Royal Opera House Ends Relationship with BP

By Francisco Salazar

The Royal Opera House has severed its sponsorship relationship with BP after more than three decades.

According to the Guardian, the opera house and the oil and gas multinational worked together since 1988. However, in a statement on Wednesday, the opera house said there had been an “agreement” that the funding would not be renewed.

In a statement, the Royal Opera House said, “We are grateful to BP for their sponsorship over 33 years which has enabled thousands around the country to see free opera and ballet through our BP Big Screens.”

The ROH’s decision will heap further pressure on the British Museum, which is now one of the last major arts institutions still receiving funding from the energy firm. According to the news source, the Science Museum has stuck with its fossil fuel sponsors Shell and Adani despite long-running protests.

The move was received well by artists such as Mark Padmore who said, “We in the cultural sector need to ask difficult questions and encourage better practices. We must put sustainability, fairness, inclusivity, and generosity at the heart of all we do. I welcome the decision to end sponsorship of the Royal Opera House by fossil fuel companies.”

The loss of BP funding to the ROH follows a 9 percent cut in its core grant from Arts Council England, which the institution said would contribute to “significant financial challenges going forward, alongside our colleagues in the sector.”

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