BP out of the Edinburgh International Festival

The Edinburgh International Festival's mission is to contribute to "many aspects of life, be it cultural and economic, education and society and enhances the lives of people not just in Edinburgh and Scotland, but around the world". We believe this vision is at odds with the human rights abuses and environmental destruction perpetrated by one of the Festival's sponsor: oil giant BP.

BP is now being taken to court by Gilberto Torres (pictured above in the middle), former Columbian trade union leader, with the assistance of War on Want and a British law firm for being complicit in the crimes perpetrated by the oil company Ocensa. The company is accused of financing the torture, murder and disappearance of more than 12,000 people in the oil-rich and politically unstable region of Casanare.

While issues of funding are of increasing importance to cultural institutions, we strongly believe there is no rationale to justify the reconciliation of fossil fuel corporations and the arts. Therefore, we are now calling on the Edinburgh International Festival to remove BP from its corporate sponsors.