How Blastbeat blends sounds and skills

Project
Blastbeat

Purpose
To reduce the number of young people not in education, employment or training (Neet) by raising aspirations and developing life and business skills

Funding
Includes a £285,000 grant from the Big Lottery Fund’s Reaching Communities programme

Background
Blastbeat is the brainchild of Ireland-based music industry veteran Robert Stephenson. “I’d seen this young band and they had nowhere to play because they were under 18 so I helped them out,” he explains. “I became aware of a real lack of focus for young people, and a lack of places for under-18s to go to. So I started putting on events to keep them off the streets.” He encouraged young people to get involved in organising gigs and worked with them to develop the Blastbeat programme for schools. It initially took off in Ireland and launched in the UK in 2008.

Action
Blastbeat gives 14- to 24-year-olds hands-on experience of running their own “social enterprise events team”. Under the scheme, young people work together to stage a music event featuring young performers from the local community, identified through local schools.

They create a business plan, sell tickets and market the event. At least a quarter of profits go to local good causes selected by the young participants.

“You have to engage young people with the things they’re into – music and bands, making money and making friends,” says Stephenson.

“It’s not rocket science putting on an event but it does take organisation to make it work, so they gain a lot of transferable skills.”

The scheme has secured a Big Lottery Fund grant to run Blastbeat in at least 20 youth clubs and schools in London and 10 in the West Midlands between 2013 and 2016.

Outcome
Since the scheme launched in the UK, nearly 5,000 young people have benefited from direct involvement in Blastbeat, with more than 40,000 attending Blastbeat events.

According to a 2011 impact assessment, 63 per cent of young participants rated the scheme “fantastic”, 32 per cent “good” and five per cent “okay”. When asked if Blastbeat made them more inclined to attend school, 44 per cent said “definitely” and 29 per cent said “yes”. Moreover, 77 per cent said the scheme would help them get better grades at school; 92 per cent said it had helped them recognise opportunities in life and 77 per cent said it had given them career ideas.