Hackney Pirates launch YouTube video

Keeping a lookout on the evening: Hackney Pirates. Photograph: Briony Rose

Child ‘zombies’ clad in ripped clothes and fake blood staggered about in search of fresh brains and boogied to indie rock as part of a wacky music video stunt arranged by buccaneering afterschool group The Hackney Pirates.

The video was screened as part of a launch event organised by the quirky educational project, which aims to boost literacy and creativity among young people using unconventional learning techniques.

Poetry readings and break dancing enlivened the evening at the Hackney Picturehouse.

One of the young people involved in the zombie project, 11 year old Coral, said: “It was lots of fun, my favorite bit about the video was everything.”

Band State of Play, whose song forms the soundtrack of the video, treated around 50 guests to a live performance.

Drummer Ben Spooner said: “We loved being involved, it inspired me to bring out my inner child.”

Children who attend after school learning sessions at The Hackney Pirates helped generate ideas for the costumes, set and other aspects of the video.

The volunteers are “the life and blood of every session”, Hackney Pirates’ director of learning Camilla Cook said.

Volunteer Georgie Fay said: “It’s a creative environment that is full of interesting people, and it is exactly the sort of unconventional learning that I like.”

Hackney Pirates’ founding director Catriona Maclay said: “We are the luckiest people, we get to see young pirates discovering and learning.”

Children who could benefit from one-on-one help are referred to the Pirates via schools and social workers.

The video can be found on YouTube and the group’s next adventure will be on the 3 November when they will be taking part in a fun run in Victoria Park.