The Knife Angel is the National Monument against Violence and Aggression and residents in Corby, in Northamptonshire now can see this huge sculpture in Corporation Street within the town’s centre for two weeks as part of the artworks national tour of major towns and cities. It’s also hoped that the sculpture that’s been made out 100,000 knives, blades and meat cleavers, may make some residents oppose the idea of carrying dangerous weapons and possibly even lead to surrendering previously held weapons to the local Police.
In 2014 the ‘Save a Life, Surrender Your Knife” campaign was born when the chairman of the British Ironwork Centre in Shropshire, Clive Knowles was struck by the large amount of violent knife crimes being reported within the media. Clive Knowles, was known for his passion and commitment to tackling social issues through his dedication to art and he felt immediately compelled to find a new way to make a difference by highlighting the issue of knife crime in a real sense through art.
The Ironworks began to reach out to families, communities and cities within the UK who had been affected by horrific acts of violence and received a tremendous response to their appeal with many families and loved ones already working tirelessly in raising awareness surrounding these violent and heinous crimes.
Inspired by the families desperation and energy in bringing knife crime to the public consciousness the campaign to create a artistic model reflecting the issue of violent knife crime began.
Alongside the artist and sculpture, Alfie Bradley the British Ironwork Centre designed a sculpture that would deliver a powerful image about violent crimes whilst also carrying the voices of the victims and families affected by violent knife crime in a sensitive manner.
Working with the Home Office, The Ironworks offered to fund all the knife banks where people could leave their weapons of knives in an amnesty on the unlawful carrying of knives. The Ironworks sought permission to collaborate with 43 police constabularies across the UK in attaining the knives that make up the statue, and only asked that each constabulary committed to keeping an amnesty to those whishing to surrender so that the campaign to raise awareness and educate communities about knife crime through the making of the Knife Angel sculpture.
The memorial to the victims and families affected by knife crime and other forms of violence was installed in Corporation Street on Saturday, May 14, and will be on display until May 29.
Below is the Northants Police video of the Knife Angel statue being displayed in Northamptonshire before it arrived at Corby.
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