An art exhibition showcasing school shirts emblazoned with anti-knife crime messages will go on display as part of Knife Crime Awareness Week, a BBC report said on Tuesday.
Created by young people in Bristol, the exhibition will be held at the Lord Mayor's Chapel on College Green, Bristol, from May 19 to 25.
In the “Empty Shirts, Lost Childhoods” project, participants aged 13 to 25 were invited to decorate plain white school shirts with poetry, slogans, artwork, and memorials that reflect their feelings and experiences of knife crime.
The University of Bristol's Dr. Jade Levell, who led the project, said the exhibition “shines an important light” on young people.
Knife Crime Awareness Week, which runs from May 19 to 25, is an annual campaign by the Ben Kinsella Trust that aims to raise awareness of knife crime's devastating effects and promote preventative solutions.
Levell said: “Writing on school shirts is a rite of passage for many young people as they graduate from formal education.”
“Children involved in youth violence often miss out on this milestone, due to being excluded from school, victims of violence, or perpetrators in custody,” she added.
The project represents the culmination of a unique creative project spearheaded by the University of Bristol in collaboration with local schools and youth organizations.
It also invites community members to respond by contributing to a “community manifesto” that will be shared with the Bristol City Council and other partners to inform future youth violence prevention strategies.
Duncan Stanway, assistant director at Barnardo's, said: “It is important that we listen to what young people who are affected by violence say about their lives.”
He added: “We see too many young people who are seriously harmed through exploitation and violence.”
The initiative is part of a broader citywide effort, led by the Bristol City Office, to address serious youth violence through collaboration between community groups, academics, police, and public health bodies.
Avon and Somerset Police and Crime Commissioner Clare Moody praised the initiative, saying: “It powerfully captures the voices and experiences of young people affected by violence.”
