#unit2parte

The final report on the End of Year Celebration.

My personal reflection

My personal experiences from this event were inspirational. I have never had to put on an event before or think about the practical issues and views that are involved in putting on an arts event. So from thinking about spacing my poetry notes around, artistically and creatively and the projector being projected onto the wall. I had to make sure that none of this was getting in the way of anyone’s artwork or the stage where people were performing. Then of course I had to help with loading the equipment and instruments into the venue and decorating it. 

Of course I first thought that putting on an event would be easy and that wouldn’t have to do much but put in suggestions about what we could do. I then learned that there is a lot of communication involved which I’m not use to or comfortable with. I really had to learn to be part of the team. For example when it came to the promotion side I thought that my group would decide on how we do the promo and one be just way of doing it like say it we decided to just make a Facebook page advertising the event (which we did), but then Zahra explained that to engage as many people as we can that we would need to do more. There were also planning that we had to do with the posters and promo. Once the posters were all printed out and finished, me and Beth went into cowely road and posted them into shops. 

The planning side was probably the most hardest for me. This was because I’ve never be great at planning anything so this was a real challenge for me. I’ve always been the spontaneous type or “wait the till the very last minute” type. So by the end of all the planning for The End of year Celebrations I think that I have really improve on this skills and talent, which I was lacking. 

When it came to the problems that came up I don not feel that I handled them as well as I could of done. When the drunk man came in, instead taking control of the situation which I should of done because I was the oldest in our group. I just hid in the other room and waited for someone else to sort it out. I felt bad about this but also the spoken word that I had performed that night had left me a little emotional and not in the mood to deal with anyone which is wrong because I have a responsibility as the event organiser to control the problems. I think that my emotions getting the best of me was quite a problem for me on the night because it also effected my spoken word performances. 

I think overall the event and the planning has really helped me grow. From being a introvert and not having other people know or get involved in my poetry to becoming more comfortable with my poetry and speaking out about it. When the event started and I was doing my interactive I was to start off with really shy and not being inviting tot the audience. At the time I believed that my poetry being projected onto the walls would be enough to bring people to the laptop and get involved. 

Feedback from my peers on the performance night. 

So how I gathered my feedback for this event was that I asked my peers on social. Facebook messager. 

The point of this was because constructive comments will help me in the future. 

Beth Shearsby 

I think that your role throughout the event was really well done. You communicated what you were wanting to well with us all, making team work easy. You took responsibility for your part of the event on the day and managed it all very well. I loved what you did with the interactive poetry, it was a unique idea that got a lot of people engaged! The post it notes were another great idea and really fitted within the event. Something to develop would be perhaps to have a larger projection, and - if you were feeling able to - ask members of the audience personally if they would like to contribute poetry or what they thought of a piece if you saw them reading it(?)

Zahra Tehrani 

Some feedback from Zahra the director of YWMP:

How well do you think I have done on my side of the project?

I think your ideas have been fresh, new and exciting, we have never hosted anything like this as part of YWMP. You are starting to form new ideas and see them through which is an important part of becoming a leader. Communicating your needs for this work to be achieved is key and you have really shown growth with asking for help when you need it.

Was there anything I could have done better ?

The only thing you could have improved on is maybe doing a bit of further promotion with the poetry element, signposting it to audiences that may be interest like youth clubs and schools.

I agree with the feedback that I have gotten from Zahra and Beth because Zahra’s advice on what I could do better is because I could of definitely done more promo for poetry element and I need to maybe be more motivated and proactive on the promotions side. 

Some of Beth’s feedback I did not agree with because I feel like she was being overly positive. I do not believe that I did as well as she may believe I did. Maybe I am just being hard on myself. 

Things I would of change:

So if I were to do this again here are just some of the things that I may have done differently if I could. 

1. Be more confidant when making decisions within the group.                        This shows better leadership skills and communication skills.                                  I will be more involved in the project.

2. Be more organise and not plan or do things at the last minute.                         This is because it shows sloppiness and that I am never prepared.                       If I had planned ahead then it will have caused less stress than it did. 

What worked really well? I think the whole project at hand, work well as the collaboration between us photographers receiving comments on my content, whilst communicating and exchanging ideas with and the head of productions. We were able to plan out a plan for the display for the photos and create several scripts for the rest of the crew, whilst they were away.

What didn’t go so well? There wasn’t an issue that couldn’t be solved if anything the printer was just an annoyance as the ink unexpectedly ran out and we had to stop printing.

Did you stick to the project plan? Yes, I stuck to the plan Miriam and myself devised with the helping assistance of the heads production, telling us to change only a few minor things or to add quotes on the display or to consider the shape of the quotations and what type of font to use.

If you had to write the project plan again what would you change and why? The improvements that I would have made, would be to complete reviews on the days we did them, instead of waiting till edit week to finish off each section of our arts award, as this would have created a more accurate response and not so rushed.

What did other people think? The crew gave back good feedback about what photos they liked for the final selection and told me to lighten naturally dark photos on photoshop as it would look nicer.

What have you learnt from this feedback? I have learnt to choose from a range of photos, and to consider adding small touches to the photos, to enhance the photo’s quality, such as rising the vibrancy levels or taking away the saturation. All the feedback I have received is needed to improve the exhibition.

REVIEWING ROLE IN THE PROJECT: What leadership skills did you develop? The leadership skills I developed were, my communication and planning skills due to me starting the project I lacked in those areas and knew that these skills, in particular, were essential for a leader role. I have learnt that being a leader, you learn to compromise and accept that not everyone may like or envision the same idea as you, that you collectively work together to brainstorms ideas that everyone has a say in.

What was the best thing about working with others on the project? Working with a wide age range of people, is great because I wouldn’t normally converse with people who are three or two years younger than me because I am sixth form student and I am constantly surrounded by people my age or older. This has allowed to me to see from a younger person’s perspective and know that I share similarities with people much younger than myself. I have also learnt new skills from working with the crew, and I have given out my advice as well.

What was difficult about working with others? The only difficulty I faced was incorporating everyone’s ideas after brainstorming, as many of the members were very adamant on keeping some aspects from lessons we were taught on saturdays and not everyone agreed, so I had to find a middle ground in which I incorporate some of the improv sketches we created on the saturday but added new elements into it.

How would approach working with others on a similar project in the future? I would approach projects like this with a positive attitude and the skills I learnt from this project.

What do you know now about being a leader that you didn’t know before? I know that being a leader isn’t easy, as you must be organised and make sure that everyone has a role within each group task or project. You also have to plan ahead and make sure we have all the resources we need to complete the task.

What worked really well?

I was able to communicate with my group leaders, the cannibal goldfish member, in particular Yasmin, and collectively brainstorm ideas , plan and carry out a project.

What didn't go so well?

Everything i intended to carry out went to plan although i did have some trouble printing my images due to the ink running out. 

Did you stick to the project plan?

Yes, as i carried out all of my action plan, frequently regrouping with Yasmin and the group leaders to see what is done and what needs to be done.

If you had to write the project plan again what would you change and why?

If i had to change the project plan i would change the board display and probably use a bigger board as it was hard to narrow down the photos to just 21.

What did other people think?

The group members and leaders were happy with our final selection and display images as we reflected the whole summer project in the exhibition. 

What have you learnt from this feedback?

I have learnt that it good to chose a variety of photos not just images form one particular day. Also, that feedback is necessary in helping improve the project.

Reviewing role in the project:

What leadership skills did you develop?

I aimed to develop my planning, managing and communication skills as i know that they are key skills required for being a leader. I have learnt that being a leader is not just about being persistent on just your ideas but collectively incorporating everyones ideas and allowing everyone to work as a team.

What was the best thing about working with others on the project?

The best thing about working with others is that you get to meet new people who have ideas and views that may be similar or different to your own which allows you to see things from a different perspective. I addition you get to learn new skills from others and also i teach others something they may not have known or want to improve on.

What was difficult about working with others?

The difficult thing was that some people were very persistent about their ideas being used which made it harder to incorporate everyones ideas.

How would approach working with others on a similar project in the future?

i would approach a project in the future using the knowledge and skills that i have acquired during this project.

What do you know now about being a leader that you didn't know before?

I know now that being a leader is hard as you have to incorporate everyones ideas and make everyone feel as if they are involved. As well as that you have to plan ahead and you can't improvise a task.

Are there any tips you would give to someone else who may like to run a similar project?

i would tell them to frequently ask for feedback during their project and always communicate and regroup with the rest of group in order to make sure that their project is a success. 

WHAT WORKED REALLY WELL?:

Well, actually quite a lot of it went really, really well to be honest. The initial design process was a great way for me to get creative with logo concepts (t’was also an interesting insight into how pitching ideas works), and finalizing the design in Photoshop was a blast. So yeah, overall the project was great!

WHAT DIDN’T GO WELL?:

Eh, I don’t think anything really went badly during this project honestly. Everything sorta just went according to plan, especially since all it really involved was me working a ton on logos. All in all, nothing went wrong because there wasn’t really much to go wrong in the first place.

DID YOU STICK TO THE PROJECT PLAN?:

To the letter. The plan itself was pretty simple anyways (come up with designs to present, feedback, develop idea, feedback, final touches, final feedback), so it wasn’t that hard to keep to overall.

IF YOU HAD TO WRITE THE PROJECT PLAN AGAIN WHAT WOULD YOU CHANGE AND WHY?: 

...I wouldn’t change a thing. The original plan was simple and got straight to the point, so changing it would’ve just made it too overly complex. Sometimes it’s best to leave things as they are.

WHAT DID OTHER PEOPLE THINK?:

From what I’ve heard, they’re really super-proud of the logo and some people have even said it “looks really professional”, which is quite nice since I try to put as much effort into my work as possible.

WHAT HAVE YOU LEARNT FROM THIS FEEDBACK?:

I’ve learnt from this that involving the rest of the team in many of the key decisions does help them feel that it’s more of a group project than if, say, I sat in a corner and straight-up designed a logo from scratch on my own. I also learnt that the more work you put into something the more you’ll get out of it, which is something I’ve experienced directly from spending a ton of time trying to get this logo completely perfect.

WHAT LEADERSHIP SKILLS DID YOU AIM TO DEVELOP?:

The skills I tried to work on for this project were to take on feedback from the rest of the team and to always present multiple options when presenting ideas to the group.

WHAT WAS THE BEST THING ABOUT WORKING WITH OTHERS ON THE PROJECT?:

Overall the best thing was receiving feedback from the rest of the team, since their suggestions were what made the project a “group project” instead of just “Jay’s solo logo project that he did on his own”. They shaped the direction of the project and made it what it is now.

WHAT WAS DIFFICULT ABOUT WORKING WITH OTHERS?:

I suppose at first the sheer amount of suggestions and such was a bit overwhelming, but once I started going through everything at an orderly pace I just got a bit more used to it really.

HOW WOULD YOU APPROACH WORKING WITH OTHERS ON A SIMILAR PROJECT IN THE FUTURE?:

In exactly the same way really: by conferring with the rest of the group at multiple intervals to make sure that the project is going in the direction they want it to.

WHAT DID YOU KNOW NOW ABOUT BEING A LEADER THAT YOU DIDN’T KNOW BEFORE?:

I didn’t realize that you had to get feedback at so many points in the project, but everything else I sorta assumed from past experience really.

ARE THERE ANY TIPS YOU WOULD GIVE TO SOMEONE ELSE WHO MAY LIKE TO RUN A SIMILAR PROJECT?:

A couple, yes: always plan multiple proposals when presenting ideas to others, put as much effort into your work as possible and just enjoy it honestly.

What worked well?

I feel that the Internship as a whole went well. Once I stepped up and started performing better, I feel that the experience became a lot more enjoyable too. I think that i’ve developed on most of the things that I personally wanted to develop on so I’m very satisfied. 

What didn’t go so well? 

Probably the first few weeks as I’ve mentioned before. I also think I could have worked on my communication skills even more throughout the project, despite that being a difficult one to me. But if I ticked those boxes from the start, I feel that the internship could have gone even better.

Did you stick to the project plan?

Pretty much. My tasks are pretty similar on a day to day basis. Of course, I had to change how I performed personally, but I didn’t change the project plan. That was pretty much set for the  whole project.

If you had to write the project plan again what would you change and why?

As I’ve mentioned before, I’d try to have performed better right from the start. This would have been better for everyone. I probably would have tried to get a grip on where things were a bit quicker, so I could be packing up and packing down without any issues. 

What did other people think? Put some examples of the feedback you got here.

What have you learnt from this feedback?

I’ve learnt that I must be doing at least something right if Lesley is looking forward to continuing work with me!

What leadership skills did you aim to develop?

I chose to develop my Confidence, Communication and Initiative Skills. They’re getting better, and I’ve gained various other skills. However, I feel that my Initiative skills have Improved the most. I worked very hard on that, and Linda and Lesley have told me that they’ve noticed the improvement. 

What was the best thing about working with others on the project?

The best thing about working with others on the project has been working with people who share your interests. My work colleagues and the young people. We all have a passion for the media industry and it’s not everyday you meet people with the same interests as you.

What was difficult about working with others?

As mentioned before, I found it difficult to interact with people throughout the project as this is something I’ve always struggled with. I’ve improved with this, but It is certainly a struggle for me. This Internship took me out of my comfort zone many times which helped me a ton. I work best out of my comfort zone.

How would you approach working with others on a similar project in the future?

I would keep in mind what Lesley and Linda told me. I think I’ll remember what was said for a long time, and I can take that with me in many walks of life. I will also work on my communication skills for any future projects.

What do you now know about being a leader that you didn’t know before?

I learnt that being a leader requires a ton of Initiative! It requires you to step out of your comfort zone, which will be even more uncomfortable if you lack in confidence. However, you shouldn’t rule out being a leader just because you aren’t the most outgoing person in the world. The experience will really push you and help you to develop crucial life skills. 

Are there any tips you would give to someone else you may like to run a similar project?

I would tell them to give it their all and make each decision carefully. I would also tell them to ask for feedback, and if that feedback isn’t exactly positive, don’t be offended. Take it as motivation to improve, and better yourself as a person!

(Intro/synopsis to be posted here)

For a collection of audience and artist responses to the conference please visit the Performance Remnants blog here. (name inspired by an audience participants response to the event)