Activists highlight why BP’s sponsorship of art is so problematic
“BP has destroyed life in the Gulf – both human and ecological – and by doing so they have destroyed the greatest creation, the highest of art.” – Dr Chris Garrard
On Sunday 13th September at 3pm, a voluminous group of environmental activists staged protests at several of the UK’s most prominent cultural institutions. The protests were a part of demonstrations against BP’s sponsorship of art including organisations such as the British Museum, the Tate, the National Portrait Gallery and the Royal Opera House.
Parades began at 10am in Tate Britain where a group of 20 campaigners were joined by Hollywood actor Ezra Miller in a dramatic performance an oil spill. Protestors then moved to the National Portrait Gallery and Royal Opera House before ending in the British museum, where approximately 150 more campaigners from 16 other organisations accumulated to join forces in a group presentation.
In the British Museum activists arranged themselves to spell out the word ‘no’, while holding up black umbrellas and singing in protest.
The activists chose to have their biggest demonstration at the British Museum because in 2011 that was where it was announced that the museum along with the National Portrait Gallery, the Tate and the Royal Opera House, had pledged a deal with BP worth £10 million in sponsorship for over five years.
Environmental campaigner, Dr Chris Garrard, has been particularly vocal in his opposition towards the BP’s sponsorship of national heritage sites. He mainly drew concern to the fact that many of the objects on display in the British museum originate from cultures now under direct threat from climate change and BP’s attempts to extract oil.
Garrard also drew attention to the museum’s failure to inform Aboriginal people that BP would be the sponsor of the ‘Australia: Enduring civilisation’ exhibition from 23rd April to 2nd August 2015, to which Aboriginal communities had lent objects.
Protester, Yasmin de Silva, said: “Last week Tate installed solar panels on the roof of Tate Modern… The art museum recognises the need to promote clean, renewable energy.”
She then continued to express that: “Oil companies like BP are doing all they can to prevent meaningful action on climate change from taking place. And Tate, the British Museum and other London cultural institutions are explicitly endorsing them in doing it.”
Activists warned that they intend to carry out further demonstrations in the near future, but declined to give any further details.
