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Art…. But will it Save Lives ?

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The Knife Angel

A very creative piece of Art is paying a short visit to Derby as part of a tour round the UK.

It is located in the shadow of the Tower of Derby Cathedral.

Known as the Knife Angel, it has been sculptured from thousands of knives and blades. The knives themselves have come from ‘amnesty bins’ collected from across the Country, bins where people were asked to deposit these potential weapons.

Artist Alfie Bradley and the British Ironwork Company created the sculpture as their contribution to increasing awareness in Knife Crime. The aim being to help combat Violence and Aggression.  Knife Crime across the UK has been very much on the increase, many initiatives are in place and the focus of much Police activity.  The Knife Angel is hoped to be a passive expression of hope that the problem can be overcome.

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The Knife Angel has certainly attracted the crowds.  It is a spectacular and dramatic Sculpture.  Listening to the crowds whilst the majority were in awe and full of praise it wasn’t to everyone’s liking.

As for my view…. well it certainly has to be praised for the creative skill and the drama it creates.  But…and this is the BIG but…. whilst it attracts the crowds, creates a great deal of discussion, I do wonder if it will attract those, predominantly young folk, who carry knives and commit knife crime…. will they understand and absorb the message.

I guess even if it saves only one life of another youngster it will all be worthwhile.

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15th October

(C) David Oakes 2019

10 thoughts on “Art…. But will it Save Lives ?”

        1. Without being in anyway cynical, I do believe that the media and all its hype round every stabbing and killing has perversely made it the norm for many teenagers, hate to say it but carrying a knife becomes fashionable the thing to do. It happens in other areas of crime where heavy reporting does appear to create ‘copy cat’ events.

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          1. I think you are absolutely right. Media is not keeping up the balance. They report too much and too detailed. It is the same everywhere.

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  3. If you are under 21 the restrictions that apply to purchase are restrictive…. But as we all know there is always a way round any restriction. The really sharp knives are kept in display cabinets which does force the retailer to ask questions. Guns have tough restrictions but they still find there way into the wrong hands.

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