#keepitfluffy

Me and one of my delicious home girls were chatting yesterday about oil companies funding art as we came out of The World Goes Pop exhibition at Tate Modern. She works for an institution supported in part by Shell and I work for an institution supported in part by BP. Neil MacGregor, exiting Director of the British Museum has been vocal in defending BP's ongoing support at the museum, citing the opportunities it brings to audiences and what better way corporations to give their money- perhaps turning something a little dirty into something good? As an artist passionate about public engagement this oil sponsorship is sticky on a number of levels. First- Let's not forget that when corporations donate money to charity they pay less corporate tax. This fact can be found plain and simple on the gov.uk website (https://www.gov.uk/tax-limited-company-gives-to-charity/overview). So when any company is giving to a 'cause, it's far less likely to do with any abiding passion but rather a smokescreen of meticulous PR and the best returns for their shareholders' profit. Second- There are all kinds of spooky, giant corporations who donate vast amounts of money to all types of organisations who protesters don't make such a fuss about. Oil quite rightly has a bad reputation plus a long a complicated heritage (that's by no means an excuse). There are, let's be honest, very few giant corporations who represent a social, moral and ethical conscience, let alone voice them; and who probably don't have quite the same amount of cash lying around as your run of the mill, multibillion dollar corporation. Thing is, money talks. It screams. So here's another thing. Why aren't all corporations made accountable for where there income comes from, more specifically from a moral and ethical standpoint? I'll tell you why. It's because being truthful, honest and clean; being ethical and moral; all that is a disaster for making money. Making money requires not emotion but calculation. Also, we've seen them try- we've seen the fluffy ads on TV- how KFC brings families together, I would like to think perhaps that there is a change in the tide- at least if the notion of Tipping Point is true, fossil energy will run out and people are starting to think. But it's some people in a giant pool of other people who's motivations differ horrendously- some people, who work for corporations let's say, who add up the profits of their destruction by day, before going home to kiss their children by night, probably reading fairy tales about cute kittens in beautiful forests. It's this sort of blatant hypocrisy that is allowed to govern that we need to rage against. Aided by an apathetic and exhausted public who feel better with short term consumer fixes and lifestyle brands. If you're not going to patronise the arts supported by oil companies, then please think twice before you turn on the gas or electric at home (change to a friendly supplier), don't go to Starbucks to address your plan (make coffee at home or if you can afford it go to your local independent coffee shop), do not buy your slogan Tees from Henne's, Zara or Primark, your snacks from pret, your marching pumps from, well any of the big brands (unless your New Balance are Made in England) need I go on? Instead, consider your expectations, manage them and have fun with them. Don't deny yourself but think about better ways to consumer and challenge this amazing world currently governed by an insanely flawed system that acts like the bully at school and calls us names and threatens us if we don't tag along. Raise awareness to the challenges faced by arts organisations generally. Write to your MP. Make protest fun (it is your democratic right to do so). Challenge the goings on of companies and the people who work there- something this government and certainly companies would like to see not happen (and you can be damn sure they're already working on that with unions). Fossils funding the arts? It's not acceptable and it's another unacceptable drop in the ocean. Let's advocate not renewing sponsorship deals and put people, artists and businesses to task. And above all- keep it fluffy. Yours Ms T http://www.nayler.org/quakers-protest-bp-british-museum-relations/