Licence to Spill

Summary

In the video, activists protest against the sponsorship of art galleries by oil companies like BP. The transcript captures a series of events where protestors use a mock oil spill as a metaphor to draw attention to the environmental damage caused by fossil fuels. The protest highlights the complex relationship between art institutions and corporations, aiming to challenge the acceptance and support these businesses receive despite their environmental impact. Participants and observers have mixed reactions, ranging from disapproval to admiration for the creative protest approach.

Highlights

• The protest highlights the irony of art institutions being backed by oil companies 🖼️⛽
• A staged 'oil spill' in a gallery creatively criticizes corporate sponsorship 🌌🛢️
• Public reactions ranged from disapproval to amusement over the protest’s execution 😄😡
• Discussing the real dangers of climate change versus superficial events 🌍❗
• Some believe in more aggressive actions to raise awareness while others appreciate the fun approach 🎭🗣️

Key Takeaways

• Art and activism collide in a creative protest against oil sponsorship 🚫🖼️
• Protestors highlight the irony of cultural support from environmentally harmful corporations 🌍💔
• The ‘oil spill’ performance sparks a dialogue about art, ethics, and environmental responsibility 🛢️🟢
• Mixed reactions from the public indicate a broader debate on art and corporate influence 🤔🗣️
• A call for bigger discussions on climate change over superficial solutions 🌱🔥

Overview

Art meets activism in a surprising turn as protestors stage a mock oil spill at a gallery event. The goal? To spotlight the uncomfortable reality of art institutions receiving backing from environmentally damaging oil companies. This unexpected move got people talking, sparking a range of reactions and, crucially, drawing attention to the pressing issue of climate change.

The lively protest creatively intertwines art and activism, highlighting the irony of art becoming a vessel for corporate 'credibility washing'. An oil spill simulation within the art gallery serves as a powerful metaphor, prompting attendees to reflect on the genuine cost of such sponsorships. This performance art captures a vivid picture of how deep the ties between culture and oil run.

Reaction to the protest was mixed; some viewed it as a clever, necessary wake-up call, while others saw it as a mere publicity stunt. What's clear, though, is that it reignited conversations about the ethics of corporate sponsorship in the arts and underscored the need for broader, more sincere dialogues on environmental issues and cultural integrity.

Licence to Spill Transcription

• 00:00 - 00:30 [Music] [Music] when do we want it now what do we want
• 00:30 - 01:00 liberate when do we want it now sponsorship of the arts and culture is a huge part of company's uh credibility if you like with the mainstream um they can seem like a good company if they sponsor things like the Tate or the science museum Royal you know Royal National Theater and so we've been looking uh for quite a while for the right moment to really
• 01:00 - 01:30 up the game and unfortunately the horrors of the Gulf of Mexico have presented everybody who's concerned about climate change and environmental pollution with a massive massive opportunity to say it's got to stop I can't talk the action sorry I can't so uh well we're ready for this performance uh it's been a
• 01:30 - 02:00 performance that's been been worked on for uh quite a few weeks uh I think it's going to be really beautiful we're talking about a culture of life not a culture of death uh we're talking about art that is about creativity and not destruction and we're talking about the future not fossil fuels not the past not these dinosaurs of Corporations who
• 02:00 - 02:30 continue to pump fossil fuels out of the ground and continue to be lorded and supported by the political Elite of this country and art galleries and so on so uh this is just part of a long running series of performances that will be going on and on stay calm keep your hands fun slow and steady so
• 02:30 - 03:00 so as close as we can get yeah do they are protesting VP VP British Petroleum oh yes sponsorship of Tate of the Arts do you think they have a point
• 03:00 - 03:30 oh it worries me but I I um I think I better keep out of this until I know exactly what the Arts is ETC
• 03:30 - 04:00 AR
• 04:00 - 04:30 the other thank you ladies and gentlemen
• 04:30 - 05:00 this is a very bad publicity stunt I disapprove of this you ought to build do your protest in a different way this does not have popular support way sir you can make your point differently which way sir which way and tell them to clear it up but then you don't have to walk's more child yeah I'm very angry I mean what's the point just to draw attention to themselves and they're all chicken anyway cuz they were fail
• 05:00 - 05:30 it's just a relationship that art and oil has in London and they they do it for you know our friend South Bank you know they gladly do it for Shell you know you know they need someone to be on their side you know they get a real bad rap in the Press you know poor p PP Tony Hay's having a dreadful week so you know he's our friend we want to help him out a bit so yeah we'll see you later
• 05:30 - 06:00 we went upstairs inside the gallery and where everybody was having the drinks reception that were about 150 200 people um we we have it as an oil spill considering the size of this gallery [Music] it started off small and we thought that
• 06:00 - 06:30 we had it contained but it got a bit Bigg and suddenly there was an oil spill from underneath the Bon of the dresses wow okay okay I think we're ready to just the clean up and we did a pretty good job in the cleanup effort we were able to scoop quite a bit of oil is to get you out of here safely okay make sure that you're not treading it everywhere
• 06:30 - 07:00 and it don't slip right cuz it's very slippery it is slippery still and they brought in that wonderful black barricade so no one could see the oil spill and that that worked really well wow great work like we've been trying to contain this week up till now and this this really helps us out actually this is fantastic and actually a lot of the people who were there at the time in the gallery um you know they they really liked what we were doing and they came up and and had with us and they thought you know this was a really interesting
• 07:00 - 07:30 way to to show people what was happening in you know one small part of the gallery basically like the size of this whole Gallery is a tiny tiny it's actually very very small you know we were we were going for about 20 minutes half an hour before we were before they were ready for us to leave we got everybody's attention for a start and then people were like coming up and being like this is great guys this is really good you know we thought that you know we thought that they were going to get away with
• 07:30 - 08:00 just having the event as it was you guys have totally messed with it and like we cuz the guys who were filming it apparently people were saying to them is this art this is if this is Art then this is good art well I I think that it was I think it was probably effective a lot of people found it quite fun and funny um
• 08:00 - 08:30 I I suppose in some ways that's that's acceptable I wanted to see a little bit more anger out here a little bit more of a crowd um uh a little bit more well what I really want to see in the wider media coverage actually of the deep water Horizon issue is that this isn't an issue about um the the the danger to Wildlife and the danger to the coast of America it's about climate change
• 08:30 - 09:00 [Applause] the environment is what matters culture matters too but really this is an issue about about about the the damage to our environment that we're doing you know I I work in the cultural sector I I care that the cultural sector persists but I don't care that these big institutions and these great um You Know Rich events
• 09:00 - 09:30 you know where rich people can turn up and stuff their faces with sausages I don't care that that exists what I care is that children around the world can be can have access to culture can live freely can think freely I'm feeling emotional now thank you it really matters to me [Music]