Literacy Pirates

 

As part of an earlier class we went on an excursion to a charity organization called the Literacy Pirates where they help underprivileged young children between the ages 9 to 13 to improve skills in reading and writing comprehension as well as confidence and perseverance in the classroom. This excursion is relevant to the course materials as this resource was located in an area that experienced poverty on a large scale. While walking around on our way to the building I noticed quite a few things such as the large amount of indian/asian restaurants as well as african beauty shops. This stood out to me as it reiterated that large urban areas such as London disproportionately push out minorities into the outskirts due to the rise in rent and other unfortunate byproducts of capitalism. In addition to this I also noticed a park within the neighborhood that seemed privatized and was not busy at all, we didn’t have much time to explore so I was able to confirm if it was open to the general public but it was obvious that the space hadn’t become a social hub as it perhaps was intended to be. The organization itself also brought attention to the large role of poverty in urban environments and how easily kids slip through the cracks, especially when in these overwhelmed school districts. I enjoyed our trip to Hackney to tour the Literacy Pirates as it brought to light, a more realistic picture of the issues of poverty in London and how they affect certain cultures of people more than others. Finally, I found that the area was similar to backside in that it had a bit of a reputation, however the main difference being that it wasn’t chosen for regeneration or any new developments. This is most likely due to location and perhaps that the residents weren’t exactly the proposed target for consumerism. This makes me wonder how exactly developers go about choosing the right area for development and whether issues of gentrification are considered when drafting these plans. Overall I really enjoyed my visit!  

- Francesca :)