My professional practice requires constant reflection; in the rehearsal process for a play, our ideas are constantly evolving and the way in which we play a scene will shift and alter each time we do it. With the help of the course reader and some further reading, I have deepened my understanding of reflective practice by drawing on the theories of various philosophers and academics. This is an initial exploration in which I hope to identify areas for further study.
Art as Reflection
One could argue that theatre, by it's very nature, is reflection. Plays always seek to tell us something about society or the human condition, even when they are not overtly political. I would agree with John Dewey's school of thought discussed in Adesola's reader, that art can help us to engage in society more effectively. I think art helps us to question our thinking and morals and stimulates us into becoming more active thinkers. I believe that learning is something that continues throughout life; watching or participating in art causes us to constantly re-evaluate what we know, and stops us being complacent.
Reflection in/on action & Tacit Knowledge
Actors reflect in various ways; we respond to our surroundings and the other actors around us; indeed one of the first things an actor will be taught at drama school is the widely used mantra, 'Acting is Reacting'. Donald Schon would describe this type of responding as reflection-in-action, responding 'in the moment' whilst the event or experience is happening.
Whilst I was, of course, aware of this process occurring, I had never really considered the distinction that Schon makes between reflection-in-action and the reflection-on-action we do after rehearsing a scene. We may receive formal notes, either written or verbal, from our director, or engage in an informal discussion about the experience. This helps us to develop ideas to explore the next time we rehearse the scene and allows us to ensure that the whole creative team are 'on the same page'. If we engage in a collaborative creative project, reflection cannot be a purely solitary exercise; we need to be able to communicate our reflective thoughts to others and begin to interpret their reflections too. For this reason, I have come to agree with the notions of Karen Osterman (Osterman & Kottcamp, 2004) and Jennifer Moon (Moon, 1999), amongst others, who "have argued the importance of finding ways to articulate tacit knowledge and experiences...because they have understanding and meaning in them that are important to access" (Akinleye, 2010).
I certainly believe in the existence of tacit knowledge (see my previous blog); a type of instinctive knowledge that cannot be expressed in words. In his book, Tacit Dimension, Michael Polanyi states that "...we can know more than we can tell" (Polanyi, 1966). I believe this is particularly true for creative artists, as so much of what we do is based on visceral, instinctive feeling. However, I strive to develop good communication and a rapport with the other creative artists that I work with, and I also hope to teach in the future. It is therefore vital for me to keep searching for ways to access and express my tacit knowledge so that I can pass this on to others.
Creative collaborators often develop long-standing relationships, for example, I know of several directors who will always use the same lighting designer, or like to work with the same actors. This leads me to believe that there may be people who share tacit knowledge, although they may not be consciously aware of the fact. When a director comes across an actor who just seems to 'get' what they want, who has all the same natural instincts about what is needed, they are likely to want to hold on to that actor. I find it extremely exciting to work with people when, having explained our artistic visions as far as we can in words, the other person is simply and inexplicably able to 'fill in the gaps'.
Learning Styles
Looking at learning styles through the work of David Kolb & Howard Gardner has brought me to some conclusions about the ways i which I engage with learning. I have explored these in my previous blog My Learning Style. Having realised that I most commonly enter Kolb's Learning Cycle at the stage of 'reflective observation' & tend to learn best through visual means, I wanted to find out to what extent this knowledge is useful to me in my professional practice.
Many leading psychologists and scientists have questioned the existence of 'learning styles', and their usefulness within a educational environment. In an article with the Daily Telegraph, Susan Greenfield and Frank Coffield raise some interesting and strong criticism of learning style methods as a concept.
"The rationale for employing Vak learning styles appears to be weak. After more than 30 years of educational research in to learning styles there is no independent evidence that Vak, or indeed any other learning style inventory, has any direct educational benefits."
Susan Greenfield, Director, Royal Institute (2010)
"We do students a serious disservice by implying they have only one learning style, rather than a flexible repertoire from which to choose, depending on the context."
Professor Frank Coffield, London University (2010)The criticism of learning styles that I have come across seems to centre around Professor Coffield's belief that students are pigeon-holed and limited by being assessed as one particular type of learner. I agree, to a point, that there is a danger of learners limiting themselves and not reaching their full potential in this way. However, I think it is important to recognise that Gardner did not intend to make people feel that they can only learn in one way, rather that his theories "can be used as a tool for your understanding of how you and others learn" (Akinleye, 2010).
I have found the greatest value in researching these theories comes not from simply understanding the ways in which I am naturally inclined to learn, but in experimenting and challenging myself to try other ways. Every theatre director has their own way of working, and will require different things from their actors. For example, one director might like to do a lot of table work and discuss the text in lots of detail; a kinaesthetic learner might find this difficult and frustrating, they would rather be up on their feet. However, if they want to work well with that director, they will have to step outside their comfort zone and try to engage in a more audio learning style, and make use of their Verbal-linguistic intelligence (one of the 'multiple intelligences' identified by Garner in 1983).
Reflective Tools
Although reflection is a daily part of my professional life, I have until now not been aware of how possible tools or more structured approaches to reflection might help me. I have often kept notebooks during a rehearsal process that include notes from my director, a few of my own thoughts about how I need to progress, and various sketches and pictures that stimulate ideas about the character I am playing. Without consciously meaning to, I have kept reflective journals.
Jennifer Moon has written extensively about the value of journals in reflection, and argues that they can help the learner to "deepen the quality of learning", "understand their own learning process" and "enhance creativity by making better use of intuitive understanding" (Moon, 1999a). Even in the short amount of time I have been keeping one, I have noticed a profound effect on my thinking. I have been able to identify and better articulate my reflections, understand where the major gaps in my learning or experience are, and develop a clearer outlook for the future. I liken it to the process of developing a performance for theatre in rehearsal, we may feel muddled and inconsistent in the character we are playing until we find our 'journey' or 'through-line' through the play. For me, journal writing links together my daily experiences allowing the 'journey' to become clear.
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