BAE pulls out of festival
PETITION COLLECTED 2,300 NAMES AGAINST DEFENCE COMPANY’S SPONSORSHIP
A defence company has pulled its sponsorship of the Great Exhibition of the North after artists raised concerns over its involvement in the family-friendly celebrations.
Whitburn singer-songwriter Nadine Shah and former Chumbawamba member Boff Whalley’s Commoners’ Choir were lined up to perform, but withdrew over concerns about the defence, security and aerospace company’s backing of the festival.
Nadine issued call for other artists to follow suit and asked her fans to put pressure on the exhibition’s leaders to drop the firm as a sponsor.
Sunderland-born broadcaster Lauren Laverne, who is leading the Great Northern Soundtrack events at the Sage Gateshead, had also said she was working with the organisers to look at a way to move forward so the gigs she is helping to plan could go ahead.
A petition calling for the exhibition to refuse the sponsorship attracted more than 2,300 names.
Now BAE Systems has confirmed it has “decided to redirect” its support elsewhere.
Nadine has tweeted to say she is happy she can once again get involved with the event and is looking forward to performing.
The Sage’s website states tickets for her gig, on June 24, will be on sale soon.
Its full statement from the company, which employs 18,000 people across the north of the UK, said: “While BAE Systems remains supportive of the aims of the Great Exhibition we have decided to redirect our support to other initiatives better suited to both our skills and innovation objectives and in support of the industrial strategy of the North of England.”