ART AGAINST KNIVES

Who we are

ART AGAINST KNIVES reduces violent crime, supporting young people and their communities to enable lasting positive change. Our creative projects act as our vehicle for reducing crime; ensuring we engage and intervene early to reduce the risks faced by young people in London. We believe that building  positive futures for these young people is a collective responsibility.

We work across London, providing creative opportunities in areas of neeed. We design projects with and not for young people, delivering programmes that are on trend, and that young people want to be a part of. Our projects focus on achieving outcomes that divert young people from the criminal justice system, offending, and other negative behaviours such as dependency, which can lead to violent crime. We do this through delivering creative projects that build social, personal and educational capabilities, breakdown risks and barriers that lead to crime and create opportunity.

ART AGAINST KNIVES was formed 8 years ago following the stabbing of Oliver Hemsley, a 21-year-old student from Central Saint Martin’s College of Art & Design. In the summer of 2008 Oliver was stabbed eight times by six young men in an unprovoked attack, leaving him paralysed.