Campaigners from Art Not Oil and Oil Change International have launched a new campaign exposing how the taxpayer effectively foots the bill for BP’s controversial arts sponsorship. Ahead of BP’s AGM next week and June’s general election, the group have released an infographic that sets BP’s hefty tax breaks and subsidies from the UK government against the oil giant’s paltry payments to four cultural institutions.
Yesterday, a troupe of arts activists highlighted the shocking figures in a theatrical “cash-mob” inside the BP-sponsored British Museum and called on the museum to cut its ties to Big Oil.
In 2015, the UK government handed over £200 million of taxpayers’ money to BP in subsidies while the oil giant touted its £2 million of arts sponsorship, money split between four museums and galleries: the Tate, the British Museum, the Royal Opera House and the National Portrait Gallery. In the same year, those four cultural institutions received around 50 times that amount from the taxpayer with around £110 million of funding coming from central government.
Chris Garrard, a member of the Art Not Oil Coalition, said:
‘BP is desperate to paint a picture of itself as a generous donor to the arts, helping out in a time of budget cuts. But in reality, it is soaking up millions of pounds of taxpayers’ money and then asking us to be grateful for the loose change it gives back as sponsorship. For the government to subsidise fossil fuels while the planet warms but cut the arts when they boost the economy makes no sense – and BP is taking full advantage of the situation in order to boost its profits and its brand.’
Greg Muttitt of Oil Change International, said:
‘BP’s arts sponsorship is designed to portray itself as a responsible company, while its core business is driving ever-worsening climate change. These massive subsidies to BP are worsening the climate problem, while depriving the arts of funding. BP is no friend of culture.’
Last year, BP announced that it would end its 26-year sponsorship of Tate following high-profile protests by arts activists, Liberate Tate. BP claimed its decision was down to the low oil price and “challenging business environment”.
Last July, a new 5-year sponsorship deal with the British Museum, Royal Opera House, National Portrait Gallery and Royal Shakespeare Company was announced and met with widespread disapproval from high-profile figures in the arts, sciences and cultural sector. In that new deal, BP will cut its payments to the arts by a quarter.
Oil subsidies continue to increase massively, with former Chancellor George Osborne’s last two Budgets in 2015 and 2016 transferring billions of government funds to the industry. His successor Philip Hammond has declined to reverse the handouts and has started a review of whether they should go further.
