We have been awarded £24,700 from the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner for Cleveland in partnership with Thirteen Group. As part of this funding, £12,350 was match-funded by Thirteen Group.
This funding is part of the Cleveland Unit for the Reduction of Violence (CURV) Knife Crime Action Fund, which sits within the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner for Cleveland.
This funding will support a brand-new project designed to help reduce knife crime among young people across the Tees Valley. By combining creative engagement with powerful storytelling, the project raises awareness of the risks, consequences, and behaviours surrounding knife crime, encouraging safer choices and lasting positive change.
At the heart of the project is ‘On The Edge’, a live theatre production co-created with local creatives that explores the real-life impact of knife crime on young people and their communities.
The piece has already toured schools across the region, reaching over 2,000 pupils from Year 5 to Year 11. Each performance was followed by workshops that give students space to reflect on the issues raised and explore how they can make safer choices in their own lives.
Feedback has been overwhelmingly positive. One teacher shared:
“The performances were relevant and engaging to all age groups. Whilst the performances dealt with the serious issue of knife crime, it didn’t talk down to the students, but rather raised awareness of the issue. This will have been one of the most important 40 minutes that the students have ever spent in school.”
The funding will run until March 2026, supporting a wide range of creative engagement activities and culminating in a public exhibition at ARC, showcasing young people’s creative responses to the themes explored in ‘On The Edge.’