The Knife Angel

I made a quick trip into Bradford city centre specifically to see The Knife Angel, which is on show outside City Hall for a month as part of a national tour. Sometimes referred to as The National Monument Against Violence and Aggression, it was created in 2018 by artist Alfie Bradley and the British Ironworks Centre in Oswestry. It stands 8.2m tall and is made of a steel frame covered in over 100,000 knives (disinfected and blunted), given up to knife banks in amnesties or seized by police after a crime. In the process more than 250,000 knives and other bladed weapons were removed from circulation. Some of them are engraved with the names of individuals lost to knife crimes or with messages of regret and forgiveness written by ex-offenders who now work to reduce knife crime. 

It is touring the country to highlight the scourge of knife crime and to promote an anti-violence message, educating people about the harmful effects of violent behaviour for individuals and for our communities.  I understand that, locally, workshops and related activities are being held and over 1000 young people have been recruited as anti-violence champions. Laudable aims, though one wonders if it will do any good. Violence and aggression seem to be very much part of our societies these days, unwelcome though they are.