my understanding around it and tune my writing to. This passion for feminism and empowering women has become an integral part of my identity as a practitioner.
My work, like myself, is unapologetically feminist and does not claim to be otherwise. This is the same for my portfolio. All the work showcased is surrounding an issue which I find important and impactful, partially because of my own experiences as a woman. In displaying all these issues so clearly in my portfolio I make this abundantly clear.
This being said, the work I’ve created on the course including those showcased in my portfolio has helped me evolve into the artist that I am. In exploring the subjects as a performer and creator, I have found what my talents and main interests are, which means I can focus on these skills and hone my craft. This is especially clear in my academic writing, with my main focus throughout the three years being on women’s issues, by compiling some of my favourite projects into my portfolio I am able to explain the meaning behind the projects and show my abilities to possible future employers.
3. Drawing on evidence from your portfolio, what would you identify as the most significant moments of insights to your learning as a practitioner?
My third year was perhaps the most enlightening time for myself as a practitioner in learning about my identity as a practitioner and my own personal interests. The ability to choose what I work on and doing so on my own allowed me not only to truly focus on subjects that interested me, but also forced me to work individually, acting as my own motivator and setting my own deadlines. My IPAR, Deeds Not Words, was especially instrumental in doing this. In my portfolio I briefly explain the challenges of working on my own was, acting as researcher, writer, director and performer was certainly challenging, but I was extremely proud of the end result and hope to be able to perform it in the future.
I would also consider the In Their Shoes project in second year to be one of the most important moments for developing my identity as a practitioner. In this module, I was given the opportunity to meet with multiple charities which allowed me a glimpse into their work and has driven my passion to be involved with supporting women. It also helped me learn more about the troubling statistics surrounding sexual violence, a point which I explore and point out in my portfolio. The reactions we received from the public, briefly discussed in my portfolio, also drove my ambition to work towards exploring and helping t solve the issues raised. This is particularly true of the negative rections, most of which were from men and the older population. This only my opinion that the need for awareness and education is still massive.
Lastly, my dissertation acted in many ways as a culmination of my interests, work and research over the past three years. In using this as a conclusion, I was able to showcase my growth over the three years. An therefor I thought it was appropriate to display this in my portfolio.
4. What do you want to do next and how do you think your portfolio evidences and helps this ambition?
My aim, moving on from my time at York St John University is to work in some capacity helping women, with a particular interest in the role of support worker, potentially with women experiencing domestic abuse. I have been looking for jobs in this area through the internet during this time of self isolation and have found several positions I endeavour to apply for, and I have tailored my portfolio to aide these applications.
Throughout my portfolio I have showcased my passion for feminist issues and supporting women; using every section to highlight moments in my student career in which I have explored these issues. However, I chose not to focus on a singular form like writing or performance and instead looked at three very different projects. In doing so I hope to show my adaptability and some of the extent to which I can apply my knowledge.
I have also used my CV and personal statement to show how I have also exhibited this outside of University, pointing to my work with KYRA as well as the opportunity I was given with the Shakespeare on Screen Project which have both helped me grown as an individual and given me experience of working with vulnerable women.
Overall, I believe my portfolio highlights my passion for the subjects and this will be evident to those looking at it from an employment angle.