Peace Week starts at HCC

Hackney’s Peace Walk strode out from Hackney Community College on Saturday, a moving start to the borough’s Peace Week celebrations.

People of all ages and from all backgrounds gathered at the college’s Shoreditch Campus on the morning of the walk. Principal Ian Ashman acknowledged the importance of the event and said how proud he was that the college was hosting the walk's start, before Mayor of Hackney Jules Pipe led the group through the college gates.

The walk ended at London Fields where the crowd was treated to an impressive mix of entertainment led by the borough's young people.

An event at the Hackney Empire later in the day showcased four films produced by HCC media students at the Robert Levy Foundation Film Summer School at the college. Robert Levy was a promising teenager, killed in Hackney in 2004 and the college has a strong tie to the foundation set up by his family.

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The theme cutting across the films is celebrating life in Hackney and banishing stereotypes associated with the borough. One of the films, by Harry Ayelabola who studied Media Production at the college and is now progressing to university, is a music video for a song inspired by Robert Levy, RIP Pablo. Tutor Anna Johnson who runs the summer school said, "I am extremely proud of all the films shown at the Peace Week event, and Hackney Community College is proud to have again worked with the Robert Levy Foundation on this project."

Hackney Community College is dedicated to promoting the messages of peace and respect, and this is integrated into student life through inductions, tutorials and events.