Retraining the Arts

There has been a large amount of controversy online as Rishi Sunak, amongst other politicians, has stated that people who work in the arts should “retrain” and work in other industries. After this statement was released, an advert was created to fortify the importance of branching out into other career sectors, which has been seen as insensitive by many.

People have taken to social media to pull apart the advert (pictured above), demonstrating how the arts have played a large part in creating it. For example, the photographer captured the image, a typographer created the text, a logo designer created the logo, and other parts of the arts industry further helped bring it together. Therefore, when politicians suggest that the creative industry is limited and that people in Arts should consider “cyber,” their cyber campaign juxtaposes that idea.

Facebook and Twitter have become packed with parody adverts, replacing the original with political figures and mocking their job roles. These jokes have become very popular online and have attracted comments from members of Parliament, including Oliver Dowden, who have stated that they don’t agree with how the Art industry has been displayed and that the campaign was aimed at all industries, not the Arts alone.

A student studying Acting at The University Of Sheffield said: “It’s sad that the industry so many people are passionate about has been overlooked and shunned by the Government. The arts have so much to offer, and it has been something a lot of people have relied on during the pandemic”

This student is one of many who feel as though their passion has been diminished and that their career prospects no longer matter compared to other career options – such as Cyber.

The backlash, both online and offline, has led the Government to deleting the campaign from the website.