Oil sponsorship of the arts: Getting rid of some myths

Chris Garrard: From the powerful interventions of the art collective Liberate Tate to the impromptu performances by The Reclaim Shakespeare Company, the media are gradually being prompted to raise the issue of oil sponsorship of the arts. As a consequence, the arts institutions in question are now under much greater scrutiny regarding their consistency of ethics and values. The logic behind opposing oil sponsorship of the arts is not complex, if anything, it is quite straightforward. However, as has been the case with climate change denial, the arguments by those defending the status quo are used to “flatten” the debate – analogies and generalisations that sound compelling as linguistic devices, in reality, lack substance. These generalisations are repeated to the point that they are then accepted without question. The effect is to direct discussion around the issue into dead-ends that prevent a deeper understanding of how we value the arts and the environment. Frustratingly, this is the quality of debate that meets the needs of a media interested in sound bites and the entertainment value of strong dividing lines. But it’s time to open up the debate and try to put maybe a few of the weak arguments to bed…