So today, I finally grew the courage to officially begin the Practice Research Project! Although I have been collecting data and research since the summer, today was officially the day I started on my strict regime and timetable. As I felt completely overwhelmed by theatre project, I am making sure that I am in Uni 9am till 6 pm five days a week whilst researching accordingly on weekends and evenings. This gives me efficient time to study and a structure to my day; it will also prepare me with the discipline needed for working in the real world. I am also ensuring I have some fun; light activities to do during the week so that there is a solid life/work balance. I will also be eating healthy and doing some workouts to try and give my body the best chance it has at fighting my condition (ME/CFS). This means hopefully - unlike theatre project - that I shouldn't be left struggling to get dressed and into university. I feel that the absolute keys to this semester is just plain old hard work, dedication, determination and good use of time management.
As I was sat in the library with my friend Josh, we both agreed that it will be crucial during the process to the process log all of our research and practical work in a log book. It will be vital we know every piece of research and process inside out and the easiest way to format that is through reflection. Although we don't specifically get marked on a log book, we do get marked on a evaluation, which means, we need to fully understand the in's and out's of the process; backwards, forwards and upside down!
I started out my study session by reading through the module handbook again and writing out key features I need to constantly refer back to during the process.
As you can see, I just highlighted certain key terms within the aims of the PRP and then wrote out what the PRP is actually all about. I almost compared it in my mind to a science experiment; there needs to be good solid grounds for the research that justify an investigation. As my supervisor was trying to sway me to do a dissertation - with a surplus of students wanting to dissertations - I have to make sure that I am fulfilling the criteria and justification needed for the PRP to ensure it is what I end up doing.
Throughout this course, I seem to have been completely drawn to theatre for social change. I have a great passion for trying to convey a 'message' or 'feeling' for those who may not have a voice or platform to speak on of there own. With this in mind, and following on from earlier idea, on a piece called 'Listen to ME'. I thought, what better way to get across the struggles of having a invisible illness than through the medium of drama, in which, the person speaking is literally 'invisible'. Radio drama is also my strongest module that I have completed over the past 3 years.
This then sparked onto another idea, in my mind, that I could actually 'investigate' or look into whether radio drama would be an effective tool to use within the communication services of the NHS. My uncle actually happens to be a Dame and Head of the 'University Of Limerick Graduate Entry Medical School' and therefore, not only has access in this, but also an interest in creating new medic's that will provide a high quality of care. Can you create social change through radio drama? It would be a completely new audience. Obviously, I will have to quickly look into the practical and ethical aspects of creating a piece for medic students. It will require a lot of research and responsibility to correctly portray information. I think a massive problem that seems to be a recurring theme throughout a lot of different condition and illness, is that people just simply don't feel listened to. What aspect I look into for this piece I am unsure of yet. But I feel that hopefully with a little more research I can holme into a new tool to help people.
To begin my research I decided to have read of two books just to get the ball rolling!
In the performance studies book by Schechner, I found a really interesting extract about how, technically, a professor demonstrating how to conduct a medical procedure on someone is actually, in itself, a performance (Schechner, 2002). This really excited me as, technically, drama is already being used in within the medical services without students even being fully aware. It discusses how the eager students peer through the glass windows as a person laid on a table, as a prop or actor, lays as the surgeon 'performs' on him. This is definitely a book I will look more into as it opened my eyes to the possibility that there are lots of different ways to approach a PRP question. Beneath every tree is thousands of different roots. I realized I could be slightly less stressed and actually just spend time enjoying the research aspects before the proposal is due in on the 9th February.
I then began delving into the world of radio drama and found these quotes of particular interest.
The book noted above was mentioned and I thought would
be an interesting read for me during the process.
The quotes above seemed to resonate and reinforce the initial idea's I had of why radio drama would be a good avenue to go down for presenting a different perspective to prospective students or those who study in some relation to the care profession. The fact that it is cost effective and seems to reach straight into the 'human consciousness' leads to a very strong foundation for theatre for social change.
I continued reading and actually found that I just need to stop putting so much pressure on myself. If I continue to do research and build up a foundation of idea's then the world can be my oyster!! Overall, although complex I think this is a very interesting idea that could essentially lead to drama benefiting and helping people in a new way.
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