Evaluation of my role within the project.

Evaluation 

The purpose of this assignment is to:

1 Understand the range and nature of arts in the community
2 Understand the skills and processes needed to run a community arts project
3 Understand the roles and responsibilities within a community arts project
4 Be able to undertake roles in the setting up and running of a community arts project

Task 2 – Log Book

• You will research a Community Arts company (*see suggestions below.) You will focus on the roles within the organisation and understand how they contribute to the working of different projects. Use an example of one specific project by your given company, analysing the skills and processes needed to run a community arts project.

• You will record the process of creating your Community Arts project. You must identify the roles and responsibilities that you have taken on within this project. You should evaluate the work your group has done, analysing the skills, processes and roles needed to run a community arts project.

Evaluation of my role/responsibilities within the project:

My roles and responsibilities seemed to change week by week throughout this project. One minute I was single handedly delivering an exercise to a very large group of people, and the next I was explaining to Josh one on one the order of our final performance piece slowly and clearly to make sure he understood. Generally, my role was to assist in facilitating the workshops that we had planned at school. However, if you explore what facilitating a workshop for young people with physical disabilities is really like, much more is required than just 'delivering and exercise.' To be successful at facilitating a workshop for young people with physical disabilities, you must ensure that everyone feels included and like an active participant despite any limited capabilities within the group. You must also create a safe and open environment for everyone in the group where each individual feels comfortable being themselves. (workshop receivers and facilitators included) Another thing you must ensure is that you are fully prepared as a facilitator for things to go wrong. When practicing and preparing a workshop everything goes perfectly because you the facilitators have full control over the situation, however when delivering a workshop absolutely anything can happen and you need to be ready and be able to think on your feet. I feel like as an individual facilitator within a large group I contributed fully and succeeded in all of these areas.

Specific examples of things I think I have individually contributed:

Week 1 - In a large group we shared our basic initial ideas and worries about the project, which I feel I fully contributed to, making some very valid points.

Week 2 - In our first proper student led workshop I took on the role of speed dating exercise facilitator, along with Yazmin.

Week 3 - Within a pair I came up with the "Summer nights" initial idea.

Week 4 - I was the impromptu stand in facilitator when someone didn't come in for the "This is not a ball, this is a..." game. To do this with no preparation definitely developed my improvisation and 'thinking on my feet' skills.  

Week 5 -Although I did not lead any specific activities, I felt like I contributed to facilitating week 5's workshop. I  ensured that everyone in my individual groups for each section of the piece was engaged and fully understood what we were doing whilst also having a good time. 

Week 6 - In the final performance I feel like I helped reassure and calm the nerves and anxieties of many of the Valance students, specifically Alex who had missed last weeks session and therefore felt very unprepared for the performance. 

Skills that I have developed over the course of the project:

Confidence, mental stamina, commitment, determination, independance and dedication. I feel like this project has made me more adaptable, more versatile, and more appreciative. I feel more adaptable to different situations and I believe that I could now handle anything thrown my way. I feel more versatile because I now have a deeper understanding and knowledge of physical disabilities, as well as how to accommodate to different people with different individual capabilities. I feel more appreciative of my good fortune in life because I have spent a lot of time with some unfortunate people who seem to be a lot happier and optimistic about life than I am. (I may have said this once or twice already, but I also feel like I can think on my feet more.)

What was the purpose of this project?

I believe the purpose of our specific project was to make us more worldy people. I know that is a very broad saying, but what I mean is that I think the intention of the project was to open our eyes to new and different things in the world, and to push our mental and emotional boundaries past their limits, and to "throw us in at the deep end." Overall, I think one of the main strengths of the project was that it enabled us as individuals to come to the realisation that performing arts is not just for middle class middle aged white people, but for people of all different cultures, ethnicities and capabilities.