The issue with ‘Rethink. Reskill. Reboot.’ advert campaign
The UK government’s “Rethink. Reskill. Reboot.” advert campaign was a huge blunder and risks alienating a generation of artists and creatives unless it is viewed as a wake-up call to lend greater support to the arts.
Photo from Wikimedia Commons
You have probably seen it plastered across social media. The now-infamous image of Fatima the ballet dancer alongside the caption “Fatima’s next job could be in cyber (she just doesn’t know it yet)” has been circulating the web. The ill-timed advertisement campaign provoked a storm of controversy on social media, inspiring memes of the Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak accompanied by the caption “Rishi’s next job could be at Wagamama (he just doesn’t know it yet)”.
Downing Street has followed the internet in its criticism of the advert created by HM Government and CyberFirst - a programme championed by the National Cyber Security Centre seeking to enlist young people into the tech sector. Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden also voiced his disappointment, branding the advert “crass”. Subsequent to the anger provoked, the advert has been taken down.
In fact, the aim of the campaign had not been to encourage creatives to abandon their careers, but rather to motivate people from all walks of life to consider entering the technology sector. It had been initially developed in 2019, well before Covid-19 broke out in the UK and creatives were left with an overwhelmingly bleak view of their future. The poor timing of the advert release accomplished the opposite of what it intended by brandishing a “patronising” and condescending tone.
It goes without saying that the pandemic and the resulting measures introduced have disrupted industries. However, the art and culture sectors still remain in the dark, not knowing when at least some semblance of “business as usual” will resume. With a second national lockdown, cultural institutions may find themselves with no option other than to shut their doors for good in the spring. It is understandable why, with this ever-present information in mind, creatives did not appreciate the message gleaned from the advert, particularly ballet dancers such as “Fatima”, who dedicate years of hard work to perfecting their craft. It is a difficult industry to succeed in and one that often comes at a high financial cost. In order to make it, or even simply be given a chance to prove themselves, dancers have to purchase expensive equipment, dedicate years to practice and often travel far to gain further opportunities unless they live close to big cities such as London. All of this is generally made possible through great sacrifice (emotional, financial, physical).
The arts matter more than ever. During lockdown, people often resorted to art art in order to forget about what was happening in the world, even for just a fleeting moment. Now, because of lockdown, many artistic and cultural institutions risk closing. Behind these institutions lie people - some of whom have dedicated lifetimes to bringing art and enjoyment to others. In a world where mental health is threatened, art offers at least some degree of therapy and solace and hence should be viewed as a solution instead of a frivolous hobby.
Governments across the world must protect and promote art for the wellbeing of their citizens, working to dispel the common presumption many have that the arts are inferior to the sciences. An example of utilising art to boost mental (and physical) health originates in Canada. In 2018, the Montréal Museum of Fine Arts (MMFA) and the Médecins francophones du Canada teamed up to bring forth a one-year pilot project with a new type of therapy - museotherapy - at its heart. The collaboration means that doctors can prescribe patients visits to the museum. Dr. Hélène Boyer, the vice-president of Médecins francophones du Canada, stated that there is increasing scientific evidence that art therapy can also improve physical health and should be targeted at everyone, regardless of health conditions. Since, the MMFA has developed other projects, instigating the new practice of museotherapy in a bid to help people overcome loneliness and help attendees forge bonds and friendships, among other ambitions. These projects are significant in the face of the growing “loneliness epidemic” that has been plaguing society in “normal times” and even more so in “Covid times”, during which people have limited face-to-face, human interactions.
Initiatives and projects of this nature and philosophy are far less common in the UK. However, the same principle of art therapy can be applied to a wide range of art mediums other than fine art, such as film and music. Nevertheless, on October 24, the UK government announced that 35 cultural institutions and organisations would be given £75 million in the latest round of grants, as part of the £1.57 billion cultural recovery fund. Institutions outside of London will receive more than 70 per cent of the grants.
In times of economic uncertainty and rising unemployment, there are certainly numerous valid reasons as to why governments would encourage workers to move into sectors that are more economically-advantageous such as technology. However, the argument for supporting the arts is not solely grounded in the notion that governments should simply lend support to artists and creatives struggling to make a living, but also to everyone who consumes and is emotionally supported by the work of artists and creatives. Supporting the arts is an investment into the wellbeing of citizens.
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