Carpentry & Joinery Students Take on Major Sculpture Task for Knife Crime Campaign

Level 2 Carpentry & Joinery students will be working alongside a local artist to create a permanent 25ft two-dimensional structure, which will be installed at St Mary Magdalene Church. The Knife Angel is a powerful symbol taking a stand against knife crime. 

As part of the project, students will also create 25 smaller-scale Knife Angel sculptures, each standing at 5ft. These will be distributed to local Newark schools as part of the wider campaign. 

Students attended a site visit on Monday 23 February to be briefed on the project and to assess where the structure will be situated. Following this, they took part in a workshop to develop design concepts, consider suitable materials and calculate costings for the client. 

Emma Holden, Project Manager at We Are Newark, said: “We Are Newark are incredibly proud to be bringing the Knife Angel to Newark in partnership with Newark & Sherwood District Council and You Can Do Sport. While this is an important opportunity for our town to confront the impact of knife crime, it is also a powerful moment to celebrate our young people and place them at the heart of this historic event. 

“By involving students directly in shaping the legacy of the Knife Angel’s visit, we are recognising their talent, their voices and their role in building a safer future. There will be further opportunities for students across both campuses to engage with the project in creative and community-led ways, ensuring they are not just participants, but part of the story of this landmark event for our town.” 

Isaac Williams, a Level 2 Site Joinery student, said: “We’ve got to come up with a plan for how much it will cost for the church, because marine ply is quite expensive. It will involve trial and error and problem-solving. 

“We are very proud that it will be permanently on display. I’ve lived in Newark all my life, and my family and I go to local churches. I’ll be happy for them to see the work that I have produced.” 

The programme has been designed with young people in mind. The project is creating meaningful opportunities for students from both the Newark and Lincoln campuses to be actively involved. 

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