Crewe Town Council is pleased to announce that the striking Anti-Violence Bee Monument will visit Crewe for a month-long residence in May 2024!
The Anti-Violence Bee is a 6 x 2.5m monument made by British Ironworks from thousands of weapons (including knives and guns) that were collected from the streets of Manchester. All weapons were collected as part of the Greater Manchester Police’s ‘Forever Amnesty’ and were delivered to British Ironworks on a 7.5 tonne lorry.
The Anti-Violence Bee will be located on Memorial Square between Thursday 2nd and Thursday 30th May 2024.
Following on from the successful visit of the Knife Angel sculpture in May 2023, the Anti-Violence Bee Monument visit is a legacy of the Knife Angel project and represents Crewe’s continued zero tolerance towards violence and aggression of any kind.
The bee inspires the idea that together we are stronger and can achieve incredible goals as a society. It is hoped that the bold design of the bee, paired with the important symbolism of the bee itself, will invoke education, communication, and discussion within Crewe to promote the anti-violence campaign.
An accompanying programme of activities is planned for the month of May, organised by Crewe’s Policing Team and the Safer Cheshire East Partnership (SCEP) which includes:
- A Bee Trail
- Choir performances
- Story times
- School visits
- Local artwork
- A Shanaze Reade BMX event
These activities are currently in the planning stage and announcements will be made via the Crewe Town Council Anti-Violence Bee Monument webpage:
www.crewetowncouncil.gov.uk/whats-on-events/anti-violence-bee-monument/
How to get involved:
- Become a National Youth Anti-Violence Champion
- Be part of the supporting programme
Visit the above webpage for further information or contact: [email protected].
The 2023 Knife Angel visit to Crewe
The Knife Angel is the National Monument against violence and aggression and is made up of 100,000 seized knives and blades taken from the streets of Britain. The Knife Angel had a hugely positive impact on Crewe and its surrounding areas during its 2023 visit with 140 knives being disposed of through the knife amnesty and thousands of young people participating in engagement opportunities surrounding anti-violence and aggression messaging.
A spokesperson at Crewe Town Council said:
“The Knife Angel left a lasting impression on all who saw it during its visit last year and we were sorry to see it leave. We are excited to announce that the Anti-Violence Bee Monument will be coming to Crewe and hope that it will inspire a lot of people from the surrounding areas to visit during its residency here.”
More information about the Anti-Violence Bee can be found on the British Ironworks Centre webpage:
www.britishironworkcentre.co.uk/projects_item/gmp-anti-violence-bee-monument/
