ART AGAINST KNIVES
AAK embeds creative spaces in London’s most isolated communities, co-designed with young people, that build on their strengths and create opportunity. In these spaces a team of creative, highly skilled professionals provide creative skills training, mentoring and specialist support to keep young people safe and make it possible for them to thrive. We’ve established ourselves as one of London’s pioneering youth organisation’s. Renowned for our ability to consistently support London’s most marginalised young people through co-produced, creative programmes.
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I started at Art Against Knives moonlighting at the very early days of the organisation just as it registered as a charity following its successful first exhibition that incl works from Tracey Emin and Vivienne Westwood. We were one of the first tenants working out of the popular and newly launched Box Park (Shoreditch) where our art gallery was based.
I’ve been here for 13 years. Always motivated by the opportunity to do mould breaking youth, community and creative work amongst like-minded people, I’ve had no reason to move. I’ve been immensely lucky to find myself with the most talented people and truly rooted in communities and areas where we focus our efforts.
Reaching over 2000+ young people since it’s launch in 2011.
In my time here at AAK I’ve been fortunate to work across multiple areas of the organisation; working, setting up and leading on the Charity’s most iconic work from Dollis Dolls Nail Bar (as part of the IN OUR HANDS programme), The LAB music studio to funded projects from The Home Office; 2018 - 2020, we were one of 11 national projects funded by the Home Office’s Trusted Relationships fund In partnership w/ Barnet Council. This work was extensively evaluated to inform future commissioning and shared as an example of best practice. In 2024 we were proud to see 350 young people engage w/ our creative provision, 145 of which accessing direct support (mentoring, (contextual) safeguarding support and EET / personal & professional development).
My AAK Highlights.
I would sum up work at AAK as one foot on the ground directly working w/ young people (fostering and nurturing trusted relationships through creative engagement & high quality safeguarding and care and co-producing accessible spaces) and working behind the scenes on the AAK machine; co-leading our strategies, governance, theory of change & impact, stakeholder relationship management, fundraising & traded income and workplace culture - ensuring that we stay connected to our values, continue listening to the young people and communities we serve and ensure the sustainability of the charity - keeping the DNA of the organisation alive for over a decade - rolling w/ the changes, growth, challenges and successes.