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July Newsletter – Guess which repressive regime is hosting the European Olympics?

11 Jul 2014 admin
Dear All,

Join us for an alternative tour of the Tate, hear about our “oil money and theatre” discussions and watch Mika’s new documentary – Egypt’s Lost Power

All that glitters – Azerbaijan and the Olympics Ever heard of the European Olympics? Neither had we until a few weeks ago when Emma Hughes was back in Azerbaijan. Next year it will be hosting the first ever European Olympics and the country’s autocrat Aliyev is hoping all that gold distracts from the regime’s violent repression. Read Emma’s account of what’s happening in Baku here.

“I’m still digesting and contemplating the wonderful work I saw in the showcase.” So much has happened in the Shake! team. The Shake! film “Reach” has been shortlisted for the Small Axe Radical Short Film Awards in the Best Activist Film. We held our first ever experimental social policy seminar, New Narratives. We hosted three fantastic youth-led sessions on homelessness, race and representation and mental health and education. The recent Shake! showcase premiered the new film “Remember” to a packed audience at the Free Word Centre.

The next Shake! course is taking place in August. If you know a 16-25yr old who’d like to create poetic, filmic and musical responses to the injustices around them get in touch with [email protected]. Please spread the word!

A major new Al Jazeera documentary was based on our investigation into corrupt gas deals. In Egypt’s Lost Power, Platform campaigner Mika Minio revealed that Egyptian gas powered the Israeli occupation, and how corrupt companies and governments stole billions of dollars. Mika’s comment piece Egypt’s blackouts are here to stay argues that the repression under the military regime makes energy justice impossible, but serves the interests of BP and other oil companies.

Oil money and theatre – questions from the Green Room Last night, alongside BP or not BP and playwrights Mark Ravenhill and Caryl Churchill, we co-hosted a discussion event on oil sponsorship and theatre at the Royal Court Theatre. Considering this was a tentative first attempt at bringing people together like this, we were overwhelmed by the response, with about 70 people from a wealth of different institutions coming together, and including playwrights, artistic directors, actors and people in Development, Marketing and Fundraising. We tried to capture some of the rich and frank discussion that took place – read about it here.


Caryl Churchill, Vicky Featherstone (Royal Court Theatre) and Mark Ravenhill

Tomorrow – Take an alternative audio tour of the Tates In 2012  we released the Tate à Tate audio tour, a BP-related sound work in three parts to accompany listeners through the Tate Britain, Tate Modern and the boat journey inbetween. The Metro newspaper called it ““A tricky and thought-provoking topic, handled with imagination and a lightness of touch.” This Saturday Resonance FM are co-hosting a collective walkthrough of the tour, accompanied by live discussions on the sponsorship controversy facing the arts sector. Come and take part if you’re in London – it starts at 12 noon on the front steps of Tate Britain. And tune in to Resonance FM to have a listen if you live further away. More info here

TTIP is the secret deal many people have never heard of: the EU-US trade agreement. This ‘free trade’ deal is in reality a corporate power grab. It threatens to give oil and gas companies even more powers over our lives, help frackers side step safety regulations and let corporations sue governments for passing laws that threaten their profits. That’s why we’ve joined with dozens of other organisations to call for TTIP to be scrapped. So do take part if you can tomorrow on the UK-wide day of action.

How you can help Please help us to continue this work by becoming a Platform Sustainer. Making a regular monthly donation really helps to plan out work with more confidence. We hold regular events for Sustainers to meet up with each other, hear about our work and input ideas.We’d love you to be a part of our Sustainer network. Join up here or contact [email protected] for more information. Many thanks.


Photograph by Martin LeSanto-Smith

We’d love you to join our Sustainer Network

Please help us continue our work, by becoming a Platform Sustainer. By giving a regular donation you can help us to plan our work with more confidence and come along to events to meet other artists, activists, academics and researchers who support us. Join up here or contact [email protected] for more information. Many thanks.

Picture This – A Portrait of 25 Years of BP Sponsorship is a new publication that looks BP’s chequered past quarter century, the ongong impacts of its Gulf Coast disaster, and how the cultural sector could look to a future that isn’t tainted by the oil industry.

Latest Blog Entries

Oil money and theatre – questions from the Green Room

All that Glitters. Azerbaijan and the Olympics

Artist Raoul Martinez on why oil sponsorship of the arts must end

“Picture This” report extract. BP’s ongoing Gulf Coast disaster and “artful dodging”

Art not Oil’s week of action on NPG’s “BP Portrait award”

Norwegian research ethics committee slams university-oil industry links

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