Museums Association (UK) Faces Evidence Of Caving To BP In Exchange For Sponsorship Money
The Museums Association is investigating claims that some of Britain’s most revered cultural institutions have broken its code of ethics in the way they dealt with one of their commercial sponsors, BP. The move follows the release of internal documents seen by the Guardian that appear to show the British Museum, National Portrait Gallery and other institutions bending to accommodate the demands of the oil company.
EDIT
The documents obtained through the Freedom of Information Act by the Art Not Oil alliance show:
The British Museum apparently gave BP the last word on the inclusion of an artwork in an exhibition of aboriginal art at a time when the company was trying to progress the controversial offshore Great Australian Bight project.
BP worked with cultural institutions to manage legitimate protests and successfully urged the British Museum and National Portrait Gallery to send staff to a counter-terrorism training programme it had set up.
The oil company requested information about the involvement of trade unions at the different arts institutions amid worry that their members might be opponents of fossil fuel arts sponsorship.
One email shows Pim Baxter, director of communications at the National Portrait Gallery, fighting off an attempt by BP to put its logo on the front of an NPG book about commissioning. BP responds: “OK to go on this occasion but one to discuss in our catch ups.”
EDIT
http://www.theguardian.com/culture/2016/apr/29/museums-ethics-investigation-influence-sponsor-bp-british-museum
