The Arts cut to the heart of society: change happens when what we know and what we feel become inseparable and it is the diversity of The Arts – with all the stories and fresh perspectives it brings – that help us to change the world. But what happens when The Arts are funded by corporations like BP? The vested interests of corporations may not want the world to be changed… What would a culture beyond oil look like and how would The Arts survive without corporate sponsorship? … And what exactly is wrong with Oil Sponsorship anyway?
These are some of the questions posed and addressed in ‘Culture Beyond Oil’ a one-off publication by ‘artivist’ organisation Platform in association with Liberate Tate and Art Not Oil. James Marriott, Platform’s stalwart founder considers the benefits of Arts sponsorship from a corporate PR perspective and how oil companies use sponsporship to construct a ‘social license to operate’. He discusses who these PR strategies are really trying to influence and explains why BP needs The Tate much more that The Tate needs BP.
As part of this expose of the oil industry’s insidious infiltration of the arts, APE’s very own Kenny Young has written a wry song called ‘Tate Necessarily So’ – click here to see the video.
For a copy of Culture Beyond Oil contact: info@platformlondon.org
