-
Even oil dictators need a social license to operate – Aliyev’s cultural spending spree
Whether it’s BP’s sponsorship of the Tate galleries, Shell’s funding for the Southbank Centre or Tullow Oil’s controversial deals with Sunderland football club oil company sponsorship of the arts is a familiar phenomenon. But what about oil dictators? Do they also need a social license to operate? What kinds of institutions would they throw money…
16 May 2013 admin -
Oil trading scandal ‘unsurprising’ based on BP and Shell’s past record
16 May 2013 Reacting to the unfolding oil price fixing investigations of BP and Shell, Platform oil campaigner Mika Minio-Paluello said: “The scale of the likely market-rigging by BP and Shell is shocking but unsurprising. BP and Shell have a record of making massive profits at the expense of the public by either price-fixing or…
-
Tate members accuse Serota of ‘misrepresentation’ over BP questions at AGM
In December last year, a number of Tate Members wrote a letter to the Tate Members Council to raise concerns about the controversial sponsorship deal with BP, and some of those signatories went to the Tate Members AGM to discuss the issues face to face. The AGM was again dominated by the issue, with critical…
14 May 2013 admin -
The battle of definitions: ‘no subsidies for the oil industry’
The oil and gas industry enjoys no subsidy from government, nor are we asking for any. – said last week by Oil&Gas UK CEO Malcolm Webb at the Oil Politics conference at Aberdeen University (I should mention that there were several more substantial conversations at this conference that I will take a little time to write…
13 May 2013 anna -
Growing unease in Norway over Statoil and cultural sponsorship
A few months ago we published a blog post from someone who felt that they could no longer engage with the Bergen International Festival because of Statoil sponsorship. It’s now turned into a more sustained debate in Norway about the role that the oil company plays in the cultural sector. Here’s some more info from…
13 May 2013 admin -
More reviews and analysis of The Oil Road, and paperback release news
The Oil Road continues to get great feedback from the press, blogs and at events all over the country, and we’re delighted to announce that it will be coming out in paperback in Autumn 2013. Last month, Radio 4’s Thinking Allowed did a special programme on ‘The Power of Oil’, featuring James Marriott of Platform, Prof.…
10 May 2013 admin -
Can’t buy me love? Walking the ethical fundraising tightrope
“The worst kind of business environment, mixed with moral manipulation,” was how a friend of mine described fundraising in a large charity. I sympathise with those fundraisers, because I’ve worked in fundraising teams with heavy bottom lines and sky-high targets. Producing high returns on investment is the constant pressure on fundraisers so it’s not surprising…
9 May 2013 admin -
Gulf Coast organisations respond to Liberate Tate’s ‘BP Trial’ performance
Last week saw art-interventionists Liberate Tate carry out a week long performance in Tate Modern, with three different performers whispering excerpts from the BP trial transcripts for an hour every day. Using specially constructed frames to hold a mobile phone, the performers filmed themselves and live-streamed their delivery so that people from all over the…
29 Apr 2013 admin -
