London (AFP)
The prestigious theatrical company Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) announced on Wednesday to abandon the aid of the oil group BP in the name of the "climate emergency".
BP's sponsorship allowed RSC, a British theater company based in Stratford-Upon-Avon, hometown of William Shakespeare, to offer 5-pound (€ 5.60) tickets for 16- to 25-year-olds since 2013 .
"In the context of a climate emergency, which we recognize, young people are now telling us clearly that BP's sponsorship creates a barrier between them and their desire to get involved with CSR, and we can not ignore this message," explain Gregory Doran, artistic director of the RSC and Catherine Mallyon, who is the executive director, in a statement.
They announce having made the "difficult decision" to end their collaboration with BP by the end of 2019.
BP said he was "disappointed and dismayed that the RSC has decided to end our partnership".
Recently, an association of young people at the origin of school strikes to denounce the inaction against the climate change (UK Student Climate Network) had written to the RSC, reproaching him the patronage of BP.
"That means if we young people want to see a play in your theater at an affordable price, we have to help promote a company that is actively destroying our future by disrupting the climate," they wrote.
For months, artists and environmental activists have been protesting the links between BP or other oil companies and British cultural institutions like the National Portrait Gallery, the Royal Opera House or the British Museum.
Last June, the British comedian Mark Rylance announced to leave the RSC to oppose the patronage of BP.
The comedian had explained that he did not want to "be associated with BP as I would not want to be associated with an arms dealer, a tobacco salesman or anyone who deliberately destroys the lives of living and unborn people."
© 2019 AFP