UNBOXED: unpacked

UNBOXED: Creativity in the UK was a national programme that had more than its fair share of detractors. The nickname given by some, 'The Festival of Brexit', was a potent lie. This week, the publication of an independent evaluation into UNBOXED gives an opportunity to reflect on the significance of what was achieved. We can now evidence that it was a good use of public money and that it was a high quality creative programme that delivered inviting activities across the UK, which were freely created by artists, scientists, mathematicians, engineers and technologists to engage the public in celebrating the creativity in us all.

UNBOXED was an ambitious programme in both content and reach that contributed £175.5 million of monetised benefits to the UK – far more than its £120 million cost. Aspiring in scale, the programme reached into all corners of the UK, including 107 live locations, many of which are underserved by major cultural investment.

It was explicit in its commitment to collaboration across STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics) sectors. Projects like SEE MONSTER (engineering, science), StoryTrails (technology), Dreamachine and Our Place in Space (science) were all delivered through artistic projects of captivating new work.

Inclusive programming

There were three key elements to the way in which UNBOXED designed its programme. Firstly, it created opportunities for free, large scale cultural activity and participation for people of all ages and backgrounds across the UK, with this broad reach allowing for coherent content design. Secondly, it demonstrated what can happen when new partnerships are funded across diverse disciplines. Thirdly, it expressed how creativity stimulates our imaginations to propose new ideas to benefit our shared futures.

In an extremely short period of time, from the call out for ideas in late 2020 to the public programme delivered between March and November 2022, thousands of events and activities took place. Remember, this was during the Covid pandemic and its aftermath. The free to access programme of ten creative commissions presented a huge variety of live activities throughout England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales, as well as digital and broadcast platforms. This resulted in an audience of 20.5 million in just under nine months, made up of people who might not ordinarily engage in activity with the terms STEM or STEAM attached to it.

Key to delivering our open, original and optimistic mission was how we supported the design and delivery of the ten teams and the three nationwide strategic bodies that delivered our projects. This work included choosing project locations, which led to the majority of live events taking place outside major metropolitan areas. UNBOXED also invested in new collaborative partnerships specifically for the programme, and oversaw the development of technologies for wider public engagement.

This all helped the programme become what we had hoped – a high performance laboratory, testing ideas and new ways of working in an extraordinarily short period of time. The challenge to deliver such a diverse programme carried real risk, but it was delivered on time and within budget.

Audience engagement

The utilisation of a digital and broadcast element was our bedrock. It would have been crazy to plan something that had to reach accross the whole of the UK in any other way. But would Covid restrictions lift in time for our events programme? About Us, the first commission to go live, opened in Paisley on 1 March 2022. Would people turn out so soon after the relaxation of lockdown measures? To our relief and gratitude, audiences came in their millions across the performance year and have told us that what they experienced had a significant, positive impact.

According to the evaluation report, 90% of event attendees and participants thought it provided a positive opportunity to interact with people they might not normally meet, and made them feel proud of where they lived. In addition, 80% said it had a positive impact on their sense of wellbeing and happiness. Projects such as PoliNations and Green Space Dark Skies brought a sense of shared community and understanding of the natural world. Across UNBOXED’s programme, 1.7 million young people and families in the UK participated in specially created learning, volunteer and participation activities. As a result, 93% of participating teachers said they are likely to engage in more activities linking science and the arts, while 95% of them said they had gained new skills or knowledge.

The lasting legacy

UNBOXED’s commissions supported job opportunities for creatives. Vitally, it did this during lockdown, when so many freelance jobs had completely disappeared. Projects like Dandelion, GALWAD and Tour de Moon played an important role by investing in significant talents, which will have a long-term impact for the creative sector.

UNBOXED’s legacy is set fair to flourish as future activity from many of the ten projects, and those developed during the R&D process, mature to deliver new UK and international partnerships and events in 2023 and beyond. Keep an eye out, as you may well see them, and when you, do remember that good things happen when people come togther and create.

Dame Vikki Heywood DBE is Chair of UNBOXED: Creativity in the UK.

@unboxed2022
www.unboxed2022.uk