Latest News

Harris Academy Peckham were thrilled to host the legendary hip hop artist, historian, journalist, poet and political activist in February. The artist inspired a packed hall of students with a narrative of his own upbringing, extolling the virtues of education, studying hard and holding on to aspirational dreams. Every aspect of his attitude to life was a true reflection of our LEAP Ethos (Leadership, Enquiry, Aspiration, Perseverance) so his message was particularly relevant to our students.

As the founder of the Hip Hop Shakespeare Company, Akala tested the audience on their knowledge of Shakespeare’s lines, quizzing us to differentiate between the playwright’s words and those of contemporary rap artists – the audience were stunned by the results! We were astounded by his Shakespeare rap which he performed at the end of his presentation, including countless titles of the Bard’s plays and cleverly spun lyrics from his most famous plays. One of our own students had the chance to deliver a short rap to him – a fantastic experience for Tony in Year 9, a budding rapper himself! We were privileged to have seen Akala live and be able to ask questions about his life experiences – we look forward to welcoming him back soon!