What we stand for
We believe all young people have the right to thrive at school. We believe in educational spaces that are critical, creative, and that value all languages, in all their forms.
What we do
Shadow Heroes is an arts education initiative that supports young people in embracing all sides of their linguistic and cultural heritages. We do this through critical translation workshops that explore issues of representation, self-expression, and the relationship between language and power.
Working with a network of accomplished translators, writers and other artists, we have developed workshops on sixteen languages, all carefully designed with the students’ needs in mind: Arabic, Bissau Guinean Creole, French, German, Gujarati, Hebrew, Hindi, Indonesian, Japanese, Polish, Portuguese, Punjabi, Russian, Spanish, Turkish, Urdu.
Led by our cohort of talented translators and writers, our workshops engage students in critical thought through hands-on activities and thought-provoking discussions. Our workshops boost the students’ interest in languages without requiring prior knowledge of any language. They broaden students’ views on language and translation and embrace all existing linguistic skills in the classroom. They foster curiosity, criticality and ethical intercultural understanding, employing a range of media (music, film, graphic novels, and more) from around the world.
Our approach
Our innovative approach shows how translation can be a prism through which we can examine the world. We teach translation in ways that:
- Help young people to think critically about what they read, watch or listen to.
- Teach young people a set of specific techniques to understand the impact of their writing.
- Spark curiosity with creative and inspiring content from around the globe.
- Encourage questioning revising and working together to solve complex problems.
- Boost confidence in students' own stories, experiences, skills, and their respect for the stories, experiences and skills of others.
- Enhance their creativity through concrete exercises which encourage exploration and improvisation.
Our impact
We work closely with each school to ensure our workshops meet their needs and objectives. Our workshops provide young people with skills and resources to explore and reflect on the world around them. When asked what learning or skills they took away from the workshops, students have said:
“[Translation] is not just about interpreting words, but translating context and being creative.
– P, 15, William Ellis School
“[Translation] is a very creative process that requires great knowledge of oneself, society and historical context.”
– S, 17, City Academy Hackney
In 2022, 90% of our students rated our workshops 8/10 and above.
95% of teachers rated them 9/10 and above.
For more information see our workshops or contact us to discuss options and approaches for your school.
Articles about our work
Translation can reinvigorate the role of languages in young people’s education
RSA
Students are increasingly looking to study subjects that have relevance in ‘the real world’. Meanwhile, uptake of MFL at UK schools and universities is plummeting. We need to re-frame the benefits of language-learning for students and translation is the way to do it.
Book a workshop with us
- © Copyright 2026 Shadow Heroes
- Privacy policy