WHAT IS THE KNIFE ANGEL

The Knife Angel is an imposing 27 ft sculpture made from 100,000 confiscated or surrendered weapons, including blunted flick knives, kitchen knives and even samurai swords. It was created by The British Ironwork Centre and artist Alfie Bradley to make a difference – a powerful piece of art with a purpose. 

The sculpture took several years to make, with blades collected from British Iron Works knife banks, which were sent out to constabularies across the country.Artist Alfie Bradley made the basic shape of the Knife Angel out of steel and then he set to work disinfecting and blunting every single blade. The knives were then welded into place, completely covering the angel’s body and wings, with the metal of the blades giving the appearance of feathers. 

The four and a half tonne Knife Angel is compelling in both size and meaning. The knives used to create the Knife Angel can no longer harm anyone, but before they were decommissioned, they were all potential or actual weapons. Around a thousand of them came from Essex.

Many people find the idea of a sculpture made entirely from knives shocking, and that’s exactly what’s intended. Its creators hope the Knife Angel will spark conversations and grab attention wherever it goes, to help communities across Britain talk about knife crime and find effective solutions to this terrible problem.

THE NATIONAL ANTI-VIOLENCE TOUR

The Knife Angel is officially known as the National Monument Against Violence and Aggression and its visit to Chelmsford is part of a national anti-violence tour which has been running since 2018. Since the very first stop in Liverpool in November 2018, the Knife Angel has visited 12 towns and cities. During the Covid-19 pandemic, the sculpture has been back at the British Ironwork Centre HQ in Oswestry but it’s back on the road again and this autumn its destination is Chelmsford.

The Knife Angel stays in each different location for 28 days and host towns and cities aren’t just a place for the sculpture to be seen. An intensive programme of anti-violence events and activities will run alongside the Knife Angel’s visit to both raise awareness about knife crime and to inspire young people to renounce violence as a means of resolving disputes. The Knife Angel is also a focal point for communities to grieve the victims of violence together.

THE ANGEL’S WINGS

Even from a distance, the despair expressed by the Knife Angel is obvious, but up close, this anguish is even more devastating. Personal messages from the families of victims of knife crime have been engraved into some of the wing feathers, including inscriptions by families from Essex. 

Many of these are moving expressions of love and loss to commemorate those who have died. There are also messages of forgiveness and declarations of regret from former offenders who now work to stop knife crime. All these precious messages help to remind us of the urgency of working together to stop other lives being taken or ruined. 

A vigil for the victims of violence will be held at the end of the Knife Angel’s visit. You can find out more about this on our vigil page

‘SAVE A LIFE, SURRENDER YOUR KNIFE’

This campaign is a key part of why the Knife Angel was created and ‘Save a Life, Surrender Your Knife’ is a something you’ll be hearing a lot this September. The Knife Angel’s visit is a chance to get rid of knives and bladed weapons safely and without fear of prosecution. 

There’ll be knife amnesty bins designed by the British Ironwork Centre discretely placed around the city making it easier than ever to give up your weapons with no judgement or punishment.

Carrying a blade is never the answer. We hope as many potential weapons as possible will be taken off our streets while the Knife Angel is here in Chelmsford. 

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