BeatFreeks Summer Academies day 4

Beatfreeks dancers perfecting their moves

Aloha beatfreekers

The 4th day of the fantabulous summer academies was once again jam packed with Talent.

With STAMP! today, yesterday's academies was focused around getting all performances tight and ready for today!

Everything is going smoothly and if you still do not have your tickets for STAMP, I'd go get them now as we are running low and will probably be sold out if you do not go right this instant!! I COMMAND YOU!

So here are the latest snaps of yesterday!

Jam!

Volunteers bustin' a move

Cutest baby EVER

Beatfreeks poets

Dance off

Last jam before STAMP!

BEATFREEKS MOTION



Till tomorrow,
PEACE,
Aly

Bridge the Gap

Bridge The Gap, a project by Aysha, is an attempt to rekindle relationships between the elderly and younger generations. The project was kickstarted at Cotteridge Day Centre, Birmingham. The day was split up into two halves; the first being storytelling and getting to know each other and the second half consisted of performances by the group in an attempt to break down preconceived stigmatism the elderly tend to have about the younger generation.

I got to meet a guy named Clement, who didn't seem very forthcoming at first and I could tell, like me, he was fairly introverted, which I think helped us get on better when he did decide to interact with me. We had short conversations interspersed between comfortable shared silences. He told me how he used to be a jewel crafter working at the Jewellery Quarter, and how he served in the Navy as an engineer. I told him about what I did as a poet and workshop facilitator and we spoke a bit about what society is like now in comparison to back in 'his day'. We had the same conversation a few times but I'm used to that with my grandparents so I didn't mind.

I feel we got to know each other quite well considering the short amount of time we spent together. He also won twice in a row at Bingo and gave me his prize. It was a wonderfully pleasant experience that I haven't had

with someone who's so much my senior.

After lunch we all started performing for the whole group, collaborating between music, poetry and singing. They seemed to enjoy it considering it possibly isn't anything they've seen before, especially not combined in the way we did it. A lot of the time elderly people aren't too open about experiencing new things as they're rather set in their ways and sure about what they like, but after a while they really started to get into it. Including some clapping along to one of the more upbeat songs.

Overall the day felt like a great success, and as the interviews we filmed will show the entire group were inclined to agree and felt it was a deeply rewarding experience that none of us would have gotten otherwise. I feel this is the sort of project that should be happening more to help, as the project title suggests, bridge the gap between the generations. Ours is a generation unlike any previous and so that obviously creates rifts between the older ones, as there is no discernible link between them. One aspect of society this projects illuminates is the need to and a method for closing that rift and bringing people of different age groups together.

Beatfreeks Summer Academies: Day 3

Yesterday was DAY 3 of the Beatfreeks Academies and we can’t wait till Friday to showcase what we have been working on.

Dance

Today the dance group got to perfect and add more steps into the dance routines they had learnt at the start of the week. They were joined by members of the Saintz dance crew who helped out on the teaching of the routine.

They made sure they went through the steps of the dance moves they learnt so the new members of the group could learn them, as through the week they have been getting new members joining in on their lessons.

Today they focused also on getting into character when performing, as it will bring them out their shells when on stage. This is a tip that can be used in any form of creative arts that has to be showcased to a group of people, as nerves can always get the best of us.

To be able to watch their amazing performance, don’t forget to buy tickets to STAMP! in which the work that has been carried out throughout this week will be showcased there.

The dance group warming up 

We have so many talented people at the Beatfreeks Academies

 We can't wait to watch the girls from Saints perform at STAMP!

Poetry

When speaking with the poetry group, they explained to me about how they have been working on their poems and collaborating with each other. They mentioned how it was hard having to combine the poems they had created in order to make an overall piece that portrayed what they all felt about in the topic of WHO AM I?

They spoke about how each of them had different themes, different feelings but when mixed together to make their collaboration piece they all felt the same. Even with their different cultures and beliefs, they all felt as if they had something in common and that they could relate to what each other mentioned on their poem. 

The said how having Jaden and Amerah as their facilitators had been an amazing experience. They said that they loved how they pushed them to do work and the artistic freedom that they got when working with them.

So if you want to see the amazing performances by the poetry, dance and music groups don't forget to book your tickets for STAMP! by clicking in the link below:
http://www.macarts.co.uk/booking/seating/?id=64924

Also don't forget to watch the video diaries on YouTube at:
BeatfreeksTV

Beatfreeks Summer Academies: Day 2

I can feel the poetic force field emanating 

Hello my lovelies!

The Beatfreeks Summer Academies are now fully underway and the explosion of talent is truly unbelievable. We have the poets writing incredible an insightful pieces on topics like: who am I, what do I want to become and what is my identity!

Meanwhile our musicians, who made a BeatFreeks jingle on Monday were up to harvesting all their creative juices working on songs that highlight their identities for our Showcase STAMP! On Friday, and if you haven't already got your tickets for STAMP!, get them ASAP as we are close to selling out!

On day 2 we also welcome the multitalented Jimmy Davis to the facilitating team and he is working with our wonderful musicians.

Furthermore, the Dancers have also worked tirelessly to put together amazing pieces of choreography for STAMP, their talent is honestly beyond me and if you don't believe me come and see for yourself on Friday ;).

I also went around with Areena, out lovely camera lady and got some initial views in the academies so far for our new voxpop section on BeatfreeksTV.

Now check out some of our snaps from day 2 of the academies!

Amerah chillin with Katrice our very own Helena Bonham Carter

Musicians busy at work with their marvelous melodies

Poetry workshop with Seasick Soul

Poets harvesting their creative juices

Our Dancers getting their groove on!

Confidence building exercise to help our lovelies with their performances at Friday's STAMP!

And bust a move...

If you just can't get enough of Beatfreeks academies, go to BeatfreeksTV and check out our Academies daily vlog on more about day 2 of the Beatfreeks Summer Academies,

Till tomorrow,

PEACE

Aly

Beatfreeks Summer Academies: Day 1!

Monday was the first day of the Beatfreeks Academies and for a first day, it was amazing.

Young people from the age of 11 to 25 get to work on Music, Dance and Poetry for a week and then get to showcase what the have learnt throughout the week in STAMP! which will take place on Friday 30th August at 7pm.

The day went on perfectly as they all focused on showing their talents

The Poetry group created spoken word pieces in which they explained in varied methods who they all thought they were and what they could and couldn’t do that defined who they were and how it made them feel.

The dancer got to learn the moves to a contemporary and hip hop piece and they learnt how to perform without fear.

The musicians had to come up with a jingle for Beatfreeks. They were separated into groups in which they had a variety of musical talents and joined up to create a short piece of music.

The work that they had all created through the day was then showcased in the final jam session. 

You can check out Aysha's vlog post on how the day went on: 

Don't forget to buy your tickets for STAMP! by clicking in the link below:

http://www.macarts.co.uk/booking/seating/?id=64924

Beatfreeks Diary -BYAS, Behind Scenes & creativity

A day with #TeamBeatfreeks at the Birmingham Youth Arts Summit

Hello peoples!

On Friday, #TeamBeatFreeks took part in the Birmingham Youth Arts Summit or BYAS, It was also the last day of mine and Marian's work experience placement so it was an overwhelmingly emotional day.

In the morning, BeatFreeks ran workshops for primary school kids about the importance of Arts and what they mean to us. Anisa and Laura performed the poem 'Birmingham' for the group and proceeded to have a rap/ poetry battle (which Anisa won) before really getting to grips with how the arts has shaped peoples lives and what the children most liked about it. It would be an understatement to say that the whole team was shocked by what these year 3 & 5 children came up with. Their ideas were truly inspiring and demonstrated a raw passion for the arts. 

One quote that stuck with me was a year 5 boy who said that 'art is immortal' and I was further impressed and truly gobsmacked when a girl in year 3 said 'art is beautiful even when it's ugly'. So as you can see they got pretty deep. So whenever we heard their light bulb moments we ushered them to the graffiti wall to jot down their ideas.

BeatFreek Grafitti wall at from our workshop sessions.

After a truly eye opening morning all of team Beatfreeks (Anisa, Laura, Aysha, Marian and myself) took a break to prepare before we received the Secondary school pupils. Whilst on break Anisa took the time out to learn how to play the ukulele, which was pretty entertaining, when she was playing it the right way round.  

In the secondary school workshop we created an idea of 'Arts City Central' a Utopian city focusing on arts in any and every way. We got the pupils to build and brainstorm their ideal city that was largely fueled by the arts. When the city was created without including some of the more morose ideas of I quote 'eating dead people everyday', we got Amerah or SoulPoet, dressed as a fed, to come and tell the kids that this no longer existed and the world was now 'bland land'. For this Amerah had to square up to a kid who was literally twice her size, which had the whole room in stitches. But she won so kudos to her. 

Anisa and Laura chillin' at Art City Central 

After, a quick break and twitter reboot we entered to pupils into the 'tigers lare'  

(our ghetto knock off version of dragons den), this got them thinking like entrepreneurs but also as social entrepreneurs as most wanted to create something positive that fed back into the community. Which I think was truly refreshing especially from teens, who are largely regarded and stereotyped as being negative within society and local communities. It just shows how wrong the news is. The groups then pitched their ideas to the rest of the group (which is obviously more nerve racking and intimidating then the real dragons den, seen as there were loads of us). Their ideas were fresh and innovative and later had the whole summit laughing and pulling out their skanking fingers!

Although, before we let them leave, we made them write down a #Change1Thing about Birmingham, and hang it on our washing line, the ideas ranged from wacky and wonderful to gross and inspirational. 

#Change1Thing, What would you change? comment below.

When all workshops were over it was time to wait for the nights debate to start. When in the hall, we sabotaged all the tables by writing #TeamBeatFreeks on all of them, very discretely may I add.

As the evening began we were once again bombarded with the amazing talent that Birmingham has, BOA students took centre stage, SeaSickSoul and Carl Sealeaf performed a news piece and Call Me Unique skatted and sang like her life depended on it, amongst other truly amazing   performances. Then it was time for debating and we were coincidently sat next to a Birmingham City Council representative and strangely enough someone who had contacted BeatFreeks earlier that day for a volunteering opportunity. I know, nuts right!

Throughout the debate many interesting topics and ideas were shared on how Birmingham needs to address issues with how the Arts are dealt with but also the positives of a community that is ever growing. It was so educational but also entertaining to hear from so many people and their different views. I really loved it, a total highlight of the night. Anisa also took to the panel for the final debate, and may I add totally killed it with a speech that had all of us applauding mid sentence, and of course a cheeky BeatFreeks plug or two were involved. 

But all in all, the whole day at Birmingham Youth Arts Summit was a success and truly made for some unforgettable memories, BeatFreeks ruled of course and we met the amazing PolarBear, Brummie poet extraordinaire, who we are now super happy to announce is a Beatfreeks champion, so whoop whoop, and check him out on YouTube if you don't know who he is. I gotta admit he's pretty awesome!

Team Beatfreeks, left to right, Aysha, PolarBear, Zack &Spoz

Anywho, I will have to love you and leave you at that. Don't forget to subscribe to BeatFreeks TV on YouTube to watch our vlogs of the Young Arts Summit and more.

Till Next Time,

PEACE

Aliyah 

#TeamBeatFreeks