In the height of a crazily busy week, I determined to make sure I somehow created time for this PGcert study in a more positive and productive way. Hence I did the TEF reading and quiz (got GOLD in results!) and the set reading of Vilhauer.
I found this reading quite enlightening. I was refreshingly surprised that the concepts of 'play' in our consumption of art and the theories re "call and response" etc really echoed with me. I was reminded of a contentious module I did back at uni in the mid 1990's in Experimental Film. In my rebellious, 'mouthy' way, I created and curated an alternative film exhibition of installations. Mine was a gold, gilt picture frame with a hole in the centre ... like one of those seaside "You are on Blackpool Pier" kind of things. You put your head into the hole and found you were looking down a narrow box-tunnel. At the end of that was another gilt frame on an easel, with a blank canvas, onto which I projected a video collage. The collage consisted of allsorts of seemingly random pop art artefacts from my own life as a musician and things I loved at the time ... Britpop images, Batman, guitars, etc. And on a loop you had the Joker (jack Nicholson) from Batman repeating endlessly the phrase "Well I don't know if it's art ... but I like it" My point was that I hated (and still do) any form of elitist thinking re art. At the time I had reacted very controversially to being shown a Steve McQueen installation video. I just despised and reacted very badly to all that kind of what I considered 'arty-farty-twaddle'. My argument and my point re my own exhibition was that just by the very act of placing a work in a gallery setting and an audience choosing to come and participate ... that two way exchange, regardless of subjective opinion on quality or statement ... made it, by the act of consumption, 'art'. The act of the to and fro between work (artist) and consumer (viewer / audience) creates the fission and the inner (and outer) response in the viewer creates the meaning. Whatever that meaning is to each individual ... even when it appears to be no meaning at all. This was what I was arguing. But my tutors didn't agree. Oh had I had this reading to quote and back me up! Coming from a performance background, with hundreds of hours on stage as a singer, feeling the pull and push of an audience ... the sense of you've 'got them' or you're losing them, these were the elements that always informed my uni work and to this day my own film / TV work and especially my tutoring - especially the art of lecturing - a concept art in itself! Te concept of of the 'dance' between art (piece / performer) and 'receiver' (audience) is the essence of - the true nature of performance based art. The work grows (song, film, theatre play) and is often never completed ... developing and changing and growing, instilling new life / thoughts / meanings as time embraces the life of the work, it's creator and its audience. It is never static. Any work of art, in my opinion, is only ever completed when (if) an audience takes the the communicative action of 'consumption'. As historical time passes, cultural responses, taste based responses (fashion) evolve or devolve the meaning of any work. Meaning is only ever in the reception of the work. It's a game between creator and audience.
Re 'Play' in educational setting, I often use play in lectures be that live or online. sadly, I have had almost a year now of not being in a lecture theatre. I love one of my usual unit intro sessions for THE SCRIPT - a unit that is a whole term of screenwriting (one of my pro-specialisms). In the intro session, I use a collection of hats that I get the students to put on and take off and throw around to illustrate having to put on different hats when writing to when directing etc ... and an inflatable world globe I throw around that they pass as they come up with the next line of a story ... "Once upon a time there was a ..." Interpersonal dynamics are paramount in teaching. Working to breakdown tutor-student barriers this way ... reducing the hierarchies to fun driven co-workers (where we can) brings us all into the same arena, levels the playing field, at least in the mood and mindset of the students. Approachability is the key to my teaching style. Allowing interpersonal dynamics to build ... to use 'play' (and humour) affects the 'game' depending on the players of course. Reading this chapter helped me reflect and understand this from a more academic (how I retreat from that word / title!) perspective. One day, I'll no doubt accept that I am now an 'academic' ... I do see myself as a mentor ... an educator. But an academic? With all its
hi-brow connotations? Perhaps I'm in a game with my Self? Ha! It was a good session with Lindsay this week. The pre-study fed really well into the session.
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