Page - 9 - in JRFM - Journal Religion Film Media, Volume 05/02

argues,3 and on the other hand connects the current socio-political climate in the United Kingdom and other parts of the world to themes addressed in this issue: the apocalyptic and social anxieties it connects to. To express apocalyptic (and indeed utopian) ideas, the visual can sometimes excel where words might fail: in the forms of images, figures of speech, verbal depictions, symbolic action. After all, social actors often draw on strong and pow- erful visual language and imagery to convey emotions, stir up angst, instill hope, garner support, or cause division. Such images and emotions can be powerful con- tributors to swaying public opinion, something that the political right has craftful- ly mastered. Yet, Steven Joyce argues that “The power of apocalyptic rhetoric cannot be reduced to the socio-economic status of marginalised groups. Some- thing about the rhetorical structure itself creates an appeal that works across classes, ideologies, ethnicities, and age groups. […] If we are to understand why it is so widespread, we must understand the narrative’s intrinsic merits.”4 Immersing ourselves in the visuals of apocalyptic and utopian ideas, then, might help us better understand the appeal apocalyptic narratives might hold. Brexit offers us such an opportunity in particular when we pay closer attention to cities in the United Kingdom with a pro-Brexit majority, their look and feel, 3 Cf. White 2019. 4 Joyce 2018, 45. Fig. 3: National Picture Theatre, Beverley Road, Hull, 2019. Photo: Alexander D. Ornella. Editorial | 9www.jrfm.eu 2019, 5/2, 7–14