THE KNIFE ANGEL

Unveiled on Thursday the 3rd of October 2019 a sculpture standing at 27 feet, took up a temporary home outside of the Anglican Cathedral in Derby. Placed there at the heart of the cultural quarter of the city, it could hardly avoid making an impact upon the city. The sculpture, quite stunning in both its presence and construction, was to stay on display outside the cathedral until Tuesday the 29th of October.

The predominately metal creation consists of approximately one hundred thousand bladed weapons, all collected from knife banks during police amnesties across the country. An undertaking requiring the full cooperation of the Home Office and all of the Police Forces within the United Kingdom. The man behind the project is the sculptor Alfie Bradley, whose remarkable vision is to highlight the impact of knife crime upon families and communities affected by such crimes.

Several hundred people attended the official unveiling and some of those present shed tears. It was an emotional event for many. For one couple whose teenage son was killed in Derby; only half a mile from the site of the cathedral, it was deeply moving. The name of this young man is engraved upon a plaque or blade, incorporated within the structure. Not on the actual blade that took his life, which would be inappropriate and in poor taste. His name is included with that of many others, all with the permission of their families, as a symbolic statement. An attempt to commemorate their memory, while expressing societies' intolerance towards violence and aggression.

As a visionary project with the aim of raising awareness of knife crime, the Knife Angel is a physical and positive expression of hope. That hope is to end knife crime, particularly amongst the younger members of our society and that hope is praiseworthy.

In reviewing the Knife Angel and the aims of the project however, some have questioned not the hope but the methodology. Some have asked; 'Are we not glorifying crime?' Others have raised a far more difficult question.

The tour of the Knife Angel, supported by each local Police Force and the many support groups, seeks to persuade the young not to carry knives. The question is however, are the types of young criminal engaged in such crime, likely to be influenced by a statue? Is it possible that such persons within our society, will look at the sculpture and see something other than what is hoped for? Will they look at the Knife Angel and see a 'cool' object, reinforcing their own criminal ideas? I cannot answer that question but the question itself, is a valid one.

In viewing the Knife Angel and giving my own personal perspective. I see the object as a monument to the victim of crime and an expression of sorrow. The sorrow of the family affected, the community and society as a whole. I do not sense the hope within the project. I am impressed by the vision of its creator and the engineering required in the creation of such an object. Yet I personally, take away an overwhelming feeling of sadness and loss.