BP Out of Opera
At 6.50pm on September 17, 2014, fourteen dancers performed an impromptu routine in front of a crowd of thousands at the BP Big Screen in Trafalgar Square. The dance was a protest at BP’s sponsorship of arts and culture. Performing to the remix of Carmina Burana by Tiesto, the costumed dancers were applauded by the crowd. The dancers finished their routine despite attempts by security to stop them, then bowed and chanted “Yes to Opera but No to BP” as they were escorted out of the fenced-off area.
The ‘BP Big Screens’ event takes place three times a year, and is part of BP’s sponsorship of the Royal Opera House (ROH). The unexpected dance took place just before the official screening of Verdi’s famous opera ‘La Traviata’ began at 6.30pm, with a live-stream available around the world. The dancers – calling themselves ‘BP Out of Opera’ (BOOO), and dressed in black with masquerade masks on their faces and large BP logos on their bodies (which were ripped off dramatically during the performance) – say BP sponsorship is a stain on culture.
Dancer Donna Abato said of the protest:
“We danced before the screening because we want BP out of opera. BP gets invaluable prestige from its association with the Royal Opera House, which helps the company clean its sullied public image. Sponsorship helps BP distract attention from its massive contribution to climate change, disasters like the Gulf of Mexico oil spill, and protests and legal challenges to its projects such as those in Canada against the tar sands. That’s why we say yes to opera, but BOOO to BP!”
‘BP Out of Opera’ are not the first group to protest BP sponsorship of the arts. Earlier this year ‘Reclaim Shakespeare Company’ made a theatrical intervention at the British Museum, to challenge BP sponsorship of the Vikings exhibition. Just over a week ago, Liberate Tate performed at Tate Modern. In January 2014, after several pop-up choir performances from another anti-sponsorship group – the ‘Shell Out Sounds’ choir – the Southbank Centre announced it was ending its long running sponsorship relationship with Shell. All four groups are part of the Art Not Oil coalition, which aims to “free art from oil.”
BP has sponsored the Royal Opera House for 25 years, and Peter Mather, BP Regional Vice President for Europe is an Honorary Director of the Royal Opera House.
Dancer Josh Brown said:
“BP is trouble – for people, for oceans and for the climate. There is growing outrage at oil sponsorship – and with other groups challenging British Museum and Tate, it seems like no deal is safe from creative protests.”
Two more ‘BP Big Screens’ events are scheduled for July and September this year.
Follow BOOO on twitter: @BPOutOfOpera
