Nick Hornby launches independent state run by children: The Children’s Republic of Shoreditch
Innovative educational project from the Ministry of Stories opens to the public.
Bestselling author Nick Hornby has announced the launch of the Children’s Republic of Shoreditch, part of a unique new educational project that will see a group of 8-13 year olds take control of an independent state run from the project’s Embassy building in Hackney.
The project is a new venture from UK charity the Ministry of Stories, which was co-founded by Hornby in 2010 and works with young people from Hackney, Tower Hamlets and Islington. It aims to empower young people from local schools and the community through free writing workshops and mentoring programmes that run alongside existing school programmes.
The Republic has an actual Embassy building entirely conceived and designed by children and will be open to members of the public every Saturday between 4th July-11th August, from 10am – 4pm. From this building, the children will run the affairs of their own state-within-a-state and look forward to meeting and greeting family visitors who will be able to take part in the following on their visit:
• apply for citizenship and attain an official passport after passing through strict immigration control
• learn about the laws and customs that were created by the Republic’s Civil Service
• experience a Postal Service where letters can be delivered by helium balloon
• request responses from the Children’s Advice Bureau
• visit the Museum of Childhood Treasures
• take an interactive tour of the Republic specially designed by the Republic’s spy network, SANT (Secret Agents Never Tell)
The Embassy will also run workshops in which young people can further explore their creativity, hosted by writers-in-residence including: Nick Hornby; children’s authors Andy Stanton, Justin Somper and Sufiya Ahmed; poet and artist Laura Dockrill; writer Joe Dunthorne, award-winning author, Meg Rosoff; and first-time novelist Ross Montgomery.
Co-founder of The Ministry of Stories, Nick Hornby said: “The Ministry of Stories has always aimed to challenge the traditional ways that children interact with education. The Children’s Republic of Shoreditch aims to give young writers further opportunities to explore questions about their identity and locality: what’s it like to be who they are in the place that they live and what might they like to change to make their life better?
It also gives the community’s adults an opportunity to better understand the young people around them. And, since the project is open to the public, the Children’s Republic of Shoreditch offers a rare opportunity for visitors to experience and celebrate what children’s imaginations can create.”
Find out more at www.ministryofstories.org
Visit the Embassy at 156 Hoxton St N1 6SH
