Activists lay seige to Troy
Oil companies are becoming increasingly unfashionable partners for British cultural institutions, as they ditch corporate sponsorship under pressure from artists and environmentalists.
Members of the BP or not BP? protest group on Tuesday disrupted an event for the British Museum’s new exhibition on Troy, which is sponsored by the British oil giant.
Activists dressed as Greek gods and heroes, such as Zeus, Athena and Achilles, were sprayed with a black liquid by “Petroleus” – a deity created especially for the occasion.
“BP’s sponsorship of the British Museum is, ironically, just like the famous Trojan Horse highlighted in the exhibition,” said activist Sophie McIntosh. “The company sponsors the museum in order to look like a generous gift-giver that cares about culture but, in reality, it’s a cynical attempt to deflect attention from something far more sinister.”
A spokesperson for the museum said she “understands” the concerns. But temporary exhibitions such as the Troy show were “expensive to stage, and only possible to plan, develop and host with this kind of external support”.
The activists, who say they have already held 37 protests at the British Museum, are in no mood to back down. Now they plan to build a Trojan horse and lay siege to the venue.
The activists have already forced some institutions to back down and left others wondering about whether to persist in corporate sponsorship from oil firms.
The prestigious Royal Shakespeare Company, based in the playwright’s hometown of Stratford-upon-Avon in central England, announced in October that it was cutting ties with BP.
BP said it was “disappointed and dismayed” by the decision, pointing out its sponsorship enabled the theatre company to offer cheap tickets for young people.
But it was a letter from a youth group behind school protests that tipped the balance.
“Amidst the climate emergency, which we recognise, young people are now saying clearly to us that the BP sponsorship is putting a barrier between them and their wish to engage with the RSC,” the institution’s management explained. “We cannot ignore that message.”
The name BP or not BP? is a play on the famous soliloquy in Shakespeare’s Hamlet and the activists have been pushing against oil money in the arts for years.
BP sponsors the museum in order to look generous but in reality, it’s a cynical attempt to deflect attention from something more sinister. Sophie McIntosh BP or not BP? activist