Insight agency announces rebrand of their arts and cultural organisation

Beatfreeks, a full-service insight and engagement agency specialising in increasing relevance with young and diverse audiences, has announced that they will change the name of their arts organisation to 'Don 't Settle ' in order to reflect the urgent representation needed across the arts, culture and heritage.

In 2013, Beatfreeks founder Anisa Morridadi, asked if there could be a space created for young people to convene and put the world to rights.

After hosting a poetry night, Beatfreeks Arts was born - an arts and cultural organisation which has spent the last nine years making spaces for young people to share the stories that matter to them - and has worked alongside its sister company, Beatfreeks Consulting, to make sure they are heard.

From that very first night, stories of identity, culture, place and history have been central to Beatfreeks Arts ' work. In 2017, they recognised the importance of these untold and unheard stories through the creation of the “Don 't Settle ” project, funded by Kick the Dust which is a part of the National Heritage Lottery Fund 's strategic projects funds.

Led by Andreea Chelaru and her team, over the course of its three-year life, Don 't Settle has worked with hundreds of young people in the Midlands to challenge the heritage and cultural sector to represent a more equitable, shared future by reconsidering how it talks about, preserves and promotes the past.

Over the last 18 months, with time to reflect on what matters most, we came to a realisation: Don 't Settle isn 't only part of the work Beatfreeks does. It is the work of an independent organisation, championing untold stories and unheard voices through arts, culture and heritage- a task that feels even more urgent as the cultural sector starts to face its own structures of privilege and exclusion.

In Beatfreeks ' transition to Don 't Settle, the non-profit organisation will remains under the leadership of Andreea Chelaru, with a team of 7. The Board of directors will continue to be chaired by Anisa Morridadi (pictured).

Anisa said: “It 's unbelievable to think that a single poetry night has been the birthplace of two independent organisations both seeking to advance young people 's power and agency in different sectors and through different practices. I 'm so proud of Andrea and the team for bringing the work into this next chapter with vision, purpose and clarity. ”

With ongoing support from funders, We Don 't Settle will continue to drive a fairer, more inclusive heritage and arts sector by creating spaces in its programmes and events for 16 - 25s to share untold stories. This will include long standing favourites such as Poetry Jam, as well as new and experimental spaces powered by our micro-funding programme FUEL.

Andreea Chelaru, head of programmes, We Don 't Settle said: “The organisation, We Don 't Settle, is an evolution of the Don't Settle and Beatfreeks Arts projects and the legacy of the cohorts of storytellers, artists and leaders who have contributed to shaping and changing the sector with their creative activism. I am excited to work closely with the team and community to continue to champion untold stories and unheard voices through arts, culture and heritage. ”

Beatfreeks continues as a brand working exclusively through Beatfreeks Consulting Ltd as a creative agency specialising in insights and engagement of young and diverse audiences driving its mission of helping organisations stay more relevant by connecting them to the largest generation of youth in human history.