Since the beginning of this year, lawmakers and the media have persistently criticized the project for everything from its name to its disputed audience counts.
The chairman of the £120 million Unboxed initiative, a yearlong series of events designed to celebrate British inventiveness, says the National Audit Office is “properly scrutinizing” it, but that taxpayers would receive a “vast array” of cultural advantages.
From trippy inflatable playgrounds to shared transcendental experiences, the initiative was at turns gloriously bizarre, informative, and remarkable, but probably not exactly what Brexit supporters had in mind when Theresa May first unveiled the concept in 2018.
Since the beginning of this year, rather than uniting the nation, it has been incessantly criticized by politicians and the media for everything from its name to its disputed viewership numbers.
Now that the events are officially done, the organizers have disclosed the final attendance figures, which indicate that 2,8 million people attended live events at 107 venues across England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales.
It claims to have garnered an audience of over 18 million through its digital and television programming, which is much more than the official government figures, which suggested that 240,000 people had attended events.
Phil Batty, the executive director of the project, told: “The national audit office is examining the overall program that we’ve delivered; we’ve been collaborating with them throughout the project; it’s a major government program, so it’s being scrutinized on behalf of the taxpayer; however, we’re confident that they’ll find the results to be quite impressive.
“I believe that next year’s objective study will reveal a vast array of benefits, including economic, social, and cultural contributions.”
In light of the present cost-of-living crisis, elaborate artworks on decommissioned oil rigs may appear a bit tacky, but if the best art is that which generates an emotional response, then it certainly succeeded. Just not always in the manner planned by the organizers.
MP Julian Knight, chair of the Digital, Culture, Media, and Sport (DCMS) Committee, describes it as a “colossal financial waste.”
“Initially, the phrase “festival of Brexit” had a negative connotation for certain artists, but the reality is that the project was an obvious failure. In terms of having an idea and creating something that resonated with people, it was a failure.”
Mr. Batty claims, however, that the successive Conservative governments that oversaw the project from its conception to the present were all pleased with how the funds were spent.
“We’ve received extremely positive feedback from all four governments – they’re ecstatic with today’s results, but they’re also thrilled with how we’ve used innovative approaches to commissioning to bring out the very best of our science, technology, engineering, and arts sector and put on a program that the entire United Kingdom could enjoy.”
One of the goals was to bring events to cities, villages, and rural areas that were underserved by big cultural programs.
Along the way, 6,000 employment and paid growth opportunities were also generated, according to unboxed figures.
Dr. Anne-Marie Imafidon is the chief executive officer of Stemettes, which cooperated on the “About Us” events – a light and sound spectacle tracing 13.8 billion years of history, from the Big Bang to the current day.
Dr. Imafidon believes, “You must look beyond the data alone.”
The value of this has been the relationships that have been established. It has been the lifelines they have extended. It has been the perspective of so many families and individuals around the country following such a difficult time.
“I have witnessed the happiness on their faces. I’ve witnessed the acquired talents as well as the sense of pride that comes from seeing one’s work displayed on national icons.”
