ART AGAINST KNIVES

// EBOR STREET / MAY 2012

Art Against Knives are an extraordinary charity that nurtures the creativity of young people at risk of violent gang crime with workshops and partnerships with industry professionals.

Infact, the Pamphlet concept was started out of the motivation to celebrate Art Against Knives' creative outgoings to a wider audience, to engage those who might not have been reached. 

In December 2011, Art Against Knives opened an innovative charity shop in Shoreditch's ship containers 'Boxpark'. The space acts as a retail platform to sell artwork donated by established artists and as well as a hub for young artists to showcase their work. 

In 2008, Oliver Hemsley, a fashion student from Central St Martin’s College of Art was stabbed, completely unprovoked, by a pack of angry youths on Boundary Street, Shoreditch. The vicious attack, which has left Oliver in a wheelchair, took place just 2 streets from where Pamphlet's installation sits. It is the impact of this, which drove Oliver and his friends to create something positive from such a life-changing experience.

Ourspace in Action! 

Right: Graffiti workshops at Workshop44, near Broadway Market.

Above: Spoken word workshops with Adam Kammerling at Village Underground

Want to get involved? There are several ways you can

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The image is a mock of Salvador Dali's 'The Persistence of Memory' with a melting knife in the place of his famous melting clock. It is an apt choice of masterpiece to follow on from their first exhibition which promoted a retouched version of Van Gogh’s 1889 painting, “Self Portrait with Bandaged Ear” in which the bandage is removed and his ear is reattached.

This image was developed at Leagas Delaney, London, by creative director Nigel Roberts, art director Pete Davies, copywriter Adam Rimmer, agency producer Alexa Easterby, photographer Sophie Broadbridge, illustrator Martin Hargreaves, with retouching done at Loupe Digital Imaging.

All profits from the shop go towards funding Art Against Knives' totally youth-led programme 'Ourspace'.

OurSpace is designed as a template that bridges the gap between the local community and the creative industry that thrives in east London. They believe it is the entire communities responsibility to share resources and sustain creative opportunities for young people, by young people, providing an alternative to violent gang culture.

"Pamphlet is the perfect platform to support the outcomes of our projects, providing young people with the opportunity to communicate to the communities in which they live as well as providing a sense of ownership."

We are hugely grateful to the following who helped us iron out the creases you come across in a pilot!

Leagus Delaney, Londonewcastle, EPS Printers, BOXPARK, Jack Agency, YH World, Poached Creative, Chima Nsoedo, Amelia Abraham and Sasha Olshanetsky.