Art Against Knives sets up at BoxPark Shoreditch

John Costi, who runs the AAK graffiti workshops. He is pictured with his first ever work, which he made out of Rizla papers whilst still in prison. Photograph: Kym Beeston

Art Against Knives, a charity spawned from the unprovoked stabbing of art student Oliver Hemsley in Shoreditch in 2008, has just embarked on its most ambitious project yet.

After running several highly successful art auctions to raise money to address the root causes of knife crime and gang culture in east London, Art Against Knives (AAK) has now settled into a home at BoxPark in Shoreditch.

From bespoke soap bars designed by Tracey Emin to a postcard collection of images taken by photojournalism graduates, the AAK gallery sells work donated by established and emerging artists.

All profit is fed back into the organisation to fund creative projects.

John Costi, 23, once imprisoned for armed robbery but now studying Fine Art at Central Saint Martins, runs AAK’s graffiti workshops.

“We didn’t have vast numbers to begin with,” he said, “so I grabbed 10 and 11 year olds off the street, enticing them with food, DJs, and lessons on how to use a spray can properly.”

The first workshop was such a success that by the following week everyone was texting to ask when the next one would be.

Katy Dawe, AAK’s CEO and visionary, explains that AAK uses proceeds from its sales towards grassroots projects, over which young people have full ownership and control.

In this sense, AAK is a platform through which two communities that live alongside each other are now working together.

For more information go to Art Against Knives.