Stakeholders respond to Ethics Committee's BP sponsorship ruling - Museums Association

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Stakeholders respond to Ethics Committee’s BP sponsorship ruling

Art Not Oil calls on museums to move beyond ‘standard practice’
Stakeholders on both sides have responded to the Museums Association's Ethics Committee's statement on a report published by the Art Not Oil Coalition, which contained allegations of unethical behaviour in the relationship between BP and its cultural partners.

The committee found that the museums sponsored by BP had not breached the Code of Ethics, saying that much of the evidence presented in the report was normal practice in the relationship between an institution and a sponsor.

The committee emphasised that its "remit extends to a consideration of the relationship between a museum and a sponsor; it does not extend to commenting more generally on the global practices of BP”.

In a blog on its website, the Art Not Oil Coalition wrote: “We are very grateful to the Ethics Committee for having considered our report. But we are disappointed that they have not taken a stronger line today. They start from the premise that their remit does not extend to commenting on BP’s business practices, and approach the report’s content disconnected from this essential context.

“They then describe much of the activity we uncovered as ‘standard practice’ for a relationship with a corporate sponsor.

“BP is not just any sponsor - it is an extremely powerful international oil company with controversial operations, a multi-billion dollar turnover and a serious image problem. As a result, no interaction between BP and a cultural institution takes place in an ethical vacuum.

“When it comes to fossil fuels, we urgently need to go beyond ‘standard practice’, both in our cultural institutions and in society.”

The museums in question said they had noted the Ethics Committee’s judgment. A spokeswoman from the British Museum said: “We have seen that the Museums Association has published its response to the Art not Oil coalition’s report. We note the conclusions that the committee have drawn after undertaking their own assessment of the materials presented to them.

“External support is vital to ensure the museum can continue to deliver programming which deepens people’s understanding of the world’s many and varied cultures and their interconnectedness.”

A spokesman from the National Portrait Gallery said: “We have read the report of the Museums Association’s Ethics Committee and noted its conclusions.”


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