Canadian museum accepts oil sponsor despite censorship
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Dec 2, 2013
Last week the Canadian Museum of Civilisation announced it had struck a sponsorship deal with the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers. It’s easy to see why this will be a PR coup for CAPP. But the Museum CEO’s beaming acceptance of oil money seems like an announcement that no lines will be drawn and no...
Southbank Centre artists call for Shell to be dropped as sponsor on Ken Saro-Wiwa anniversary
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Nov 11, 2013
A group of artists, musicians and authors who have all performed at the Southbank Centre have signed a letter (see below) calling on the arts institution to drop Shell sponsorship on the 18th anniversary of the execution of Ken Saro-Wiwa and the Ogoni 9. The 21 artists, including actor Mark Rylance, playwright Mark Ravenhill, the...
A Night at the Museum – the Shell sponsored Fracking Quiz
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Oct 14, 2013
Last week I joined Science Unstained for a trip to the Science Museum. Science Unstained worries about the corporate sponsorship of science communication – everything from BAE’s sponsorship of the unfortunately titled Big Bang Fair – an event for young scientists and engineers – to Atos designed degree courses. When they’ve had enough of worrying...
Calling students and HE staff – how fossil fueled is your university?
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Jul 2, 2013
Last week we took part in a hugely inspiring meeting of more than 500 international climate activists at Global Power Shift in Istanbul, with people networking and learning the skills that they need to shift power away from fossil fuel companies and to communities working for justice-based solutions to the climate crisis. The meeting was...
Even oil dictators need a social license to operate – Aliyev’s cultural spending spree
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May 16, 2013
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...
Just how ‘criminal’ does BP need to get for it to violate Tate’s ethics policy?
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Nov 30, 2012
Point 4.1b of Tate’s Ethics Policy (that you can download here) states that Tate will not accept funds in circumstances when: The donor has acted, or is believed to have acted, illegally in the acquisition of funds, for example when funds are tainted through being the proceeds of criminal conduct. I’m not from any sort...
Tate’s (near) deafening silence on #AskACurator day
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Sep 19, 2012
Wednesday 19th September was Ask a Curator day, with museums and galleries all over the world taking part, including Tate. The overwhelming majority of questions put to Tate curators were about it’s controversial sponsorship with relationship with BP, but Tate curators made only a single response. To be fair, it’s not the curators that are...
Take the money and run? New piece by Platform on arts and corporate sponsorship in Arts Professional.
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Jun 11, 2012
Read the piece here. We welcome any comments. Arts Professional is a leading national bi-weekly news and analysis magazine for arts managers, fundraisers, and policy-makers. AP invited Platform to write this after reading the Study Room Guide of the same name which Live Art Development Agency commissioned from Platform earlier this year.
‘Tate à Tate’ Launch Party 23.3.12
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Mar 8, 2012
Tate à Tate, the audio tour is ready to launch – on Thursday 22 March it will be available to download for free. On Friday 23 March, Platform, Liberate Tate and Art Not Oil invite you to come and celebrate the audio unveiling of this participatory piece of interventionist sound art.
Join Platform’s Reading Group on ethics, business sponsorship, and making art
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Mar 8, 2012
“Take the money and run? Some positions on ethics, business sponsorship and making art” Tuesdays 15 & 29 May; 12 & 26 June, 2012; 6.30 – 8.30pm; London. Booking essential. As part of our work critiquing corporate sponsorship of the arts, we have set up this Reading Group, and you’re invited! The sessions will be based on...
Oil, art & human rights links
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Jan 25, 2012
EU oil companies including Shell and Total will be banned from importing and purchasing Iranian oil by new sanctions, reported Reuters. As Iran threatens to retaliate by blocking the Strait of Hormuz, a major artery of global oil shipments, the UK foreign minister William Hague downplayed the likelihood of war.
How John Browne, BP and the Old Boys Network keep the arts well-oiled
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Jan 13, 2012
It’s 10.30am on a spectacularly sunny winter’s day and I’m in the Members’ Room at Tate Modern. The room overlooks the Square Mile – London’s financial district – and the view symbolises the growing pressures on artists and arts organisations to seek funding from the private sector, specifically from business. Looking once again at the panel...
