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THE National Theatre became the second major company to drop sponsorship from oil firms today after parting company with Shell.
Shell had been a “corporate gold” member of the National Theatre, giving the oil company access to exclusive perks and facilities at the theatre in return for £15,000 per year.
The news came just two days after the Royal Shakespeare Company publicly announced the end of its long-running sponsorship deal with BP.
Danny Chivers, from the activist theatre group BP or not BP, said remaining oil-sponsored institutions are “looking increasingly isolated.”
He said: “It is simply no longer acceptable for any cultural organisation to be promoting and supporting the fossil fuel industry in the middle of a climate crisis.
“It’s time the British Museum, Royal Opera House, Science Museum, National Portrait Gallery and Southbank Centre followed the ethical leadership of the National Theatre and the RSC — otherwise they seriously risk losing their legitimacy in the eyes of a public that is only becoming more concerned about the climate emergency.”
