News that the museum has not renewed contracts with oil giant British Petroleum is being hailed by climate advocates as a “massive victory.”
BP
British Museum Pledges “Net-Zero Carbon” Despite Big Oil Funding
It’s unclear whether the London institution will renew its contract with the oil and gas giant British Petroleum when it expires in 2023.
Dripping in “Oil,” Activists Protest BP Sponsorship of Stonehenge Exhibition
The protesters also targeted the British government’s controversial plan to build a road near the Stonehenge site.
UK’s National Portrait Gallery Ends BP Sponsorship as British Museum Faces Pressure
The institution’s announcement follows a protest at the British Museum this weekend over oil giant BP’s sponsorship of its Stonehenge exhibition.
In Midst of Growing Protests, National Portrait Gallery Says BP Will No Longer Judge Annual Award
The fossil fuel giant, which has sponsored the BP Portrait Award for 30 years, will no longer have a say in the judging process.
Anti-Oil Activists Stage Largest Protest Yet at British Museum, With Trojan Horse in Tow
Hundreds of activists occupied the British Museum for a protest lasting over two days straight, coinciding with the BP-sponsored exhibition Troy: Myth and Reality.
Activists Dressed as Trojan Figures Crash Opening of BP-Funded Exhibition
Activist group BP or not BP? interrupted the opening of Troy: Myth and Reality at the British Museum, dressed as “living statues,” including a character of their own invention, “Petroleus.”
Invoking “Climate Emergency,” National Galleries of Scotland Will End Ties With British Petroleum
The gallery follows in the footsteps of Tate, the National Theatre, and the Royal Shakespeare Company.
Anti-Oil Protesters Will Storm the British Museum with a Trojan Horse
BP or not BP? launched a crowdfunding campaign to build a giant Trojan Horse for its largest protest yet, which will coincide with the museum’s Troy: Myth and Reality exhibition.
Protesting BP Sponsorship, Mark Rylance Resigns as Royal Shakespeare Company’s Associate Artist
“We are all together in this crisis and we all must change,” Rylance said in an opinion article published in the Guardian. “I am resigning to lend strength to the voices within the RSC who want to be progressive, and to encourage my fellow associates to express themselves, too.”
Anti-Oil Activists Block Entrance of National Portrait Gallery to Protest BP Sponsorship
Dozens of protesters blocked entry to the gallery for guests of the ceremony, linking arms and chaining themselves to the gallery gates. Guests were forced to climb over the wall with the assistance of security in order to enter the gallery.
Artists Affiliated with Prestigious Portrait Prize Call on National Portrait Gallery to End BP Sponsorship
“There should be no role for an oil company in the artistic decisions of any cultural organization,” wrote the competition judge, artist Gary Hume, “and especially not in determining the winner of the world’s leading portrait award.”