This morning, the National Galleries of Scotland have announced that after 2019 it will no longer host the BP Portrait Award because of the prize's oil sponsorship: "At the National Galleries of Scotland we recognise that we have a responsibility to do all we can to address the climate emergency. For many people, the association … Continue reading National Galleries of Scotland to stop hosting BP Portrait Award over climate concerns
This morning, artistic director of the Royal Shakespeare Company Gregory Doran announced that the theatre company would end its partnership with oil giant BP this year, several years before the sponsorship deal was due to elapse. The news comes just a week after young people and school strikers pledged to boycott the RSC if it … Continue reading RSC draws an early curtain on BP sponsorship deal
Artists who removed a third of the work from the Design Museum’s ‘Hope to Nope’ exhibition, then redisplayed it for free, release statement on 1 year anniversary The Nope to Arms Collective, which includes Shepard Fairey, Milton Glaser and Peter Kennard, criticise museum’s lack of action on a promised review of fundraising policies Glaser says … Continue reading Artists take on Design Museum’s inaction after arms event
Last week the British Museum's chair spouted a series of 'alternative facts' straight from BP's greenwash playbook on BBC radio. We felt they needed some serious fact-checking, so our Co-Director Jess Worth obliged with this piece for DeSmog UK.
Following the recent resignation of Ahdaf Soueif from the British Museum’s Board of Trustees, workers at the Museum have issued a statement of solidarity with Ms Soueif last night. Members of the PCS union Culture Group condemned the “troubling nature of the relationship between BP and the arts” and stated that: “through its sponsorship of … Continue reading British Museum staff support trustee who resigned over BP
78 leading artists - including Turner Prize and BP Portrait Award winners - call for end to BP sponsorship at National Portrait Gallery Letter calls on Gallery director to ‘remove the BP representative from judging panel’ Intervention follows Mark Rylance’s resignation from RSC over BP sponsorship View the letter text and list of 78 signatories … Continue reading Leading artists escalate pressure on Portrait Gallery to drop BP
Oscar-winning actor reveals story of his frustrated attempts to persuade the theatre company to sever ties with the oil giant Rylance says RSC must listen to the young people who have been going on strike from school to persuade adults to act on the climate emergency He calls for an ‘artistic intervention’ and encourages his … Continue reading Mark Rylance quits RSC over BP sponsorship
An abridged version of this article by Mark Rylance appears in the Guardian, along with this news story. 'BP or not BP? That is the question' An RSC Hamlet questions the state of Denmark Do you remember being told as a child not to accept gifts from strangers? Strangers are not necessarily friends. Shakespeare uses … Continue reading Mark Rylance: why I’m resigning from the RSC
This week, leading artists and musicians, as well as campaigners and activists, have spoken out powerfully against BP's sponsorship of the arts. Just a few months ago, it was the British Museum being scrutinised over its BP sponsorship deal. Now the spotlight is firmly on the National Portrait Gallery and Royal Opera House too. On … Continue reading It’s been a bad week for BP and its sponsorship deals
Sadiq Khan called on to end permission for oil branding of Royal Opera House’s ‘BP Big Screen’ broadcasts 200 signatories to letter include leading figures from classical, folk and popular music News comes day after BP Portrait Award judge and respected artists denounce BP sponsorship of the prize Extinction Rebellion group plans to mount protest … Continue reading 200 musicians urge Sadiq Khan to drop permission for BP’s opera branding
