Fortescue Metals Group supports Black Swan Theatre Company BHP is the principal partner of Awesome Arts Chevron has the naming rights for Perth festival’s music strand (also targeted by activists) Tianqi Lithium is the naming sponsors of a gallery of the new WA museum Boola Bardip and Rio Tinto is the premium partner of CinefestOZ. Woodside is also a sponsor of Barking Gecko Theatre, Yirra Yaakin, the WA Symphony Orchestra and WA Ballet. Speak to anyone involved in arts sponsorship in WA and they will tell you the same story: in the current funding environment, it is impossible for arts companies to completely wean themselves off sponsorship from the fossil fuels sector. “Artrage is not in the business of making political statements or taking a stance on the subject we will leave that up to our artists.” Breaking up is hard to do “As the third-largest arts organisation in the state, Artrage needs to achieve its philanthropic potential so that we can become a more sustainable organisation with a diversified and balanced income portfolio,” she said. In a media release, Burgess defended the move. “We hope that Artrage seeks to engage with artists in a genuine discussion about transitioning away from fossil fuel funding and aims to break this new deal as soon as possible.” “WA’s artist community has made its feelings known about Woodside’s involvement in the arts: they are not wanted,” he said. While Collins is pleased that Woodside no longer has naming rights, he says he is disappointed. “We’re really grateful to Sharon Burgess and the Artrage board for having listened to its own stakeholders, done the right thing and refused to promote Woodside any longer,” Perth-based 350 activist Anthony Collins told Guardian Australia in June.īut on Thursday, Artrage revealed the new deal: Woodside’s funding is being transferred to the parent company, directed towards “staffing, technology, planning and donor servicing to enable. So when Artrage announced in June that Woodside would no longer have naming rights for the festival, activists claimed it as “an important win”.

Tensions heated up in December, when Fringe World encouraged performers to not speak out against its sponsorship arrangements – a request which, amid a record-breaking bushfire season and climate crisis, felt particularly incendiary to some. Over the past three years, a loose alliance of artists and activists have been campaigning to pressure Fringe World and Artrage to sever all ties with Woodside.

Artrage 7 release date