Knife Angel’s visit to city’s cathedral now postponed
HOPES SCULPTURE WILL ARRIVE ‘SOME TIME IN FUTURE’
PLANS to bring the Knife Angel to Leicester have been postponed due to coronavirus.
The sculpture, made from thousands of knives taken off the streets of towns and cities including Leicester, had been due to go on show outside Leicester Cathedral this spring.
But the cathedral has announced the visit is off for now and there are no solid plans for when the 20ft sculpture will come to the city.
The Rev Alison Adams, sub-dean of the cathedral said: “We are deeply disappointed to have to take this decision.
“Many people have worked very hard on this project and we have received generous support from a number of local companies and organisations.
“We are hopeful that we can secure bringing the Knife Angel to Leicester in the future, so we don’t lose the valuable work that has been taking place and the connections we have made within the committee and supporters of this project so far.”
The sculpture, made of 100,000 knives including about 3,500 from Leicester, was due to come to the city for a week in early May, with organisations including Leicestershire Police, the city council and Leicester City Football Club all involved in the cost and work required to get it here.
The Leicester Knife Angel Committee had expected “huge numbers of visitors” to view the sculpture and take part in various activities planned to take place alongside the event.
The cathedral said in a statement:
“Once the current crisis is passed the organising committee hopes to arrange for the Knife Angel to come to Leicester at some time in the future.
“We want to take this opportunity to thank all the organisations that stepped forward to support this initiative.”
The aim of the 3.5-tonne work of art, created by the British Ironwork Centre, is to raise awareness of the dangers of carrying a knife.
It has been touring towns and cities around the UK in recent months.
Once the current crisis is passed we want to arrange for the Knife Angel to come at some time in the future