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Fatima is a Dancer, Thank You Very Much
This past week, a controversial UK ad has sparked outrage across the world for its ‘total lack of respect for the arts’, an industry already under pressure following the devastating effects of COVID-19. The ad, which is part of the UK government’s ‘Rethink. Reskill. Reboot’ campaign, features a ballerina tying her shoes alongside the caption ‘Fatima’s next job could be in cyber (she just doesn’t know it yet).’
People quickly took to the internet to share their thoughts, with the advert receiving significant backlash. UK Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden even took to Twitter to label it as ‘crass’.
‘Fatima, you be you. Don’t let anyone else tell you that you aren’t good enough because you don’t conform to their preconceived social norms.’ Tweeted Shadow mental health minister Dr Rosena Allin-Khan.
But this is only the latest development in what can only be described as a worldwide war against the arts and humanities. For years now art programs have struggled to find funding in light of the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) movement. Likewise, previously respected pillars of academia such as history, literature and philosophy are now widely considered ‘useless’ and ‘impractical’. Just this June…
