‘Festival of Brexit’ facing scrutiny over use of taxpayers’ money
The head of the £120m Unboxed project – a year-long series of events aimed at celebrating UK creativity – says it is “rightfully being scrutinised” by the National Audit Office but that taxpayers will see a “wide range” of cultural benefits.
From psychedelic inflatable playgrounds to shared transcendental experiences, the project was, at times, gloriously weird, educational and impressive, but arguably not quite what Brexit-backers envisioned when Theresa May announced the idea back in 2018.
Since the start of this year, rather than unite the country, it has been relentlessly criticised by politicians and the press over everything from its name to disputed audience figures.
Now events are officially over, organisers have released the final numbers which show 2.8 million attending live events in 107 locations throughout England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.
Through its digital and broadcast content, it claims to have achieved an audience of over 18 million – vastly higher than initial government numbers, which indicated only 240,000 people had attended events.
Phil Batty, the project’s executive director, told Sky News: “The national audit office is looking at the overall programme that we delivered, we’ve been working with them all the way through the project, it’s a major government programme, and therefore it’s rightfully being scrutinised on behalf of the taxpayer, but we know that they’ll find the results are really strong.
“I think what we’ll see as part of the independent evaluation next year is such a wide range of benefits, some of those economic, some of those social, some of those cultural.”
Phil Batty is the executive director of Unboxed
Elaborate art installations on decommissioned oil rigs might seem a bit crude given the current cost of living crisis, but if the best art is something that elicits an emotional response, well it certainly achieved that. Just not necessarily in the way organisers intended.
MP Julian Knight, chair of the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) Committee, says it has proven to be a “colossal waste of money”.
“There was certainly some stigma over the phrase ‘festival of Brexit’ at the start for certain artists, but the reality is that this was clearly a failure of the project. It was a failure in terms of having an idea and actually having something that resonated with people.”
But Mr Batty insists the successive Conservative governments that have overseen the project from its inception through to now have all been happy with how the money was spent.
“We’ve had really good feedback from all four governments – they’re really pleased to see the results today but they’re also excited with the way we’ve used innovative approaches to commissioning to bring out the very best of our science tech engineering and arts sector and put on a programme that the whole of the UK could enjoy.”
The Unboxed project has created 6,000 jobs
One of the aims was to take events to towns, cities and rural areas less well served by major cultural programmes.
Unboxed numbers show 6,000 jobs and paid development opportunities were also created along the way.
Dr Anne-Marie Imafidon is the CEO of Stemettes which collaborated on the “About Us” events – a light and sound spectacle that charted 13.8 billion years of history, from the Big Bang to the present day.
Dr Imafidon argues: “You have to look beyond just the numbers.”
“The value of this has been in the connections that have been made. It’s been the lifelines they’ve been giving. It’s been the perspective after such a tough time for so many families and people across the country.
“I’ve seen the joy in the faces. I’ve seen the skills learnt, I’ve seen the sense of pride actually in seeing themselves up in these productions across the country on our landmarks.”
Entertainment
Orpheus Pledger: Australian police launch manhunt for Home and Away star accused of assault
Police in Australia have launched a manhunt for former soap opera star Orpheus Pledger after he failed to appear in court to face charges of assault.
Pledger, 30, was due to appear at Melbourne Magistrates Court on Tuesday accused of assaulting a woman, Sky News Australia said.
The actor had been granted bail on Tuesday for a court-ordered hospital assessment and had been ordered to return to court the following day, but didn’t show up.
On Wednesday Victoria Police issued a warrant for his arrest and asked the public to help find him.
Pic: Victoria Police
The force said in a statement he was wanted over an “assault-related matter” and hoped “someone may be able to provide information on his current whereabouts”.
Described as “approximately 170cm [5ft, 6in] tall with brown hair and tanned complexion”, police said he was known to frequent the north Melbourne suburb of Northcote and surrounding areas.
Pledger’s manager, Craig McMahon told the Sydney Morning Herald he had not been in contact with his client this week but that he had been shocked by the assault allegations.
Mr McMahon told the paper his client had suffered from mental health issues for a long time.
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Pledger starred in Neighbours, another Australian soap, in 2011 before joining the cast of Home and Away in 2016 where he played Mason Morgan for three years.
Earlier in his career, he appeared in other TV shows, Silversun and CrashBurn.
A guitar used by John Lennon in the recording of The Beatles album and film Help! is going up for auction after being found in a loft.
Believed to have been lost, the 12-string acoustic guitar had not been seen or played for more than 50 years before it was rediscovered in the home of a British couple.
It is now going up for auction where it is estimated to fetch between £485,000 to £647,000.
Auctioneers believe it could set a “new world record for the highest-selling Beatles guitar”.
The Hootenanny model, made by German firm Framus, was used by the Liverpool band in the 1965 Help! film, specifically in the scene when the group perform You’ve Got To Hide Your Love Away.
It was also used during the recording sessions for It’s Only Love and I’ve Just Seen A Face and Girl along with the rhythm track for Norwegian Wood played by George Harrison.
Lennon’s lost guitar on display in London ahead of the auction. Pic: AP
“Finding this remarkable instrument is like finding a lost Rembrandt or Picasso, and it still looks and plays like a dream after having been preserved in an attic for more than 50 years,” said Darren Julien, co-founder and executive director at auction house Julien’s Auctions.
“To awaken this sleeping beauty is a sacred honour and is a great moment for music, Julien’s, Beatles and auction history.”
It is believed the guitar came to be in the possession of Scottish guitarist Gordon Waller, known for being one half of the pop duo Peter & Gordon, who later gave it to his band’s road managers in the 1970s.
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It is not the first piece of Beatles memorabilia to be rediscovered.
In February, Sir Paul McCartney was reunited with his 1961 Hofner bass guitar, which he used on songs such as Twist And Shout and She Loves You.
Julien’s Auctions has previously sold another Lennon acoustic guitar for $2.4m (£1.93m), Ringo Starr’s Ludwig drum kit was purchased for $2.2m (£1.77m) and a Ludwig drumhead bass used on The Ed Sullivan Show was auctioned at $2.1m (£1.64m).
The Hootenanny guitar will go up for auction along with the guitar’s Maton Australian-made case as part of Julien’s Music Icons two-day auction on 29 and 30 May.
Also being sold at the auction is an Adam Clayton stage-played and owned rose sparkle Fender bass guitar, used at the U2 Las Vegas Sphere shows, which has an estimate of $50,000 to 70,000 (£40,199 to £56,279).
Tina Turner’s Versace dress, worn during her 1996 to 1997 Wildest Dreams Tour, and Amy Winehouse’s Black Fendi gown made for the opening of the clothes shop during Paris Fashion Week, are also up for auction.
US actor Terry Carter, who starred in 1970s TV shows including Battlestar Galactica and McCloud, has died at the age of 95.
Carter “died peacefully” at his New York home on Tuesday, it was announced on his official website.
He was best known for his roles as Colonel Tigh in the original Battlestar Galactica series and Sergeant Joe Broadhurst on McCloud.
During his decades-long career he was seen to break down barriers, including in 1956 becoming one of the first black actors to become a TV sitcom regular, playing Private Sugarman on The Phil Silvers Show.
His first major Hollywood role was playing Detective Max Jaffie in 1970 hit Company Of Killers, before his portrayal of Sergeant Joe Broadhurst in the US police drama series McCloud which ran from 1970 to 1977.
Arguably his most well-known role came for starring as Colonel Tigh, second-in-command of the starship fleet in original science-fiction series Battlestar Galactica in 1978.
The series came off the back of the success of Star Wars in 1977.
In 1989, he was nominated for an Emmy award for producing and directing a TV musical documentary titled A Duke Named Ellington about the life and work of the pianist, composer, and jazz star.
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His other credits including starring in Foxy Brown and Benji; creating a documentary about African-American anthropologist, dancer, and choreographer Katherine Dunham; and becoming a TV anchor newscaster for WBZ-TV Eyewitness News in Boston in 1965.
He also appeared in three Broadway productions, with his debut in Mrs Patterson, as well as the revival of the musical Finian’s Rainbow, and his final appearance was in the musical Kwamina, opposite British star Sally Ann Howes.
Carter is survived by his wife Etaferhu Zenebe-DeCoste, his two children Miguel and Melinda and Mrs Zenebe-DeCoste’s daughter.
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