History
The organisation started in 2012 running a number of 1-1 and small group music and sound classes for young people in Kulmbach.
From May 2012-2015 we ran the project BeatBus which was a 3 year music-focussed programme in partnership with a local Social Services company. BeatBus consisted of small and large group work in schools, youth clubs and with local social work teams, using music as a tool to engage young people with fewer opportunities in the region.
The same social services company then contracted us to run a number of projects with 11-18 year old in schools and institutions in and around Kulmbach. These included:
- Discovering Careers Video Project 2013-2015
- Songwriting Course - Together we are Strong - song production 2015-17
- Afterschool Care & Tutoring 2012-2017 English, Homework and Music
- Drum Circles - 2014-2018
- Sound Meditations
- Theater & Music Theater Workshops
- Singlish - teaching English and foreign languages through song
From 2016 Ollie Clubb, Founder, Trainer & Facilitator of Beasily, also became Director of Coyote Initiatives CIC in the UK and took part in a number of Erasmus+ courses run by the organisation, including participant in a number of training courses outside of the UK.
For the last 4 Erasmus+ courses run by Coyote Initiatives, Ollie was a trainee Project Coordinator and Logistics Assistant, learning the full scope of running Erasmus+ project from Application to Final Report stage. After Brexit we knew that the UK would soon no longer be a part of Erasmus+ and so we focused the training more, and Ollie facilitated some sessions and was also a Trainer on another course “Finding Your Voice” which was run by a different UK organisation. Ollie will also support the logistics of Culture Garden and Wellbeing 101 - the final 2 training courses offered by Coyote Initiatives as part of the Erasmus+ programme later this year.
During 2018-2021 and through our existing connections with SALEM international gGmbH in Germany we partnered with SALEM Ecuador. In Mindo, Ecuador we provided support to children and youths at the community centre in daily education and support activities. Our main focus was supporting the music education programme in the community “Viva La Musica” - to improve music instruction and create dedicated spaces for music and performance. We continued and broadened our S!NGlish lessons into Spanish pop and folk songs. Encouraging a wide range of young people and children to pick up an instrument and develop their competences in learning languages. We invested a lot time into “Canta Pajaraillo” a multidisciplinary Performance Project - combining music, singing, dance based around a traditional cumbia folk song. Our involvement in this project also inspired the team to experiment more with the use of song, music and theatre and this has since informed our direction as an organisation. The team have a firm belief that working with creative methods to explore cultures, language and a wide range of issues brings much more than can be expected and makes both formal and informal learning fun.
Following the UK’s departure from the UK, and also mainly since the UK adaptation of Stagecraft in 2022, Ollie and the team detailed in the next question have been developing Beasily into a ‘new’ organisation, focusing on youth led provision and approach, and bringing together local youth workers, artists and an international team passionate about youth work, music and Erasmus+.