UNBOXED: Creativity in the UK

UNBOXED: Creativity in the UK, previously known as Festival UK* 2022 and known colloquially as the Festival of Brexit, is a large-scale creativity and innovation expo[2][3][4][5] scheduled to take place around the United Kingdom in 2022. It will be made up of ten large-scale projects that will take place across England, N. Ireland, Scotland and Wales in 2022. The programme was first proposed in 2018 by then prime minister Theresa May to lift the sprits of a divided nation after the 2020 withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union,[6][7] and given the green light by Boris Johnson, is expected to cost £120 million.[8] It is headed by Sir Martin Green CBE, who previously organised the opening and closing ceremonies of the London 2012 Olympics[9] and Hull UK City of Culture 2017.[10]

UNBOXED: Creativity in the UK
Festival of Britain 1951
Date2022
Duration1 Year
LocationVarious locations around the UK
Also known asFestival of Britain 2022, Festival of Great Britain and Northern Ireland,[1] FestivalUK* 2022, Festival UK* 2022
TypeExpo
Theme"Open, Original, Optimistic"
Organized byFestival 2022 Ltd
Websitehttps://unboxed2022.uk/

History

The idea of a large UK festival in 2022 dates back to the government of Theresa May. Politician Jacob Rees-Mogg then used the term "festival of Brexit" to describe the event,[11] although this description has since been explicitly rejected the organisers.[12] The initiative was originally promoted as Festival UK* 2022, rebranded as UNBOXED in October 2021.

In a press release, the government compared the event to the Great Exhibition of 1851 and the Festival of Britain of 1951.[4][13] It is planned to consist of ten projects, each of which may be live or virtual, with no specified time limit or geographic restrictions but a requirement to relate to STEM or the arts.[4] According to one participant, the festival is also to include the “largest grow-your-own [food] project of modern times”.[5]

Opposition

£120 million of public funds are planned to be spent on the event.[14] It has been suggested that during a global pandemic, the allocated funds might be better spent in other areas, and MP Jamie Stone has launched a petition to campaign for the festival's cancellation.[15]

See also

References
  1. "UK festival of creativity and innovation to be held in 2022". GOV.UK. Retrieved 2021-03-24.
  2. "About". Festival UK* 2022. Retrieved 2021-02-16.
  3. Bassett, Jordan (2020-01-13). "Here's why the planned "festival of Brexit" strikes a sour note". NME. Retrieved 2020-01-14.
  4. "'Festival of Brexit' to go ahead in 2022". The Week UK. January 13, 2020. Retrieved 2020-01-14.
  5. "'Festival of Brexit': 10 teams announced as part of divisive £120m project". the Guardian. 2021-03-24. Retrieved 2021-03-24.
  6. Clarke, Hilary; Frater, James (September 30, 2018). "May's plan for a Brexit festival flops on social media". CNN. Retrieved 2020-01-14.
  7. Devenport, Mark (2018-09-30). "Festival to 'strengthen precious union'". BBC News. Retrieved 2020-01-14.
  8. "The Festival of Brexit is actually happening". The Independent. 2020-09-09. Retrieved 2021-02-16.
  9. Brown, Mark (2020-01-12). "'Festival of Brexit' boss says £120m event will prove cynics wrong". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2020-01-14.
  10. "2022 Festival update". GOV.UK. Retrieved 2021-02-16.
  11. Young, Angus (2020-01-13). "Brexit festival boss Martin Green wants to create 'joy and hope'". hulldailymail. Retrieved 2020-01-14. Tory MP Jacob Rees-Mogg then dubbed it "the Festival of Brexit" and the name has since stuck.
  12. "FAQs". Festival UK* 2022. Retrieved 2021-08-20.
  13. Morton, Tom (19 Nov 2019). "The Spectacular Emptiness of Boris Johnson's 'Festival of Brexit'". Frieze. Retrieved 2020-01-14.
  14. "UK festival of creativity and innovation to be held in 2022". GOV.UK. Retrieved 2020-01-14.
  15. "Cancel the Brexit Festival!". Retrieved 28 January 2021.
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