BP Ends 26-Year Tate Sponsorship Amid Climate Activism

BP will terminate its sponsorship of Tate in early 2017, concluding a 26-year partnership. The art collective Liberate Tate! formed in 2010 specifically to end this controversial arrangement through protests and performances at the institution. A 2015 report disclosed that BP provided £3.8 million to the British institution between 1990 and 2006, averaging £224,000 annually. Growing ethical concerns from the public and Tate members about partnering with an oil company during heightened climate change awareness have been raised. A Liberate Tate! protester urged other institutions sponsored by BP, Shell, and other oil companies—including the National Gallery, National Portrait Gallery, Royal Opera House, and British Museum—to follow Tate's lead and end their deals.