Culture Secretary says 'thank you' to BP for £50m British Museum donation
Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer has praised oil companies for their donations to museums and art galleries, despite recent criticism from environmental groups.
Speaking at the launch of a report by think tank Onward, she said: "It has to start with applauding not seeking to find fault with those organisations who give generously, whether that's through sponsorships or donations. Just look at the past few years.
"The Science Museum forced to abandon its backing by Shell. The National Portrait Gallery received a great deal of unwarranted criticism for its sponsorship by a law firm."
She also thanked BP for its £50 million donation to the British Museum, calling it the biggest donation of its kind. Frazer argued that these sponsorship deals ultimately benefit everyone by helping to keep institutions accessible.
Ms Frazer stated that donations and sponsorships are crucial for maintaining free access to our top museums and art galleries. "They help to drive tourism into the UK and help us retain our soft power abroad." she added.
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In December, the British Museum announced a £50 million deal with BP to fund its renovation plans. The museum said this would be used to redevelop the Bloomsbury site in central London and ensure its collection will be available to the public for "generations to come".
However, Chris Garrard, co-director of campaign group Culture Unstained, criticised the decision to renew the contract with BP as "astonishingly out-of-touch and completely indefensible. We believe this decision is illegitimate and in breach of the museum's own climate commitments and sector-wide codes and will be seeking legal advice in order to mount a formal challenge to it."
The National Portrait Gallery also faced backlash last year when it replaced BP as the sponsor for its portrait prize with a law firm, Herbert Smith Freehills, which has worked with the fossil fuel company. In 2021, young climate activists protested over the London Science Museum's sponsorship deal with Shell and Adani Green Energy by "occupying" the venue overnight.
They complained that the museum was accepting cash "from some of the worst perpetrators of the climate crisis". In her talk, Ms Frazer mentioned three main things she's working on making Gift Aid simpler; looking at better training for giving money to good causes; and helping people give more in their local areas and together with others.
She agreed that the government must "protect and support those in our society, particularly the most disadvantaged". But she also said that it "cannot and should not always be the whole answer".
* An AI tool was used to add an extra layer to the editing process for this story. You can report any errors to [email protected]
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