title: Professor Predrag Bajčetić: The Life And The Method

authors: Ladevac, Mihailo

subjects: Predrag Bajcetic

abstract: The facts show that more than 300 actors have been educated by Professor Predrag Bajčetić, through his own acting training method, not just in Serbia but in other ex-Yugoslav republics and Norway as well. Professor Bajčetić also has directed a vast number of theatre plays, television films and radio dramas, and he has written more than thirty theoretical articles, essays and reviews. However, there are very few writings about him in Serbian and almost none in English. With this thesis I am presenting his work to an English-speaking reader, as I strongly believe that the Professor’s acting training method, which prepares an actor for all different types of theatre, should be known to a wider audience.
This thesis summarises the findings collected through biographical research methods. The research was designed in three parts. The first part was an interview with Professor Bajčetić to provide data useful for understanding the construction of the acting training method, as well as his overall mentorship. The second part was a survey with the Professor’s former students; two were chosen from every class he taught since 1971. The third part was the analysis of the Professor’s previously given interviews and analysis of some of his published articles and essays, which helped me to collect useful data for this research. The information I have gathered shed light on the Professor’s life circumstances, his acting training method and his mentorship, and is of immense value in understanding his influence, and the influence of his method on his former students, as well as the general significance of Professor Bajčetić in Serbian social and artistic contexts.
Regarding the method itself, it will be seen how the political atmosphere was one of the biggest obstacles in the creation process from 1956 until Professor Bajčetić’s retirement in 2001. As the Professor had participated in all important political events and protests in Yugoslavia and Serbia since 1956, his work was always strictly controlled. Despite the fact that he could not talk or write freely about some pedagogical innovations, he had the chance to share his ideas in the United States of America and Norway and to test them away from the politically controlled regime in his own country. Nevertheless, in his own country he was ‘removed’ from his public work as a director. To be more precise, he was completely excluded from further work as a director in theatre, radio and television. Even though his writings were published, they were all strictly theoretical. Therefore, his work was principally pedagogical. However, his influence on his students was sufficiently significant to spread his ideas through them.
The findings undoubtedly show the Professor’s enormous influence on his former students. Their testimonies in the survey state that he always expected their maximum efforts. Even when they would perform on the highest levels, giving their utmost, the Professor would ask for more. He was very strict but gentle at the same time, the majority of participants stated. He was always there to support them even in the most turbulent political periods in the former Yugoslavia and Milošević’s Serbia. The only question that was answered unanimously by all participants was regarding his dedication to his students; he always stayed longer at the class and worked, very often, with his students in his own free time. As the greater group of participants stated, Professor Bajčetić shaped his student’s personalities; to bring them to the view that morality and the protection of national and cultural values are the obligation of an artist. Therefore, he taught his former students to act and react in all important political and cultural events as they, as actors, would have a considerable public influence.
As for the importance of Professor Bajčetić’s acting training method, his former students acknowledged the method as the most significant in their acting careers. From the method, they chose work on Chekhov’s plays and on the Tables of Nations from the Bible as the most important from Year One. In the part of the survey considering Year Two of the method, a greater number of participants chose to work on characters from Dostoyevsky’s novels and Shakespeare’s comedies. As for Year Three, work on characters from Ancient Greek and Shakespeare’s tragedies was chosen as most useful for their future work in theatre. They noticed that those tasks taught them to be emotional but ‘truthful’ on stage. Also it was drawn from the survey that the work on those exercises introduced to them the importance of theatre and developed in them a great deal of respect for it. However, it was clearly stated by all participants that the work in Year Three of the acting training method was the most significant for their work in theatre.
My research investigates the impact of Professor Predrag Bajčetić and his acting training method. All the data collected through the research provides sufficient proof of the Professor’s pre-eminence in the social and artistic context, both in former Yugoslavia and contemporary Serbia. His importance is demonstrated not only through his mentorship and his education of more than 300 actors – some of whom became the most important cultural and theatre people (such as ministers of culture and heads of main theatres in Serbia) – but also through his political activity in his country. Moreover, this thesis presents the most important tasks from his acting method, chosen by his former students and described by him throughout our interview, as well as his key writings regarding the field of acting pedagogy.

text: Professor Predrag Bajčetić: The Life And The Method The facts show that more than 300 actors have been educated by Professor Predrag Bajčetić, through his own acting training method, not just in Serbia but in other ex-Yugoslav republics and Norway as well. Professor Bajčetić also has directed a vast number of theatre plays, television films and radio dramas, and he has written more than thirty theoretical articles, essays and reviews. However, there are very few writings about him in Serbian and almost none in English. With this thesis I am presenting his work to an English-speaking reader, as I strongly believe that the Professor’s acting training method, which prepares an actor for all different types of theatre, should be known to a wider audience.
This thesis summarises the findings collected through biographical research methods. The research was designed in three parts. The first part was an interview with Professor Bajčetić to provide data useful for understanding the construction of the acting training method, as well as his overall mentorship. The second part was a survey with the Professor’s former students; two were chosen from every class he taught since 1971. The third part was the analysis of the Professor’s previously given interviews and analysis of some of his published articles and essays, which helped me to collect useful data for this research. The information I have gathered shed light on the Professor’s life circumstances, his acting training method and his mentorship, and is of immense value in understanding his influence, and the influence of his method on his former students, as well as the general significance of Professor Bajčetić in Serbian social and artistic contexts.
Regarding the method itself, it will be seen how the political atmosphere was one of the biggest obstacles in the creation process from 1956 until Professor Bajčetić’s retirement in 2001. As the Professor had participated in all important political events and protests in Yugoslavia and Serbia since 1956, his work was always strictly controlled. Despite the fact that he could not talk or write freely about some pedagogical innovations, he had the chance to share his ideas in the United States of America and Norway and to test them away from the politically controlled regime in his own country. Nevertheless, in his own country he was ‘removed’ from his public work as a director. To be more precise, he was completely excluded from further work as a director in theatre, radio and television. Even though his writings were published, they were all strictly theoretical. Therefore, his work was principally pedagogical. However, his influence on his students was sufficiently significant to spread his ideas through them.
The findings undoubtedly show the Professor’s enormous influence on his former students. Their testimonies in the survey state that he always expected their maximum efforts. Even when they would perform on the highest levels, giving their utmost, the Professor would ask for more. He was very strict but gentle at the same time, the majority of participants stated. He was always there to support them even in the most turbulent political periods in the former Yugoslavia and Milošević’s Serbia. The only question that was answered unanimously by all participants was regarding his dedication to his students; he always stayed longer at the class and worked, very often, with his students in his own free time. As the greater group of participants stated, Professor Bajčetić shaped his student’s personalities; to bring them to the view that morality and the protection of national and cultural values are the obligation of an artist. Therefore, he taught his former students to act and react in all important political and cultural events as they, as actors, would have a considerable public influence.
As for the importance of Professor Bajčetić’s acting training method, his former students acknowledged the method as the most significant in their acting careers. From the method, they chose work on Chekhov’s plays and on the Tables of Nations from the Bible as the most important from Year One. In the part of the survey considering Year Two of the method, a greater number of participants chose to work on characters from Dostoyevsky’s novels and Shakespeare’s comedies. As for Year Three, work on characters from Ancient Greek and Shakespeare’s tragedies was chosen as most useful for their future work in theatre. They noticed that those tasks taught them to be emotional but ‘truthful’ on stage. Also it was drawn from the survey that the work on those exercises introduced to them the importance of theatre and developed in them a great deal of respect for it. However, it was clearly stated by all participants that the work in Year Three of the acting training method was the most significant for their work in theatre.
My research investigates the impact of Professor Predrag Bajčetić and his acting training method. All the data collected through the research provides sufficient proof of the Professor’s pre-eminence in the social and artistic context, both in former Yugoslavia and contemporary Serbia. His importance is demonstrated not only through his mentorship and his education of more than 300 actors – some of whom became the most important cultural and theatre people (such as ministers of culture and heads of main theatres in Serbia) – but also through his political activity in his country. Moreover, this thesis presents the most important tasks from his acting method, chosen by his former students and described by him throughout our interview, as well as his key writings regarding the field of acting pedagogy.

year: 2015

title: Asynchronous communication technology: an organisational perspective on efficacy and use

authors: Wellington, Robert James

abstract: This thesis begins with a statement that the literature has suggested great promise for Asynchronous Communication Technologies (ACT’s) such as electronic mail and related technologies. An ideology of democracy is made explicit in this research in both its content and research process. The research participants were overtly and covertly encouraged to direct the process and topic of the research to enable theory grounded in practice to emerge. A Participatory Action Research (PAR) method was employed that bordered on ethnography and that incorporated an interpretive philosophy. Informed by educational PAR studies, this thesis is written in the first person to represent the learning and the interpretations of the author. 

The suggested measures of the quality of this work are that it improves the process of practice, communicates the improvements of practice for continuance and further reflection by other practitioners, and that it helps to develop the theory of Asynchronous Communication Technology use. 

This research found that email was used for many purposes and was seen as a very effective form of communication. Email occupied such a variety of uses that explanations were sought that could explain the ability of individuals to comprehend unwritten intentions and behaviours. It was found that email occupied many media spaces, and these can be thought of as media genre. Rather than fundamentally change the way we interact, as was first thought on the initiation of this research project, email and other ACT’s may simply be more convenient, faster, and more efficient than other forms of communication that the research participants had access to. The technological tools that were employed may have had the potential for changing social dynamics over a long period of time, but these tools were shown to be undemocratic in their construction, therefore suggesting that a democratic end may not be in sight for business related ACT’s. 

Specifically, email did not change the decision making behaviour of the participants, except to allow more freedom and access to information from other staff at the initial stages of the decision making process and to allow for mediation at the end to gain decision acceptance.

text: Asynchronous communication technology: an organisational perspective on efficacy and use This thesis begins with a statement that the literature has suggested great promise for Asynchronous Communication Technologies (ACT’s) such as electronic mail and related technologies. An ideology of democracy is made explicit in this research in both its content and research process. The research participants were overtly and covertly encouraged to direct the process and topic of the research to enable theory grounded in practice to emerge. A Participatory Action Research (PAR) method was employed that bordered on ethnography and that incorporated an interpretive philosophy. Informed by educational PAR studies, this thesis is written in the first person to represent the learning and the interpretations of the author. 

The suggested measures of the quality of this work are that it improves the process of practice, communicates the improvements of practice for continuance and further reflection by other practitioners, and that it helps to develop the theory of Asynchronous Communication Technology use. 

This research found that email was used for many purposes and was seen as a very effective form of communication. Email occupied such a variety of uses that explanations were sought that could explain the ability of individuals to comprehend unwritten intentions and behaviours. It was found that email occupied many media spaces, and these can be thought of as media genre. Rather than fundamentally change the way we interact, as was first thought on the initiation of this research project, email and other ACT’s may simply be more convenient, faster, and more efficient than other forms of communication that the research participants had access to. The technological tools that were employed may have had the potential for changing social dynamics over a long period of time, but these tools were shown to be undemocratic in their construction, therefore suggesting that a democratic end may not be in sight for business related ACT’s. 

Specifically, email did not change the decision making behaviour of the participants, except to allow more freedom and access to information from other staff at the initial stages of the decision making process and to allow for mediation at the end to gain decision acceptance.

year: 2003

title: Akuhata Mokena: Eldest son of Mokena Hou

authors: Hart, Philip

abstract: Akuhata Mokena was recorded as being the first child of Mokena Hou and Rina. By the early 1860s he was living at the northern boundary of the Aroha Block as well as at Puriri, where he dug kauri gum. From 1857 to 1868 he also cultivated close to the southern edge of the future Thames township. Having run cattle on the Aroha block from 1867 onwards, he settled there in 1878, operating the first hotel to be erected at the hot springs. 
In the land court he tried to obtain interests in as many land blocks as possible, and obtained income by selling some of these. After a brief involvement in Te Aroha mining, when he was the only member of his family to delay ceding their land for mining, he returned to live at Puriri. He also invested, very modestly, in mining at Thames and Puriri. 
A rangatira who was steadfastly loyal to the Crownt, when he died without issue his estate became a cause of conflict between Maori and Pakeha perceptions of how it should be shared amongst his wife and his family.

text: Akuhata Mokena: Eldest son of Mokena Hou Akuhata Mokena was recorded as being the first child of Mokena Hou and Rina. By the early 1860s he was living at the northern boundary of the Aroha Block as well as at Puriri, where he dug kauri gum. From 1857 to 1868 he also cultivated close to the southern edge of the future Thames township. Having run cattle on the Aroha block from 1867 onwards, he settled there in 1878, operating the first hotel to be erected at the hot springs. 
In the land court he tried to obtain interests in as many land blocks as possible, and obtained income by selling some of these. After a brief involvement in Te Aroha mining, when he was the only member of his family to delay ceding their land for mining, he returned to live at Puriri. He also invested, very modestly, in mining at Thames and Puriri. 
A rangatira who was steadfastly loyal to the Crownt, when he died without issue his estate became a cause of conflict between Maori and Pakeha perceptions of how it should be shared amongst his wife and his family.

year: 2016