The limited edition Burning Ink Primo Brogue is now available to buy from the DC unit in Boxpark, there are only 5 available and all proceeds from the sale of the shoe goes directly to AAK.

The shoes, customised by Jekyll, will fund a series of graffiti workshops run by AAK and professional graffiti artists for young people across East London. The shoe is exclusively available in Boxpark, so get yourselves down to Boxpark and get a pair of limited edition shoes for a good cause!

You can check out the video about the London edition of Burning Ink’s story HERE

A MASSIVE THANK YOU FROM US TO DC FOR ALL OF THE SUPPORT…….

]]> http://www.artagainstknives.com/dc-burning-ink-shoe-support-aak-here/feed/ 0 http://www.artagainstknives.com/introducing-pamphlet/ http://www.artagainstknives.com/introducing-pamphlet/#comments Wed, 09 May 2012 23:02:41 +0000 Katy http://www.artagainstknives.com/?p=2113

We would like to introduce you all to Pamphlet,  a new platform for artists, charities, organisations and galleries to communicate to the public….

High quality posters mounted onto public walls, engaging thousands of people everyday, represent artwork that would otherwise be kept online or inside to a limited audience.

This week Pamphlet have unveiled their pilot installation with Art Against Knives on Ebor Street, Shoreditch. The piece is a remake of Salvador Dali’s The Persistence of Memory with a melting knife in the place of his clock. You may have seen this around and about over the last few months, as it is the second of our adverts playing on famous artworks. Do you remember when we put the ear back on Vincent Van Gogh?

The installation looks as if it has been cut and pasted straight from a gallery wall, with a caption that encourages people to travel across the road to Art Against Knives’ innovative charity shop at Boxpark. The image was developed by advertising agency Leagas Delaney and produced to highest quality possible; both weather and graffiti protected to last over the summer!

Pamphlet is founded and run by 19 year-old Sienna Murdoch who has been a friend and supporter of Art Against Knives for the last couple of years. She wanted to challenge the stake of London’s street art scene by opening it up to young artists, grassroots community projects and national institutions- so of course we wanted to collaborate.

“Pamphlet will act as an agency to the capital’s artists and thinkers to curate their artwork to millions of people, in a place you’d expect advertising. A nice surprise to walk past something of museum quality, that you thought you had to go to a gallery to see. Encouraging curators to loose their  target audience and start reaching those that didn’t know they would enjoy it.” Sienna Murdoch, 19

Sienna already has projects with the V&A in the pipeline, is developing projects with local charities and linking with artists to create with as well as property developers and landlords that hold unused wall space and want to join the venture.

Art Against Knives and Pamphlet are to develop a long lasting relationship to celebrate each of their creative outcomes to a vast audience. This will be a model that can translate to other grass root projects, social campaigns, making it easier to communicate within their community and for the community to find great art more accessible…..so keep yours eyes open!

You can support Art Against Knives by purchasing a poster from Unit 55, Boxpark or online at www.pmphlt.com

"Concessions" By Aiden Moesby from SHAPE ARTS

There is much to be said for the parallels between the issues young people with disabilities face when seeking employment and those faced by the young people Art Against Knives works with.  While not necessarily specifically disabilities-focused, the young people we come across may have criminal records, be ex-offenders, experience socioeconomic difficulties, and some may in fact have learning difficulties but either be unaware and go undiagnosed or reluctant to discuss the issues at hand. Employers are often hesitant to employ both young people with special needs and those with criminal pasts because they are seen more of a liability, and they may hold unfair prejudices regarding the type of employees these young people might be and the skills and experience they would bring to a job.

The conference created very interesting dialogue across sectors and ages about what makes and good employee and employer, and what work means to the people who do it. Students with special needs from Lewisham College put on a thought-provoking theatre performance to convey these messages, answering these questions from their own perspectives through the art of drama and performance. Following this, local young people with special needs and all other conference attendees engaged in group discussions to pin down the qualities of an ideal employee/ employer.

"Blind Sight Two" By Mike Fryer from SHAPE ARTS

Every young person has special qualities, interests, and skills to offer, and it is our job to connect these eager adolescents to opportunities that will best utilise their skill sets, in order to contribute positively to their personal and career development and aspirations. We heard inspiring talks from 2 young people with special needs who have found employment across various sectors—from Odeon Cinemas to the Royal Opera House—as well as from their employers, describing their experiences in the job hunt and creating relationships and building skills through interactions with their colleagues and undertaking tasks at their respective workplaces.

In sum, the message we took from the conference is the vital nature of support systems for ALL young people, whether physically disabled, with special needs and learning difficulties, formerly engaged in crime, involved in gang activity, or living seemingly uncomplicated lives. Every young person holds to capacity to contribute in a positive way to society, but must be nurtured and supported in their journeys along the way.

By Alexi Coppinger and Sam Jackson, Volunteers for Art Against Knives

CHECK OUT THE AMAZING WORK OF SHAPE ARTS HERE

“Ever since birth I have been a creative person, always dreading the thought of growing up and working in a office doing the mundane job.

My Grandmother always said,

“I was air born” (Jamaican accent) which in English means “ distracted and away with the fairies”

I put it down to my imagination running overtime thinking of new poems to write, songs to write, books to read and write, and generally trying to do something that would  “Wow the world!”

I have not yet done that  :( I am still working on it but I think that Art Against Knives is the next step in achieving my goal, because of the great energy that the workers have, the by youth for youth theme which is effective in attracting young talent and the genuine, heartfelt cause.

I have worked at many jobs and have had a try at lots of different trades but I feel working at AAK will help me develop within an organisation that is still developing, so that I can learn on the job and gain valuable skills and also learn from other members of the AAK team.

I am currently on a Live event and promotion course which has helped me with the theory of planning and running events and general business knowledge, but working at AAK has already and will continue to help me with the practical and on the job learning which is important because you get to see first hand and deal with the different things that are involved in planning an event and actually running the event.

“The hard work behind the glitz and glamour.”

It’s amazing how everyone at AAK are so friendly and welcoming but still so hard working, determined and dedicated to the cause I am happy to be a part of it. I hope that I can bring as much to the AAK as I know they will give to me. I highly recommend if you are in the Shoreditch area come down and visit AAK the people are lovely, artwork is brilliant and the cause is genuine!”

BY SIMONE GENUS, 18

“My name is Tunde, I’m 18 years old and an aspiring photographer and graphic designer. I am working for Art Against Knives so that I can be a part of the fight against knife crime. Being a teenager living in London I understand the importance of standing up against knife crime, working for AAK gives me a chance to use my talents and support the war against knife crime.

At DV8 I am doing a course in creative and digital media at Level 3. The course consists of lots of coursework, and you get given the chance to work somewhere in the creative/media industry. It is a one year course running from September through to June.
I chose to work for Art Against knives because I saw it as a positive movement and because I had the chance to work with people within my age group and also use my talent to alert young people and make them aware of opportunities and workshops that could potentially change their lives for the better.

A POSTER I DESIGNED FOR ONE OF AAK’S WORKSHOPS….

Design + Make is a creative programme run by Discover Young Hackney, Hackney Council’s free arts and culture festival. It gives young designers the opportunity to expand their creative talents into real marketable brands. They have had support from local social enterprises, Tropical Isles and YH World to help develop their individual business plans and test their merchandise on local market stalls.

We at Art Against Knives are proud to showcase the results produced by these skilled young people which is all for sale alongside some of the UK’s most successful brands in our gallery at Boxpark Shoreditch.

This week I will be uploading  one interview every day with the designers from the Design + Make exhibition.

First up is the Milkshake Club.

“We never wasted time going out and partying but instead focused only on brainstorming and sketching up ideas.”

I caught up with this highly motivated, dynamic team whose cutting edge designs are current and funky. Here is what they had to say about their line and working with Art Against Knives.

1) Why are you happy to work with Art against knives?

The milkshake club are happy to work with AAK because it’s an opportunity to collaborate together and to promote both our brand and the AAK shop to the different target audiences. We are also happy to work with AAK for the reason that they have given us the opportunity to showcase what the younger generation like ourselves has to offer.

 2) Where and how did your whole idea come about?

It all started from the boredom of our bedroom. Two full time college students at the time. Who never wasted time going out and partying but instead focused only on brainstorming and sketching up ideas, and of course our love of the milkshake beverage.

3) Give a quick quote that sums up you and your brand?

“The milkshake club. +ADD flavour to your sense of style.”

4) What makes your brand unique?

• The brands name
• The personality and vibes we try to project through the brand
• Our dedication to our customers.

5) Where do you see yourself and brand in a few years time?

“ The milkshake club sees a future, where the roads are poured with vanilla milkshake, the clouds are strawberry milkshake flavored and us the brand owners are still the same humble designers who inspired everyone to love the milkshake club LOL.”

We just want to see our brand become international especially  in America and China.

You can check out the Milkshake club’s designs at the Art Against Knives gallery, Boxpark Shoreditch.

Interview by Simone Genus, 18

LE SCRATCH + ART AGAINST KNIVES + BOXPARK

PRESENTS

TLC Love NWA!

+ Free Pop-Up Pre Party @ Boxpark from 7pm 

All guests at the Pop-Up event at Boxpark will receive passes to gain FREE entry to Le Scratch @ CONCRETE! 

WE HOPE TO SEE YOU THERE……

Art

Stööki Sketch Freestyle

Your mic on the night will be a sharpie pen as you take to the Stööki panoramic ‘canvas’ stage. You will have a selection of well-known rap lyrics to spark your imagination, before you lyrically scribe your doodle. All your actions and 2-stepping will captured and made into an animation which will be premiered at Le Scratch @ Concrete!

Djs

DJ & Producer Snips is widely recognized as being one of London’s hottest ‘scene’ DJs, spinning a mix of Hip Hop, Bashment, Old School Classics, in addition to playing for luminaries such as Kanye West, Common and Mos Def. He also runs Livin’ Proof. djsnips.bandcamp.com/

Emily Rawson has played at everything from fashion events for Mathew Williamson and Vogue to parties for Kanye West and support slots for Big Boi, Wu Tang & a lot more. UK Festival sets include Lovebox, The Camden Crawl with lots more lined up for the summer of 2012.  She has just got back from a stint spinning in NYC where she supported NYC hiphop legend Rich Medina, and has just done a guest mix for BBC Radio 1Xtra. She was also featured in Time Out as ‘meet the resident’ In April 2012. mixcloud.com/djemilyrawson

Lukey is one of the freshest Djs and producers on the scene. He has played the warm up set for Wretch 32′s performance at Vinspired Awards at the O2, won the Field Day festival DJ competition and his recent collaboration track with Toddla T released on T’s Red Bull mixtape has gained him some serious momentum. lukeymusic.tumblr.com/

Live

Twizzle has just signed his first publishing deal with Warner Chappell. He has a clothing brand in the pipeline and he’s billed as one of the most exciting rap-talents to emerge out of London, his debut mixtape ‘The End Is Near’ features Wiz Khalifa and he features on Twizzle ft Chiddy Bang’s ‘Live It Up’youtube.com/user/OfficialTwizzleSG

Entry: Guest lists / W flyer: £5 via hello@lescratch.com / £7 on the door. Tables can be reserved for free for larger groups.

Address: Concrete (below Pizza East), Lower Ground Floor, 56 Shoreditch High Street London, E1 6JJ

Tube: Liverpool Street / Old Street

Times: 9pm-2am

Jack tells us about their run:

“So we made it!  26.2 miles around Paris to raise money for Art Against Knives!

The Paris Marathon was an amazing event to take part in.  We were part
of a 40,000 person crowd taking part in the event and there was a real
buzz as we crossed the start line.

There were large crowds of Parisian’s out in support, Brass Bands,
Drumming Groups and even Cheerleaders.  All of which helped take your
mind off the pounding that your feet and legs were taking.

There were definitely Highs and some serious Lows on the way round but
the support that we received from everyone who sponsored us helped get
us through the last few miles.

We have raised over £1200 for Art Against Knives and it is still
rising.  We hope it helps them continue to deliver such innovative
work and change the lives of young people in East London.”

We are really proud of Jack and Rich for finishing the 26.2 miles for us and a huge THANK YOU to everyone that has sponsored them!

The shop is packed to the brim with products,  from silk-screen printed T-shirts from THE MILKSHAKE CLUB, Donut necklaces that look edible from OH SO CAKEY, hand-made studded Jumpers from AGR, unique framed illustrations from KOJEY RADICAL, vintage drawstring bags from FORGOTTEN FABRICS to exciting posters from PAMPHLET……

  We opened our gallery at BoxPark last December so that it can be used as a platform to showcase the work that is produced as a result of the projects we run for young people across east London. This project has been such a success that we are going to sustain it as a permanent project that is run through the gallery for local young people… here are some of the other projects DESIGN + MAKE projects we also run…

We have been working with the girls from the Brady Arts Centre in Tower Hamlets who have been making amazing handmade broaches for Womens Independence Day. We sell the broaches from the gallery, and all proceeds go into funding and sustaining creative projects for young girls in Tower Hamlets.

The project is designed to support one of our main objectives, to facilitate sustainable opportunities and create professional relationships between young people and the creative industries in London

 The work of these skilled young people are currently on show and for sale alongside products donated to AAK by supporting established designers, local businesses and artists until the end of April… so please pop by and check them out!

ART AGAINST KNIVES GALLERY

UNIT 55

BOXPARK, SHOREDITCH

LONDON, E1 6JJ

They will be showcasing emerging artists in a group show, Per Annum: 12, to celebrate their first year and the talented artists they represent.

You might remember that some of The Contemporary London’s artists donated work to the AAK Gallery’s first ever exhibition and this month our collaboration continues. Six of the artists featured in the Per Annum: 12 show will be donating original postcards which will be raffled off with proceeds going to AAK.

Per Annum :12 will be showing at 20th Century Theatre (291 Westbourne Grove
London W11 2QA) and will exhibit exciting new works by Adam Dix, Andrew Salgado, Benjamin Buckley, Ceal Warnants, Edd Pearman, Ernesto Canovas, Greg Eason, Jess Littlewood, Jessica Nina Mello, Shan Hur, Julia Bailey, Kiera Blakey, Margo Trushina, Mercedes Baliarda, Patrick Milsom, Sam Knowles, Soraya Abbar, Robin Seir, Rory McCartney, Sandra Erbacher and Vasilis Avramidis.

Tickets for the raffle will be available from the Art Against Knives Gallery and at the showcase.

Opening Times: Thursday 12th April Private View: 7pm – 11pm

Friday 13th April: 10am – 11pm

Saturday 14th April: 10am – 6.30pm

Please join us for the Private View on Thursday 12th April 2012. RSVP info@thecontemporarylondon.com

This is a perfect example of a creative business’ continued support of AAK, massive thank you to The Contemporary London and all their artists!

Hope to see you all at the show!