A probe has been launched into the management of a controversial £120 million “festival of Brexit “, which was claimed to have cost the taxpayer £500 per visitor earlier this year.
The National Audit Office (NAO) today announces it is investigating the Unboxed Festival, which was branded an “irresponsible use of public money” by MPs.
National Auditor Gareth Davies confirmed his team will look into possible failures of management, political pressure to keep the project alive, and whether the government knew its target was unrealistic.
The festival – claimed to be a celebration of the UK’s ‘world leading creativity’ – was reported to have brought in a paltry 238,000 people between March and August this year, well short of the 66 million it was hoped to attract.
Events have been held across the UK, but critics say it was a catastrophic waste of money.
Although organisers say the eight-month project had nothing to do with the UK leaving the EU, Jacob Rees-Mogg’s 2018 call for Brexit to be celebrated with a festival ensured the two were connected from the start.
(
PA)
Earlier this year the cross-party DCMS Committee lashed out at a lack of “overall vision or direction” and called for an audit into the way Unboxed Festival was managed.
Following the announcement of the probe, committee chairman Julian Knight said: “That such an exorbitant amount of public cash has been spent on a so-called celebration of creativity that has barely failed to register in the public consciousness raises serious red flags about how the project has been managed from conception through to delivery.
“The NAO’s investigation will bring welcome and thorough scrutiny and help get to the bottom of how so much tax-payer money could be frittered away for so little return.”
The much-maligned festival was announced in 2018 by former Prime Minister Theresa May, who said: “We want to showcase what makes our country great today.
“We want to capture that spirit for a new generation, celebrate our nation’s diversity and talent, and mark this moment of national renewal with a once-in-a-generation celebration.”
(
PA)
The Department of Culture Media and Sport (DCMS) has rubbished criticism of the project – claiming that four million people had “engaged” in events – which include a walking trail exploring the earth’s place in space.
It has also included educational programmes, poetry and coding competitions that 115,000 schoolchildren have taken part in, DCMS said.
A spokesperson said: “We do not agree with the Select Committee’s views.
“Unboxed has helped open up access to arts and culture across the country with an inclusive and groundbreaking programme of live and digital events, designed to bring people together and delivered in partnership with the devolved nations of the UK.
“More than four million people have engaged in UNBOXED programming so far and these numbers are set to rise further.”
Following a report by House Magazine about low visitor numbers in August, Naomi Smith, chief executive of campaign group Best for Britain said: “With a bill of around £500 per attendee, the Festival of Brexit is the perfect metaphor for how Brexit itself has turned out, hugely expensive and deeply unpopular with no-one really getting what they wanted.
“The new Prime Minister must stop squandering cash on these vanity projects and put it where it’s needed, struggling families, businesses and public services.”
Before being named Unboxed, it was titled Festival UK* 2022 – complete with asterisk – but by that stage “Festival of Brexit” had stuck.
In what appeared to be an early reference to the planned event, by hardcore Tory Brexiteer Mr Rees-Mogg, said back in 2018: “A Festival of Brexit would be excellent.
“There should be a huge celebration and in the spirit of friendship of our European neighbours, upon leaving we should drink lots of champagne to say that though we may be leaving the European Union, we don’t dislike Europe.”
Martin Green, Unboxed’s chief creative officer, told the magazine he was assured it would not be a “jingoistic jamboree” or a “festival of Brexit” when he took the job on.
The festival has so far included lightshows and a walking trail themed around the Earth’s place in space.
Government insiders said there was displeasure within the Department of Media, Culture and Sport, with a feeling that the event was “really contrary to the original vision”.
A spokesperson for Unboxed: “The numbers reported misrepresent the public engagement with UNBOXED and reflect attendance at only eight of the 107 physical locations within the programme.
“Unboxed’s art, science and tech commissions have been presented in over 100 towns, cities and villages, engaged millions across live and digital and employed thousands of creatives around the UK.
“The Unboxed programme continues until the end of the year.”