The Knife Angel at Coventry Cathedral - www.coventrycathedral.org.uk

The Knife Angel at Coventry Cathedral

         Photo Credit: Dean Wainwright Photography
               www.coventrycathedral.org.uk

Canon Kathryn of Coventry Cathedral published this post to her blog over the
weekend, exploring the arrival of the Knife Angel in the context of the cathedral’s
long history of working for peace and reconciliation in the city and globally.

From the blog of Canon Pastor Kathryn Fleming regarding the Knife Angel:

Standing so close to our two cathedrals, it occupies a good place to plant seeds of hope,
inviting us all to reflect on the choices we make in life. Of course, we’re no strangers to
loss, pain and destruction here, nor to making positive choices when another route might
seem so much easier. I can’t imagine that Provost Howard was universally popular when,
in 1940, he responded to the Coventry Blitz not with hatred or anger but with the two
words which are still present in the apse of the ruined cathedral, “Father forgive”.

The power of the missing word is, I believe, Coventry’s greatest gift to the world, for
where there is no “them” you are prevented from “othering” anyone, forced to recognise
that we all have potential for both good and evil, that the choice is ours.
The Knife Angel, looking down at his own empty hands, is not a figure of power but of
helplessness. He seems to be asking “Why? Why?” and, like us, has no answer.

In making something beautiful from the ugliness and violence of the knives Alfie [Bradley,
the Knife Angel sculptor] follows a pattern that is part of the Cathedral’s own DNA –
using the pain of the past to build something brighter and stronger – a peaceful future.
https://goodinparts.blogspot.com/2019/03/i-believe-in-angels.html?spref=fb&m=1

The 3 themes of the Community of the Cross of Nails and ICON Schools are:

    Healing the wounds of history
    Living with difference and celebrating diversity
    Building a culture of peace

The Knife Angel’s arrival invites us to explore all these, in our schools and our local
communities.

                                 www.coventrycathedral.org.uk

NB. Younger pupils may not be familiar with knife crime and we certainly don’t want to
introduce fear into innocent young lives, so being mindful of your school context and age
of pupils will ensure an appropriate route towards discussion is taken.

Knife Angel Resources

The following resources are available for you to use in school:

    Classroom PowerPoint: To introduce the Knife Angel and lead you through
     discussion in the classroom (links with PSHE, RE, Citizenship & British Values)
    Teacher Notes: Classroom discussion focus and activities to explore the Knife
     Angel further with pupils
    Collective Worship PowerPoint: The Knife Angel as part of a focus for
     Collective Worship (with an angels theme). Please adapt as required.

Classroom Discussion
The Knife Angel’s face- with its expression of deep sorrow- and the uplifted,
questioning hands, invite us to ask ourselves several questions:

    Why do we sometimes choose to hurt each other with our hands and our words?
    How can we find ways to live with our differences that don’t involve hurting each
     other?
    How can we celebrate our differences and live together peacefully?
    How can we have difficult conversations and ‘disagree well’ with resorting to
     conflict and attack?
    How are we building a culture of peace in our school and our local community?

                              www.coventrycathedral.org.uk

Use the PowerPoint to lead you into discussion. Beginning with a ‘contracting’
activity like the one here: https://www.facinghistory.org/resource-library/teaching-
strategies/contracting will help scaffold the discussion and can also model how to
manage difficult topics in a way that feels safe.

Some tips for managing difficult discussions in the classroom:

       1. Create the right atmosphere To give pupils the best chance to make thoughtful
       contributions and express their ideas/opinions in classroom discussions pupils first need
       to feel safe (especially true when discussing something that directly links to violence on
       the streets they live in). It is best to establish a calm, supportive classroom atmosphere
       (using ways your class is familiar with: a candle, quiet music, changed seating
       arrangements, etc. Basically, whatever indicates this is a time to be reflective). If
       necessary, establish ground rules for the discussion so that contributions are of the type
       that best serve your goals for the lesson/session.
      2. Set an objective for the discussion. To make the most of your discussion, if
       possible state what the objective for the discussion is and connect to other
       work/discussions they have had and school values, conduct or topics in RE/PSHE.

    3. Be an active facilitator in class discussion. Try not to dominate the discussion if
     you can but resist passively observing also. Intervene in the discussion to:
      Remind pupils about respecting the right of others to have differing opinions and
         ideas to them
      Re-word questions posed by pupils so that the whole group/class has clarity
      Correct any misinformation and stop any scaremongering or scapegoating
         comments
      Ask pupils for further comment if you don’t understand their contribution
      Review the main points of the discussion and record somewhere for all pupils to see
      Turn attention back to the Knife Angel if the discussion goes off topic
      Reintroduce the need for a positive response if the discussion becomes negative or
         fearful

      4. Be prepared to deal with emotional moments. This is a sensitive topic and it is
       possible some pupils could get upset. Know your class and only choose angles and
       activities that will lead to positive outcomes. If a pupil does get upset, remain calm and

                                 www.coventrycathedral.org.uk

reassure them, validating their concerns. If possible, try to turn it into a learning
       experience for everyone. Feel free to stop the lesson/session if your attention needs to
       be on reassuring your pupils.

      5. Reflect. Allowing time for reflection is important after exploring such an emotive
       topic. Offer some choice in reflecting activity so pupils can respond in a way that is
       appropriate for them. Ask pupils if there are any new ideas, opinions or opportunities
       for further discussions or to raise further awareness and time for reflection. Use pupil
       ideas and responses to develop extension activities that will best suit your school
       community.

Following the PowerPoint, display the image of the Knife Angel again on your IWB
or give pupils their own copy to look at. Allow some time to just look at it and let
the powerful image it creates speak to young hearts and minds.

Activities to do with pupils:
Silent Graffiti Board: After silent looking and reflection, invite the pupils to
contribute to a graffiti board. This is just a large sheet/roll of paper where pupils
can contribute their own thoughts, feelings and questions without speaking. It can
be single words, phrases or whole statements. Pupils can draw lines between
connecting comments and answer questions that other pupils have posed. Marker
pens make it easier for pupils to see each other’s contributions and it is a good
idea to ensue everyone has their own pen. Keeping it a silent activity invites an
atmosphere of quiet contemplation. On completing this you may want to use the
comments and questions to open up a discussion.

SIT activity: This activity includes allowing pupils to respond to the Knife Angel
through the following structure:

          o   Something they find Surprising about the Knife Angel or what it represents
          o   Something they find Interesting about the Knife Angel or what it represents
          o   Something they find Troubling about the Knife Angel or what it represents

                                www.coventrycathedral.org.uk

Poetry/Prayer Response: Pupils could use the image of the Knife Angel as a
stimulus to write their own poems or prayers. It may be necessary to shape these
into more positive if pupils focus too much on the crime aspect.

Map Activity: Pupils (and staff) may wish to make a more prayerful response to
the Knife Angel’s message. Set up a map of your local area surrounding your
school setting or a larger map of the city/town with a small cut out of the Knife
Angel that can be free standing. Pupils can move the Knife Angel to different
locations in the local area, saying prayers for peace and reconciliation for the
people living, working and learning in those areas. LED tea lights can also be
added to symbolise a ‘light in the darkness’.

Art Work: Pupils could use the image of the Knife Angel as a stimulus to create
their own art work and/or images that might encourage others to work towards
building peaceful schools and local communities. What other images might bring a
similar message?

Prayer: There are two prayers from Coventry Cathedral that you may wish to
pray in your school community in response to the Knife Angel:

                                      Litany of Reconciliation:

All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.

The hatred which divides nation from nation, race from race, class from class,

FATHER FORGIVE

The covetous desires of people and nations to possess what is not their own,

FATHER FORGIVE

                                    www.coventrycathedral.org.uk

The greed which exploits the work of human hands and lays waste the earth,

FATHER FORGIVE

Our envy of the welfare and happiness of others,

FATHER FORGIVE

Our indifference to the plight of the imprisoned, the homeless, the refugee,

FATHER FORGIVE

The lust which dishonours the bodies of men, women and children,

FATHER FORGIVE

The pride which leads us to trust in ourselves and not in God,

FATHER FORGIVE

Be kind to one another, tender hearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you

                                      Declaration of Hope:
Today, we stand together as one.

We call for an end to the violence and aggression in our city that causes division, despair and
death.

We long for a shared future where our homes and our streets are safe places again.

We declare that the power of love & forgiveness is stronger than the power of fear and
revenge.

We will each play our part.

                                   www.coventrycathedral.org.uk

We will not be afraid.

Today we choose to believe in hope.

Visit: You may wish to bring pupils to see the Knife Angel in person. If you do
plan a visit, the Coventry Cathedral Schools Team can also offer a ‘Conflict, Peace
and Reconciliation Tour’, which would make a great accompaniment .To find out
costing and make a booking email: Stella.Timbrell@CoventryCathedral.org.uk

Share: If you have generated any art work, prayers, poems or photographs as
part of your response to the Knife Angel and would like to share these with
Coventry Cathedral, please email Jennifer Jenkins at:
Jennifer.Jenkins@CoventryCathedral.org.uk

                              www.coventrycathedral.org.uk