How Creativity Fights Knife Crime
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Art Against Knives is a community charity based in North London that seeks to support youth through a number of unique services. As well as providing a basic safe space for younger people to come, the space has a tailored array of services - from a nail bar to a radio studio - for teens and children to stay off the streets and to access their creativity.
Christala who runs the In Our Hands programme - aka, the nail bars - and Elise, one of the young people who used to access these services, speak to our deputy editor Gina Tonic about the importance of saving spaces like these from being shut down.
How important are youth centred spaces to benefiting communities?
Christala: It is important to understand that young people are the experts on their own lives. Therefore, having youth centred spaces can allow young people and their communities to have a voice and feel heard; where professionals can be in a position to listen to the needs of young people and their communities and understand if and how they can best support their ideas for social change.
Putting young people at the centre enables them to play an active role in making these changes within their communities, where they can take lead in coming up with solutions for any challenges they face in their lives because they are the best people who know what those challenges are and what the risks are that come along with those challenges.
It is important that young people feel in control and able to facilitate ownership over the spaces and support they occupy. Not only does this empower young people to have pride in the space but also more importantly for survivors of abuse and violence, who have experienced such an absence of control in other areas of their lives.
Elise: Having youth centred spaces is crucial in all communities as it creates that feeling of togetherness and being able to influence change together. Having a safe space to get away from school life or home life and to be with people who are there to educate, inspire and guide young people through life is important.
Building and maintaining long term positive relationships can help young people to develop in so many ways from interpersonal skills, trusting people, life lessons and more, and at the same time having access to opportunities locally that they may have never had the chance to experience even small things like going out of the area on a trip. Having a space that is for young people in particular may also mean they develop a sense of belonging and sometimes even ownership.
Do you have any specific stories of how the charity has helped individuals?
Christala: I would say that there are many stories, too many! However, what I have heard from young people is how much they have felt heard and supported from the moment they enter our spaces in every aspect of their lives, for example, around Domestic Violence, Mental Health, Child Criminal and Sexual exploitation, Housing to name a few!
They are given the emotional and practical support that they often need and as a result it has improved their social anxiety and wellbeing. Young people have shared that they have learned life skills enabling them to become more independent, as well as being supported to manage conflict, access specialist support services and in making positive life choices. They often say how our spaces are a ‘vibe’; an environment where they can hang out, be themselves, talk about issues affecting their lives, and have been able to establish & build positive relationships with other peers and professionals.
Over the years, through the EET support provided we have seen young people demonstrate increased academic attainment, increased access to education, employability or training and resilience. Young people are given the tools and have developed their skills to take on leadership roles and employment opportunities within our organisation, for example, becoming trained nail technicians where they are able to deliver our nail bar pop ups in the community and at corporate events, as well as being recruited for our Head of Youth Voice roles.
“Our spaces are often the starting point for young people taking action to change the world around them - at a community level and wider.”
Elise: Age 13 living on a deprived council estate with no opportunities and hardly any sense of community AAK set up the first project ‘Dollis Dolls’. A group of us helped to co-produce this project which was super exciting, however due to being let down so many times by other organisations it was hard to trust that AAK would stick around.
AAK helped me recognise my talents by providing me with opportunities and experiences I would have never experienced elsewhere as a teenager. Living on a council estate meant that many stereotypes were already given to us and self doubt was a huge struggle for me. There was always crime happening on the estate and there was always that risk of being exploited from a young age so to have a space that was away from all of that was amazing.
I am so happy that I chose to attend Dollis Dolls religiously every Tuesday 3pm-6pm and that I worked with the staff and other young people to develop the project. This included volunteering at corporate pop ups, community pop ups and so much more! I developed my interest in child development from being inspired by the staff at AAK and they supported me throughout my studies from the beginning of secondary school all the way through to graduating in 2020 as a Youth and Community work practitioner!
I also started a beauty business in 2018 and a graphic design business in 2019 that AAK definitely helped me achieve by educating me and guiding me through life whilst being beside the best people. I will forever be grateful and thankful for the staff at AAK and I cannot wait for the day I can give back to them. At age 22 I do what I do now because AAK tremendously changed my life and others around me! I want to do the same for other young people and be there to inspire them and show them that they can do anything if they put their mind to it.
What makes art/creative outlets specifically an antidote to violent crime?
Christala: I would say having creative environments embedded and rooted in the community. Creative outlets build on young people’s strengths and create opportunity and can be therapeutic for many. They provide a safe space for young people to access positive activities and opportunities around their interests and needs, allowing young people to develop their own skills and express themselves in a positive way. The creative process is a powerful tool for building trusted relationships, especially where there is consistency and the relationships we build last because we’re consistent in all that we do.
Young people can go to great lengths to escape the lives they explain to us, whether that's through substance misuse; suicidal ideation; mental breakdowns etc. and I have seen how creative outlets such as ours can offer a positive escape where young people feel represented in the space. a secure base that builds trust and helps young people feel accepted, manage feelings, build self-esteem and create a sense of belonging.
Our spaces are often the starting point for young people taking action to change the world around them - at a community level and wider. Like the Zine project we do - it’s a way of trying to create social change, as well as learn personal skills. Zines historically have often been a way of trying to shift attitudes and oppressive structures!
Elise: Creating a safe space for young people to express themselves and keeping them off the streets. Being a role model for these young people and inspiring them to amplify their voices and opinions in this society to be the change.
Young people accessing our spaces are fully aware that they can ask us for advice or guidance whenever - this is because we are constantly building trusted relationships and ensuring that young people make the right choices themselves. Young people are always having life lessons and learning from staff and other young people in our spaces and the community so they are able to access different perspectives and reflect on situations or thoughts.
What services at Art Against Knives are most popular?
Christala: I would say there is a high demand and need for all of our services across our programmes. Participating in creative skills training, such as, practicing nail art, music & production, our Podcast and Zine and trips are definitely something young people revel in!
Elise: All of our spaces are in high demand and we work with young people every week across them all. However, the studio (podcast project) One Mic Real Talk has become popular since starting earlier this year.
The nail salon service of providing a private space to share without pressure is really revolutionary, what inspired the decision to offer beauty services as a safe space?
Christala: Our first Nail Bar was Dollis Dolls which was co-designed with young women from Dollis Valley Estate; this started out by one young woman painting the nails of a youth practitioner and then it grew from there. When we think about the conversations that take place in your high street nail salon or barber shop where clients open up and often talk about what is happening in their lives, it shows the ability to unite people together.
So many young people love to get their nails done which inspired our offer to embed free community nail bars accessible within the community as a safe space where young people are given the freedom to express themselves, the skills to nurture their talent and the tools to create their own positive futures, whilst exploring issues that come up, as well as responding to high-risk disclosures in the moment
Elise: As a previous young person at AAK and one who helped launch the first project in 2012 (Dollis Dolls) I was personally happy to just have that safe space where I could learn, meet new people whilst working with the best staff and role models.
The nail service happened to work as it became a much more therapeutic way of having those difficult conversations whilst learning new techniques and skills. It was unique and definitely inspired a lot of young people to tap into their creative sides.
What more can people do to help youth based charities in the UK?
Christala: Learn from young people and youth based charities about what effective, long-term interventions should look like. Allocate more funding to sustain these interventions and programmes as well as covering staff costs to sustain the relationships with young people long term; provide more provisions for youth based charities where young people feel safe and that are accessible for young people wherever they’re at; host fundraising events to keep youth based charities running; volunteering; donations; A collaborative approach: building connections & partnerships with statutory services and creative industries to work collaboratively, and promote and raise awareness around the work being done with young people. Just support the cause!
Do you think there is a stigma against those who need to use services like this, and if so, how do you tackle that?
Christala: Yes there is - often young people are looked down upon and there are a lot of Misconceptions around young people where they can be stereotyped and labelled. Often young people are judged by their behaviours without people understanding the causes behind these behaviours, as well as by their Socio-economic and demographic background.
At Art Against Knives we believe in young people’s talents and when working with them we position them as creatives, allowing them to walk through the door with labels removed. We work with them to break down any barriers that may prevent them from being able to progress and provide a safe space where their voices can be heard; amplifying youth voices through creative means such as our Podcast and Digital Zine.
It is important that young people take the lead in changing the narratives which are often placed on them. We have consistent conversations in our spaces and through our nail bars pop ups in schools and the community, around issues such as Violence Against Women & Girls, Mental Health and social justice, where it is not only about providing support, but about challenging the stigma that comes with it, as well as tackling the cultural and systems change.
Elise: A lot of the time the stigmas are attached to those accessing services because a lot of the services are mainly in deprived areas or council estates - young people from these places already have a big stigma attached to them. The best way to tackle these stigmas are to educate those people by creating opportunities open to all and creating more safe spaces that are recommended and spoken about.
What advice would you give someone looking to access your service?
Christala: I would let them know who we are and we offer and that our spaces are safe and inclusive for all young people to be their unique and authentic selves. I would advise young people to come in with an open mind and open attitude; to come ready to learn, and that it's a judgement free zone and we're here to help. And most importantly to just come as you are!
Elise: Be yourself and be open to trying new things and tapping into your creative mind. Know that many opportunities will come to you and that the other young people and staff welcome you! Whether you need advice, guidance or just someone to talk to, we got you!
Art Against Knives are currently crowdfunding to save their space and to continue doing their work for the community. Find out more and donate for yourself here.
