Things to do if you're not an artist; (also suitable for artists):

(1.) Make a piece of art that’s your response to the current climate crisis, or inspired by resistance to oil-fuelled injustice, or fired by the need for solutions, or...
(2.) Send a small picture of it to us if you like, and/or get it seen by a many people as you can.

(3.) Let these cultural institutions know how you feel about their acceptance of climate-changing funding, (and copy us in to your correspondence if you can). Don’t forget to keep it polite. Feel free to use the evidence  elsewhere on this site to back up your points. (This information is correct - we hope - as of April 2009).

a.) London's Almeida Theatre:
lists BP as a 'Corporate Partner' -
‘Corporate Partnership at the Almeida Theatre is offered from £10,000 +VAT and offers the following benefits over the course of one year:
50 complimentary tickets for Almeida Theatre productions
50 complimentary programmes
Advance mailing and priority booking for all Almeida Theatre productions
The opportunity to book house seats for sold-out shows
The opportunity to use the Almeida Theatre bar for pre or post performance receptions
Two invitations to the Press Night and post-show party for selected Almeida Theatre productions
Two complimentary half-page colour advertisements in programmes
Logo accreditation in Almeida Theatre programmes
Line accreditation on the sponsor board in the Almeida Theatre foyer
A dedicated member of Almeida staff to co-ordinate the partnership, which will include a personalised booking and events service.’
http://www.almeida.co.uk/supportus/corporate_supporters.aspx
This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it ; 020 7288 4900
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b.) National Portrait Gallery:
Portrait Award sponsored by BP;
Sandy Nairne, Director, NPG, St. Martin's Place, London WC2H 0HE
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Tel: 020 7312 2463
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c.) Tate Britain:
British Art Displays 1500-2008 sponsored by BP, which also supports
regular kids days at the gallery, and British Artist Talks;
Nicholas Serota, Director, Tate Galleries, Millbank, London SW1P 4RG;
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cc. to Dr Stephen Deuchar, Director, Tate Britain, Millbank, London SW1P
4RG; This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
cc. This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
Tel: 020 7887 8888;
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d.) Science Museum:
BP is a Corporate Patron & Shell is sponsor of the Museum’s Launchpad gallery.
GlaxoSmithKline & HSBC are both currently major sponsors [not exactly preferable to Big Oil!]
Prof. Chris Rapley, Director, SM, Exhibition Road, London SW7 2DD.
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Tel: 0870 870 4868
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e.) Barbican:
not currently receiving oil industry funding, but host of the London link-up to 2008's and 2009's Shell Annual General Meeting;
Sir Nicholas Kenyon, Managing Director, Barbican Centre, Silk Street, London EC2Y 8DS
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Tel: 020 7638 4141
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f.) Natural History Museum:
‘Think access. Think exclusivity. For a closer association, think Corporate Membership of the Natural History Museum’,  says the NHM website.
Shell is no longer sponsor of the Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition, but as a ‘Diamond Level’ Corporate Member it still donates over £30,000p.a., as does BP.
‘Emerald Level’ Corporate Members include mining goliath Rio Tinto and British Airways (which at least no longer sponsors the NHM’s annual ice rink).
Current Prime Minister-appointed NHM Trustees include Louise Charlton of Brunswick Group, the public relations firm contracted in 2004 by Shell to carry out damage limitation in the wake of its reserves-reporting scandal. Sir
William Castell, non-executive director of BP, retired as NHM Trustee early in 2008.)
Michael Dixon, Director, NHM, Cromwell Road, London SW7 5BD
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http://www.nhm.ac.uk/about-us/contact-enquiries/forms/emailform.jsp?recip=customerservices&business_title=Customer%20Services&email_title=Customer%20Enquiry
Tel: 020 7942 5000
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g.) Royal Opera House:
The upper echelon of ROH funders, known as the ‘Chairman's Circle’, includes BP & Rio Tinto. BP funds the ‘Summer Screens’ programme of video link-ups across the UK;
Tony Hall, Chief Executive, Bow Street, Covent Garden, London WC2E 9DD
This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it ; http://www.roh.org.uk/contact/index.aspx
Tel: 020 7240 1200
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h.) British Museum:
BP is a current Global Partner, and sponsor of major exhibitions;
Neil MacGregor, Director, BM, Great Russell Street, London WC1B 3DG
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Tel: 020 7323 8000/8299
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i.) National Gallery:
Shell has been a regular sponsor of major exhibitions, and is currently a ‘Corporate Benefactor’:
“Entertain your Clients in the Company of Great Masters
Our corporate members and sponsors enjoy significant benefits, including:
The opportunity to hold private functions at the Gallery - entertain your guests in our picture galleries, surrounded by exquisite works of art
Behind-the-scenes conservation visits
Invitations to exhibition openings and previews
Special access to the collections and all major exhibitions
Discounts on merchandise and employee privileges
Our corporate sponsors of exhibitions enjoy prominent branding opportunities and additional benefits.”
NG Trustee Lord Kerr of Kinlochard is currently Deputy Chairman of Royal Dutch Shell, a Director of Rio Tinto and Chairman of the Court and Council of Imperial College, which supplies more graduates to the oil industry than almost any other college.
Exxon is also a recent sponsor;
Dr. Nicholas Penny, Director, NG, Trafalgar Square, London WC2N 5DN
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Tel: 020 7747 2885
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j.) National Maritime Museum:
Supported by BP Shipping Ltd and Shell International Trading & Shipping.
NMM Trustee Jan Kopernicki is Vice-President of Shipping for the
Shell International Trading and Shipping Company.
Kevin Fewster, Director, NMM, Greenwich, London SE10 9NF
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Tel: 020 8858 4422
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k.) National Theatre:
As a ‘Premiere Partner’, Shell UK Ltd gets anonymity about its perks. It is also sponsor of a series of classical dramas at the NT, the first two being ‘Much Ado About Nothing’ and ‘Oedipus’.
As a Premium Member, BP gets this: ‘Our most prestigious and flexible
membership level, offering a generous range of entertaining opportunities.
The key benefit is a 100-person evening sponsorship event, offering
branding to reach both your guests and the wider NT audience. Other
benefits include an invitation to our annual Chairman's Dinner, a
40-person private event, two opportunities for complimentary NT space hire
and an allocation of tickets, backstage tours and Platform performances.’
As a Platinum Member, American Airlines get this: ‘This highly flexible
membership level focuses on private hospitality, offering 40 best tickets
with private dining. Other benefits include an exclusive event for 30
guests, two special Platinum evenings with a chance to meet the cast, an
invitation to our annual Chairman's Dinner, an opportunity for
complimentary NT space hire and an allocation of tickets, backstage tours
and Platform performances.’
As a Team Builder Member, The Royal Bank of Scotland plc (known as ‘the
Oil Bank of Scotland’ for its peerlessly energetic sourcing of funds for
new oil and gas projects; http://www.oyalbankofscotland.com) gets this:
‘This is a flexible, innovative corporate membership package focusing
entirely on benefits that can be offered to employees, including a private
party, an allocation of free tickets, backstage tours, Platform performances and a discount on our actor-led training courses.’
Gold Member Tesco plc gets this: ‘Six exclusive Gold members' evenings per
year are the key benefit of this level. Each evening includes tickets, drinks and a supper reception, as well as the chance to meet the cast after the play. Other benefits include an allocation of free tickets, private dining packages, backstage tours and Platform performances.’
Nicholas Hytner, NT, South Bank, London SE1 9PX
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Tel: 020 7452 3400
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l.) Scarborough Art Gallery & Rotunda Museum:
Sponsored by Shell and (to a lesser degree) BP, not to mention British Gas, Rio Tinto, Total, Petro-Canada, Premier Oil, Canadian oil tar sands experts Husky Energy (now half-owned by BP) and the Petroleum Exploration Society of Great Britain.
Scarborough Museums Trust, The Crescent, Scarborough YO11 2PW This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
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So there you have it. More information that you probably ever wanted, but a revealing snapshot nonetheless of a cultural sector that has yet to walk the talk when it comes to climate change and sustainability. It may be a victim to some degree of the privatisation of public art and the diversion of government revenues into catastrophic wars for the control of dwindling energy resources, but might it be past time expect even a whimper of
protest from these institutions’ bosses or Trustees? Or are they too deeply embedded in a status quo that is unable to countenance the possibility of the loss of its own privilege?

Hmm, answers on a postcard please…

(4.) Cut your carbon!
* boycott all petrol stations
* stay away from aeroplanes (unless occupying the fuselage!)
* bath with a friend
* can you help your community get ready for energy descent?
See http://transitionculture.org
* get green leccy etc. etc…check out the handy tips on the Self-Sufficientish website: http://www.selfsufficientish.com

(5.) Create some energy dissent on the root causes of climate change whenever you can, or support those who are, whether they be in the UK or further afield. Check out Rising Tide UK for more practical ideas and recipes. And www.climatecamp.org.uk is also very tasty...