Never Mind the Bullshit, Talk Like A Pirate.

International Talk Like a Pirate Day rolls around every year on 19th September, inciting spontaneous aarghs and ahoys and dressing up among adults and children alike. 

 Whilst that’s all fun and games, this year we’d like to introduce a different approach to talking like a pirate – telling the truth and owning mistakes. 

 Pirate leadership was one without all the dithering and petty politics we’ve now come to accept as the norm. They could not afford to say one thing, and mean another; they raised the Jolly roger and declared their intentions clearly and without hesitation. A pirate Captain would tell it like it is, even if the truth was scary. If the ship is sinking, it’s sinking. You get the drift (pun intended). 

 It has never been clearer that our current political system does not allow for humility, accountability or transparency, and we will all continue to suffer as a result of this. So, in light of this turbulent year, we’ve decided to give some of the year’s key speeches an ‘upgrade’ What if we had leaders that were direct, and honest enough to own their mistakes; to stop pretending they have all the answers? What if we faced the challenges ahead without showboating or sweeping the difficult stuff under the rug?

Yes it’s the Conservatives in the firing line right now, but this isn’t about turf wars, or blaming one party or this government specifically, but overhauling what political leadership looks and sounds like. 

 It's also in celebration of our new book How to: Be More Pirate, which features a whole host of people demonstrating that it’s possible to face challenges with courage and lead differently.

In the book we set out an ambition to move the definition of pirate away from sword-swinging psychopath, or even silicon valley sociopath, towards something that more closely represents the truth of what it means to turn pirate: guts, grit and reinvention for the purpose of equity, democracy and accountable leadership.

You make a mockery of us, we will make a mockery back.

And because we all need a laugh this year. 

Videos directed and co-written by Rosie Gaunt-Mathieson