Unboxed attracts fraction of target audience numbers

Nationwide festival Unboxed: Creativity in the UK has only reached a small portion of its intended audience, according to an investigation by political journal The House.

Official figures revealed in the investigation show four of the creative event’s ten projects have drawn 238,000 visitors so far, a far cry from the 66m people the festival initially set out to engage.

Unboxed's Chief Creative Officer Martin Green told The House that audience numbers had been affected by the festival being nicknamed the “Festival of Brexit” when it was first announced under Theresa May’s leadership.

“It hasn’t left us. And we all must learn from this. Rule one of major events: don’t politicise them. And unfortunately a few chose to politicise it from the beginning,” Green said.

Since Unboxed officially launched in March, its projects have been largely overshadowed by external events including Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the rising cost of living, according to The House's investigation.

DCMS staff are said to have raised concerns that the £120m event was “a festival of creativity almost devoid of place” and “contrary to the original vision”.

According to one unnamed minister, the fact “hardly anyone even knew it was happening” has been “the only upside”.