Beat Dis established in 1989 is a constituted association consisting of professional jazz musicians committed to developing jazz as an art form, developing the audience and supporting emerging musicians, composers and innovators, and is set-up as a non-profit company and Charity.

Beat Dis has been based at the Tabernacle Centre for the past four years and currently runs music development programmes consisting of band workshops, music technology courses and Internet radio. The projects undertaken have aimed to provide opportunities that encourage and support local people to seek employment and develop careers in the music and multi-media industry.

The object of the Beat Dis Arts as stated in its Memorandum of Association is To advance the education of the inhabitants of North Kensington (particularly those who are unemployed, in conditions of financial hardship or who are other wise disadvantaged due to their social and economic circumstances) in music (its performance and creation), the music industry and related subjects.

Beat Dis programme of arts, education and social activities aims to fulfil the following objectives

Social Objectives

To promote social cohesion, community development and neighbourhood renewal
To challenge social and economic exclusion
To promote an understanding and appreciation of community diversity
To challenge racism and discrimination in all its forms
To enhance local, regional and national policies and strategies for the arts and education; social and economic development

Educational Objectives

To promote lifelong learning
To increase users capacity for self-determination and promote individual and collective achievement
To extend possibilities for discovery and learning through appropriate, consistent and progressive opportunities from a variety of ‘levels/starting points’
To engage people in the creative process of making art and support people who wish to pursue a career in the arts

To offer:

Learning opportunities that provide an alternative to formal education techniques and strategies
Affordable opportunities for personal development
Inclusive access to all activities supported by clear information and ‘signing’ of activities
Nurturing, formative and life-changing experiences, ‘First time’ chances and opportunities for career development

To provide opportunities for users to
:
Acquire new skills, develop existing skills and explore their creativity
Develop communication and teamwork skills
Explore new media processes and the digital arts
Explore the relationship between artists, audiences and society
Work with practising artists and develop their critical understanding of the arts

Artistic Objectives

To broaden the audience for the arts and engage people in the ideas, practices and issues affecting artists and their work
To promote diversity and equally of opportunity in the arts
To enhance understanding of artists’ processes and preoccupations

To explore:

Diversity in terms of media, aesthetic issues, process and relationship to audience
Work which lends itself to innovative learning processes and inspires creativity
Work which combines, through its origins or associations, broad contemporary relevance with Local appeal
Work which offers opportunity to explore the relationship between a variety of art disciplines
Work which presents the relationship between or counterpoints traditional practices and contemporary expressions of art and culture
Work which challenges the hierarchies that exist between popular culture and the ‘classical’ or ‘fine’ arts
Work which examines notions of identity and community

To offer artists:
Opportunities to develop skills as trainers and interactive educators; facilitators and animateurs
Challenging and stimulating environments that encourage new and experimental work and innovative forms of presentation
Opportunities to explore the relationship between their work, audiences and society