Art Against Knives

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 for young people living in isolated communities. We co-design projects WITH young people, delivering programmes that are on trend, and that they want to be a part of. Our projects focus on reducing the everyday risks faced by young people living in our city. We empower them to make positive choices and reduce negative behaviours such as dependency, which can lead to violent crime. ART AGAINST KNIVES was formed 5 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