24 June 2022

Budding young writers imagine the world in 3022

The Benyon Estate has collaborated with Literacy Pirates to display stories by almost 100 children from the charity’s ‘Hackney Ship’ on hoardings on Northchurch Road.

The charity, which offers an after-school programme for children who need support with reading and writing, ran a spring term project which saw them imagine what the world would look like in the year 3022.

They each created a character that might live there, culminating in the creation of a poster describing a day in their life in their future world. Literacy Pirates worked with local artists to illustrate the stories and bring their visions to life.

The finished creations by all the children from the Hackney Ship are on display around the Benyon Estate’s Northchurch Road site throughout the summer.

Jude Williams, Chief Executive of Literacy Pirates, said: “We work on one project each term, so in the autumn the children work on an autobiographical piece that is published in a book in December.

“For the spring term, it has been an audio project to help with their creative writing. Each of the children has recorded their 3022 world story and had them shared on our website. They also create this ‘day in the life of’ piece of creative writing, which is turned into an illustrated poster, and we’re so excited to see these up on display.

“The children have all worked hard on imagining the world and bringing their ideas to life through words, so I’d really encourage everyone to go down and take a look. There’s everything from robot pets to technology that solves global issues to solutions to our transport problems."

“The children have all worked hard on imagining the world and bringing their ideas to life through words, so I’d really encourage everyone to go down and take a look. There’s everything from robot pets to technology that solves global issues to solutions to our transport problems.

Open to children aged nine to 12, Literacy Pirates aims to develop the literacy, confidence and perseverance of young people in the area through a year-long programme. It offers after school sessions to pupils whose teachers think they could benefit from extra-curricular support.

In positive spaces in Hackney and Haringey, and online on the charity's ‘Virtual Ship’, the children are given time and encouragement to learn and develop through reading, as well as the chance to voice their ideas in creative writing activities. The young pirates' work is published in books, films and audio projects giving them real world outcomes for their hard work.

Sessions take place in fantastical spaces designed to look like the inside of a ship, led by qualified session leaders and supported by volunteer ‘crewmates’ who work one-to-one with children.

Would you like to get involved? The charity is on the lookout for new crewmates! No qualifications or skills are required, just the time and enthusiasm – Literacy Pirates will do the rest.

Crewmates can volunteer anywhere from once a week to once a month and sessions can work flexibly around you. The volunteers are there to be a champion for the young people, helping them through their work. No matter your own level of literacy, it’s a journey of discovery that you can go on together.

To find out more, visit https://literacypirates.org/.

Photos copyright: The Benyon Estate / Stefan Jakubowski