Culture secretary disowns 'crass' dancer advert

The UK's culture secretary has distanced himself from a "crass" government-backed advert suggesting a ballet dancer retrain in "cyber".

After a backlash on social media, Oliver Dowden said the advert did not come from his department, adding: "I agree it was crass."

Twitter users called it "patronising", saying it showed the government was not helping the arts through the pandemic.

But Mr Dowden said £1.57bn is being invested in the industry.

In a tweet, writer Caitlin Moran wondered if the government has "recently created a Hopes and Dreams Crushing Department".

Shadow mental health minister Dr Rosena Allin-Khan tweeted: "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."

The advert depicts a ballet dancer and reads: "Fatima's next job could be in cyber (she just doesn't know it yet). Rethink. Reskill. Reboot."

It is attributed to CyberFirst, a programme led by the National Cyber Security Centre to encourage young people to get into tech, and to HM Government.

Mr Dowden said in a tweet: "I want to save jobs in the arts". He said the advert "was a partner campaign encouraging people from all walks of life to think about a career in cyber security".

The image from the CyberFirst "Rethink. Reskill. Reboot" campaign now appears to have been removed.

The coronavirus pandemic has forced industries to scale back their businesses and cut jobs, including many music venues and cultural organisations.

Last week, Chancellor Rishi Sunak said that all workers needed to adapt to the changing environment.

He told ITV: "Can things happen in exactly the way they did? No. But everyone is having to find ways to adapt and adjust to the new reality."