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Three times a week in Fairfield you can find kids spinning on their heads, backs, and hands. At the Beatbox.org you can find kids breakdancing, deejaying, and hanging out to the sounds of the latest hip-hop and dance music to hit the streets.
Taking an alternative approach to easing youth boredom, the Beatbox.org and Fairfield Youth Advocacy, Inc., both non-profit organizations, are working together to provide a safe place for area kids to gather together and have fun.
On Saturdays, the Beatbox is home to the Saturday Night Jam, a dance scene that gives youth a place to socialize in a largely peer-supervised environment. On weekends, the average attendance at the dance is 120, and during the week, about 20.
Roland Wells, founder of the Beatbox.org, credits its success to the fact that the kids basically run it, with adult supervision.
"The kids respect our rules of no smoking, no alcohol, no drugs, and no weapons, and take it upon themselves to enforce it," Roland says. These few rules provide basic boundaries, but otherwise allow the kids the freedom to be themselves, which is one of the Beatbox's objectives.
"We don't want to control the kids with endless 'don'ts,' but provide a place where they can be safe and learn to express themselves in positive ways."
The Beatbox's main goal is to provide a enjoyable place for area youth to socialize and participate in creative activity out of harm's way. To help accomplish that goal, Roland Wells has teamed up with Julie Babb and BB Rail of Fairfield Youth Advocacy.
"We feel very strongly that by providing access to equipment and knowledgeable role models, the Beatbox can not only provide a safe place to hangout, but can influence youth in a positive way," explains director Julie Babb.
The three organizers have come together from very different back-grounds. Julie is a mother and housewife, BB is an ordained minister pastoring at Living Stones Fellowship, and Roland is a 20-year-old university student who knows firsthand that kids without anything else to occupy their leisure time will hang out at "sketchy places" around town.
"Growing up here," Roland says, "I did hang out with kids involved in drugs and alcohol because there wasn't anything to do, especially for kids not involved in scholastic programs.
"There was no place to go hang out, no ocean, no big cities to explore, no mountain to go snow-boarding on," he continues. "There is nothing for them to do, no place to go, especially when it comes to social things like dances."
But since the Beatbox has established itself as a thriving venue, local creative juices have started cooking, leaving no shortage of ideas for more activities and events.
"This is just the beginning," explains Roland. "We are busy developing more activities, ranging from a small radio station to a computer lab. There is a definite lack of positive activities for Fairfield youth. We have started--and intend on continuing--to change that."
The Beatbox relies on proficient young adults as mentors and inspiration for youth who would like to get involved in breakdancing and dee-jaying. This format will be continued with new projects as well. The Beatbox has built a network of talent from the community that can provide knowledge of web and graphic design, music production, and videography. These activities, along with many others, will be possible with the planned computer lab.
Currently, the Beatbox's basement space under the Hallmark building on Main Street is only its temporary home. An out-of-town donor recently contributed enough money for Fairfield Youth Advocacy to purchase the old American Legion building on 2nd Street. They are still trying to raise funds for renovation of the building, purchase of a professional sound system and other necessary equipment, and an operating budget for 2000. After this year, operating expenses are estimated to be about $46,000. The organization is also pursuing grants for the capital needed to complete some of the planned projects, including the computer lab and radio station.
To generate enough money, the Beatbox has kicked off its "Raise the Beat" fundraising drive. "Our goal is to get 10 donations of $1,000 to $5,000, 100 donations of $100 to $500, and 500 donations of $100. This will complete our fundraising for the first year, and ensure that the Beat will still go on."
