Description
Who: Royal Shakespeare Company
What: Cut sponsorship ties with BP
When: December 2019
BP’s sponsorship of the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) began in 2012 as part of BP’s involvement in the ‘cultural Olympiad’ that accompanied the London 2012 Olympics. The sponsorship included ‘BP £5 tickets’ for 16 to 25-year-olds to see plays.
In December 2019, the sponsorship deal with BP was ended, following a sustained campaign from theatre workers such as Sir Mark Rylance, BP or not BP, Culture Unstained and youth climate strikers. The Royal Shakespeare Company said: “Amidst the climate emergency, which we recognise, young people are now saying clearly to us that the BP sponsorship is putting a barrier between them and their wish to engage with the RSC. We cannot ignore that message.”
