A group of officials overseeing major British cultural institutions, including the British Museum, the Victoria and Albert Museum, and the National Gallery, signed an open letter defending the use of funds used by the company’s sponsors, a practice that has been widely criticized by radical organizations.
Posted in Financial Timesa brief letter requested an end to what it described as “ruthless negative emotions” surrounding private sector partnerships.
Written by Alistair Spalding and Britannia Morton, co-director of Sadler’s Wells Theatre, the letter was supported by ten organizations including the Science Museum Group. The letter comes a year after protests against Baillie Gifford’s sponsorship of the literary festival, an investment company that criticizes ties to fossil fuels and Israel. In 2023, under public pressure, nine festivals ended their partnership with the company.
The letter believes that business partnerships can help cultural organizations expand and compete for prestige. It says: “Our museums, theaters, festivals and artists need to operate in the economic structure of social operations.”
Notable among the signatories is any representative in the Tate Museum network. Tate’s director Maria Balshaw recently opposed British Petroleum’s £50 million sponsorship to the British Museum, saying the deal was inconsistent with public opinion.
In 2019, the National Portrait Gallery in London rejected a £1 million grant from the Sackler Trust, becoming one of the first major museums to deny funding from the U.S. pharmaceutical family, after activists exposed their ties to the U.S. opioid epidemic.
Charity consultants are seeing censorship change habits among collectors and art customers. Arts financing consultant Leslie Ramos told foot In March. “Worry about reputational damage.
