A festival originally conceived to celebrate the UK’s departure from the EU has been formally named without any mention of the B-word – much to the annoyance and fury of Brexiteers.
The event idea was imagined by former Prime Minister Theresa May and was unofficially dubbed as the “Festival of Brexit” by staunch Brexiteer and Tory MP Jacob Rees-Mogg a year earlier. Fans of the event said it would celebrate Britain leaving the EU, comparing it to the 1951 Festival of Britain.
But it’s now bye-bye to any mention of the word “Brexit”, with the event being officially unveiled as “Unboxed: Creativity in the UK”. Organisers say they are going down a more “open, original and optimistic” avenue for the £120m government-funded ceremony, which is set to take place in 2022 (And who can blame them – closing off 48 per cent of people who voted to remain in the EU isn’t exactly a great business move).
Before the new name was unveiled, the event had been referred to under the working title of Festival UK 2022, with organisers keen to put some distance between the festival and the UK’s break-up with the EU, the Telegraph reported.
But it was widely referred to as the “Festival of Brexit” – both by Brexiteers and those deriding the idea.
From the Outer Hebrides to Dover and from Omagh to Swansea and online we invite everyone to take part, shape and deliver this celebration of creativity in the UK. All free from Mar - Oct 2022#unboxed2022 #creativity pic.twitter.com/fCKbVXHSYa
— unboxed2022 (@unboxed2022) October 21, 2021
A scale model of the solar system, a decommissioned North Sea oil platform and a pop-up forest, along with poetry, computer coding and music events are just some of the things we can expect from the festival.
There will even be a celebration of the British weather from the Newsubstance Collective.
But, as you can imagine, the news of the official name hasn’t exactly been welcomed by Brexiteers whose hopes for a big Brexit divorce party are now down the drain.
Craig Mackinlay, MP for South Thanet shared his fury and branded the festival as “meaningless.”
He told the Telegraph: “What could have been a great celebration of global Britain post-Brexit has now been Whitehall sanitised down into something anodyne and meaningless – it is a great opportunity missed.”
Meanwhile, David Jones, MP for Clwyd West, said he was “shocked” at the fact that Brexit was going to be airbrushed from celebrating the UK.
Speaking to the Telegraph, he sid: “Brexit is the rebirth of the UK as an independent nation. It is something that we should be celebrating and this is a huge opportunity to do so.
“I very much hope that reference to Brexit will be made in future. A lot of colleagues will wish to take this up with new Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries.”
People have also taken to Twitter to joke about what a Festival of Brexit would have looked like.
Having a Festival of Brexit is like having a Festival for the Iceberg that sunk the Titanic.
— Followed by 100k anti-Brexit Loons & anti-Tories (@MarieAnnUK) October 21, 2021
Opening ceremony for the Festival Of Brexit. pic.twitter.com/ikXFDd0xGw
— Parody Boris Johnson (@BorisJohnson_MP) October 21, 2021
The Festival of Brexit should start like the Olympic Ceremony, but instead of the Industrial Revolution they're culling pigs and setting the carcasses on fire.
— Ian Dunt (@IanDunt) October 21, 2021
Festival of Brexit.
— cleckylad (@cleckylad) October 21, 2021
Day 1
All meet at the sunny uplands for a lecture by Farage.
Lunch. Unicorn steaks and rotting vegetables. Bacon sandwiches (bring your own pig)
After lunch, meet in wetherspoons for the blessing of St. Tim Martin
Sports Inc. Shouting at NHS staff.and maskers
Boris Johnson formally opening the Festival of Brexit... pic.twitter.com/bSO6JjEUPk
— Carl Galaxy #FBPE😎 (@socialliberal1) October 21, 2021
"Let The Festival Of Brexit BEGIN! We ask the gods of produce to bestow a healthy bounty in supermarkets & will now offer them a sacrifice of a HGV driver" pic.twitter.com/l4fydXbC6u
— Bacardi Oakheart (@Midgetgems26) October 21, 2021
"Festival Of Brexit" float parade has already had to be called off due to HGV shortages
— Nick Burdon (@the_real_nick_b) October 21, 2021
While others shared their thoughts on “Unboxed” as the official name and the absence of the B-word.
Case in point, Brexiters furious that the 'Festival of Brexit' is now trying to appeal across the referendum divide. I guess they envisaged it as a celebration of their glorious revolution that excludes everyone they see as not part of it. It's not the most unifying angle. ~AA pic.twitter.com/AklfKas17p
— Best for Britain (@BestForBritain) October 21, 2021
Festival of Brexit being renamed "Unboxed: Creativity in the UK"?
— Doomwatch (@Doomwatch9) October 21, 2021
The Government are starting to treat BREXIT like someone who desperately looks anywhere but at the dog on the end of the lead they are holding that's taking a crap on a neighbours lawn.
Nothing to do with us.
The "Festival of Brexit", originally conceived to celebrate our glorious future outside the EU, looks like it is distancing itself from the B-word, dropping the word from its title. In other words, even the Festival of Brexit doesn't believe in Brexit anymore.
— Nick Tyrone (@NicholasTyrone) October 21, 2021
I see the Festival of Brexit is going be called "Unboxed".
— Banquo's Ghost (@_banquos_ghost_) October 21, 2021
CLEARLY in reference to Pandora's Box.
Because all Brexit's been is a series of curses, troubles and a multitude of unseen problems..
The Festival of Brexit 2022 is to be renamed Unboxed, I guess no one wants to take responsibility for having voted for this calamity. I think they call the festival Unhinged. #BrexitReality
— undercover homeopath (@urban_healing) October 21, 2021
I fixed the new "Unboxed" Festival of Brexit branding for them. pic.twitter.com/vg77xhRFWR
— Jayson Winters (@JayPatrol) October 21, 2021
The irony of the festival of Brexit being named ‘Unboxed’, designed to “celebrate creativity and bring people together” - when really we’ve boxed ourselves in and alienated so much overseas creative talent?? pic.twitter.com/xmCxjJC5HV
— Peeteer (@Peeteer) October 21, 2021
Chief creative director of “Unboxed” Martin Green said: “Unboxed represents an unprecedented and timely opportunity for people to come together across the UK and beyond and take part in awe-inspiring projects that speak to who we are and explore the ideas that will define our futures.”
It seems Green didn’t care too much about the name “Festival of Brexit” from the off. He told The Observer last year: “It’s a nice line and it makes you look, but I’d argue if you dig down … what on earth would that be about?”
Green also previously alluded to the influence of Brexit when speaking to the BBC last year: “There is no doubt that money has been made available because this country is exiting the European Union, there is no getting away from that.
“There is also no doubt that we have been through a particularly divisive time in the discourse of our daily lives, and as we go forward, let’s see how the great creativity and ingenuity of the UK can help refind that common ground.
“On a very basic level, we are probably due a bit of joy and hope and happiness, and art is really good at that.”
Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries added: “Next year we will celebrate creativity in all four corners of the UK in what is set to be a huge year for the nation.
“Everyone should have the opportunity to experience world-leading arts and culture no matter what their background or where they’re from - and that’s what Unboxed is all about.
“In 2022 we’re also preparing to host the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham and mark Her Majesty The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee. Together, these events will be at the heart of a year of celebration that will showcase the best of the UK to the world.”
Visit the Unboxed website for more information.
