Great Western Railway has supported a new public art project in Reading to raise awareness about knife crime and violence.
The Armoured Heart sculpture, made partly from blades collected in knife amnesty bins, is located outside The Oracle shopping centre. It symbolises peace and hope for the town.
The project was funded by the Community Fund, which provides grants to local groups and charities that benefit the communities served by the railway.
The Armoured Heart is a sculpture made with knives collected by police that was unveiled in Reading to raise awareness of knife crime. Local artist Stuart Melrose, who was the sculpture’s creator, has worked on the Amnesty Art project alongside members of the Young Voices project run by Reading’s Starting Point mentoring service.
The partnership saw young people in shaping the sculpture’s design and learning through developing a new programme to educate on the risks and consequences of violence and knives.
The Armoured Heart is a sculpture that symbolizes the resilience and potential of Reading’s communities and youth. It is a 2m-tall structure made of stainless steel diamonds that form a heart-shaped armour, and a steel finial that is crafted from melted-down weapons collected by Thames Valley Police. The sculpture aims to raise awareness and inspire positive choices against knife crime.
The artwork is not only a visual inspiration for young people to avoid knives, but also a digital experience that can be accessed through a mobile phone. By using augmented reality technology, which combines the real world and computer-generated content, the artwork can display sounds, videos, and graphics that enhance its message. To view the digital layer, the user needs to scan or view the image with an **augmented reality app** on their phone.
The sculpture is on the riverside outside the Oracle, opposite the cinema, and an information board next to it explains its details and significance.
A month of action will take place in July to inspire young people to achieve their potential and reject knives or violence as a way of dealing with problems. The installation will be the starting point for an educational outreach programme that will provide resources and advice on a new website at www.readingamnesty.art. The programme will also offer opportunities for learning new skills and exploring different career paths.
The Armoured Heart was commissioned through a partnership between Reading Borough Council, Thames Valley Police, The Oracle shopping centre, the University of Reading, Berkshire Community Foundation, the Hampshire Community Rail Partnership and Reading & Basingstoke Community Rail Partnership. As well as being part funded by Great Western Railway’s Community Fund, funding also came from grants from the British Airways Community Fund, the Thames Valley Violence Reduction Unit, and community donations.
Councillor Karen Rowland, Lead Member for Environmental Services & Community Safety at Reading Borough Council, said “The unveiling of this incredible, evocative sculpture has created a physical symbol of peace and hope that everyone can take inspiration from.
“The sculpture celebrates the opportunity of the positive choices that our young people can make to grow up safe in Reading’s communities.
“The production of this sculpture is proudly “Made in Reading”, the culmination of our local young people alongside Reading’s own Stuart Melrose, to create a thought-provoking manifestation of our message. The upcoming educational programme to follow will remind us all that within Reading we have the power to work together to move away from knife crime and violence.
“My thanks go to The Oracle shopping centre for the prime location and to GWR and British Airways, the Thames Valley Violence Reduction Unit and other community organisations for the funding and volunteering efforts that have made this possible.”
Artist Stuart Melrose said “It has been a fascinating project to work on, drawing upon what the partners felt represented their hopes for Reading and those growing up here, but also as a symbol of the resilience in the community and its strength.
“The young people I worked with are overcoming all the challenges they face growing up today, but their enthusiasm and vision has shaped both the sculpture but also a wider brand which will help the education project have a lasting impact.”
GWR Business Assurance and Strategic Director Joe Graham said: “The Community Fund is a great opportunity for us to invest in projects that really make a difference to our customers and communities at a local level.
“We were delighted to support this initiative with a grant for £44,000. The sculpture itself is fantastic as a permanent installation, but it is the opportunity to inspire further positive change that we are particularly pleased to be able to support for the long term.”
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