TASK 3a - Current networks

My initial reflection on my current professional networks highlighted that each individual practice I engage in, has it's own individual network. These individual networks are of course connected and overlap, thus creating one big network within the world of my practice. In order for me to establish the methods and tools I am using to create and maintain my network, I had to break down and simplify each individual practice, to then create a map of my larger practice as a whole. I did this in the following diagram journal:

This map of my networks really helped me to clearly visualise my different networks, what I found most interesting, is that the diagram journal allowed me to see how inter-connected my practises really are. I always thought my work as a teacher and performer separate, but it has been brought to my attention that there is a network cross over in my two different areas practices.

• Facebook - I have three facebook pages. One for my comedy character, 'Andy Winehouse', one for the theatre school and my personal account. The character facebook page enables me to connect with people in character and helps me maintain the facade of the character. I mention it after every performance in hope to build the network. Take flight theatre school has it's facebook page too and is linked to the website. I also have my own personal page, that seems to be used by directors and writers also, even though this is personal, it is a huge connection to many future employers and I have had many job offers from facebook. This is a fantastic networking tool and a very good place to start your search in connecting to people. It seems even other networking tools connect through facebook, like twitter and blogs. I like to call it, mother network to networking.

• Twitter - Take flight has a twitter account. It's used to reach the local area and shout about up and coming events. Twitter is something in the network communication world I looked at earlier in a blog titled, TASK 1b: Reader in professional communication technologies (part 2 - Twitter). Here I use my current network to find out how my friend Helen is networking. The blog shines a slightly negative light on twitter and my friend's review of this networking tool described it as, "quite irritating", saying, "I don't really want to be telling 'tweetsville' what I am having for my dinner".  I have to say I agree with Helen Colley, It's a great tool for selling a business like my theatre school, but as a performer I am more than just a business, this is also my life. Privacy is clearly still important to some people.

• You Tube - I have a promotional video (hyper-linked) for my comedy act. This is a fantastic networking method, often in meeting a potential employer, all I have to do is pull out the iphone and away you go. An act that I am trying to sell now has it's own portable video, giving a visual taster of my work. The views and comments on the video also help gather an idea of how the act is received by the public.

• Showcase - In short, a chance for you to perform your act in a room full of potential clients. Arranged by a cabaret agent and just like a variety show, different acts do a performance set and then hope that they get booked. It's marketing time for your cabaret business.

• TES - 'The largest network of teachers in the world', this is a great connection to the teaching industry. Here I can connect and converse web forums, from classroom issues to teacher pensions, it is a professional network full of people in your industry. Link: http://www.tes.co.uk

• London Drama - A subscription network that also connects you to other teachers, but this time specifically to drama. It provides me with access to drama practitioner workshops and conferences, where again useful connections can be made specific to your field. Link: http://www.londondrama.org/

• Goldsmiths University - In true old fashion style, I knocked on a door of opportunity and by chance it opened. This act of bravery has now given me contact with Amanda Kipling, head of the drama PGCE course. I can go along to her classes and observer but also connect to training drama teachers too.

• Catherine Cook - I have discussed Catherine's work in my blog, TASK 2d - Inquiry. She is very valuable to my network and provides me with an insight into the teaching profession.

• Agent's, Casting directors, Spotlight, Parties and functions - A hard network to break into. This corner of my network is something I have been nurturing since my final year of drama school. It seems to be about being at the right place at the right time, who you know helps. Once you have the agent connection, the rest should fall into place, that is if the agent is well connected. It is basically a chain that ends with you and getting to the top of the chain can be an arduous affair. A useful place to go is a theatre opening night party or a film's wrap party, here is where the top dogs tend to dwell. The fictional word 'schmoozing' is the only way to describe it, I hate it and I'm not very good at it. I once offended a casting director because I didn't recognise her, she never auditioned me again. From that moment on, I banned myself from theatre parties.

• Friend's and colleagues - For me the most important. This is where the golden network is, you can always rely on a friend for information, support or work. This is where experience plays a big hand in my network, every job I do I take a handful of great people with me. They are friends at first, I want nothing from them, but just the other day a fellow actor sent me a message via facebook explaining he was a director now and would I audition for me. In my eyes the most valuable networking tool available to me.

There is a world of networking that others in my field use that I am yet to discover, Stage Status. My earlier blog already explored the world of Stage Status, it seems to be the way interactive web 2.0 platforms are developing. Like the above mentioned TES, big general networks are now cornering off and becoming specific to a certain industry. At first I liked the idea, I described it as, "one big theatrical party full of potential useful connections to make". It does help eradicate any of the pressures that come with networking in the flesh. However I am still yet to join, my apprehension in signing up maybe an indication that I'm not fully convinced. A question arises, how much networking can one do before your industry has enough of you? I think networking needs to be clean and tasteful, joining too many communication technology websites may give you more connection in your industry, but I want to stay in demand and not over display my presence. I do have a professional reputation to uphold. I am aware that Stage Status is available to me, I'd like it to stay that way for now.

In the first task I completed in this module, I had blogged about the different aspects of my practice (hyper-linked) and how it was hard to connect my work on my CV and the networks my practice brings, Adesola Akinleye gave me a fantastic idea. She has a website that gives an over view of her practice. This could be a fantastic network connection and give me a through line to all my networks, it could act as a super hub to all my networks and this could encourage more inter-connection between my different practices. Also, I have been looking at my personal facebook, I am thinking of creating another. My current facebook seems to be a professional and personal networking platform at the moment. I would like to separate these, especially with being a teacher, this separation will give me that air of confidentiality I need. My personal facebook can have photo's of me on holiday for my mum to enjoy, but my professional world can be oblivious. This is all about creating the presence I want in my professional network, to achieve this I need to have a facebook that dedicates itself to connecting with other professionals. What I don't want to see is a director's comment under a photo of my work, next to a comment by my mother telling me, I'm still her baby. Many practitioners are having work facebook's now, Stephen Mear for example, I worked for him in 2006 and now he actually has someone working for him who is solely responsible for his professional network. It's taking the personal aspect out of the professional networking - let's talk business.

Upon reflecting on my network there is an old issue I have I feel I need to address. The motives of others within my networks. "It's not what you know, it's who you know", "you never know who is going to be there" and "work the room", these are just a few items of theatrical advice I've heard time and time again. I find it tiresome, things idea of the constant proving of who you are and how you deserve to be there. Does my CV just decorated my network? I don't understand, when as a professional do we arrive in a place where I know you, you know me and we can get on with what we all came here to do, be practitioners. I guess there is some accepting to do, there seems to be only one type of practitioner and that is a networked one. This does leave me with a feeling of insincerity to a network within the theatre arts, this feeling is rooted in the truth that we are all on the network for one reason, we may want something. This truth has been realised by many practitioners, the key could be the acknowledgement that there is nothing wrong with engaging in a relationship that is purely work based, in view of the interest of improving your career. This acknowledgement may free up this sense of ulterior motives, but how far do you trust these relationships? How good is it for your well being as a person, to engage in such relationships that only want you for the value of the contact? When do we start behaving like humans and not like ambitious animals? This also links back to the protection of my confidentiality. If I'm to engage in this network, I need to make it clear who is in my work and who is in my life.

Moving forward with my current network, I want to play with some ideas of how it can be developed and improved. I think I will start by the above mentioned facebook separation, this will make the divid between life and practice clearer. I would love to explore the idea of having a website, this would be a great tool to unify my networks. I need to look into how it could work for me and what maintaining it would entail. But more importantly, where can I connect with more people with the knowledge of transforming from actor to teacher? Is there a networking site for training teachers? What blogs exist out there that might give me these connections I seek? This will all help in pointing my network to one of the future, a drama practitioner's network that is underlined by my past experiences, surrounded by other drama practitioners and in the centre, me the drama teacher. The first thing I noticed when I looked at the diagram of my network was that it told a story of my career, it was like my network was a comment on my practice. I realise now that who you know is important, if I'm saying that your networks are the very plot of the story of my practice, the quality of those connections within that network is vital and in constant need of nursing. One needs to invest in their professional network.