Fringe World artists campaign to cut Woodside sponsorship on climate grounds

A group of 250 Fringe World artists and climate activists are campaigning for the festival to dump a founding corporate sponsor on the grounds its activities contribute to climate change.

When new Fringe World chief executive Sharon Burgess took the position, Woodside With the Climate members wrote to welcome her, ask her to consider an alternative sponsor and request a meeting.

Original campaign materials, now removed. Credit: File image

They did not secure one and over the past week, campaigners have sent about 100 follow-up emails.

Organiser Holly Dawson said all the letters were positive and reasonable, promising continued support for the 2020 festival but asking organisers to reconsider Woodside's 2021 contract.

"Woodside is headquartered here and is the second biggest polluter in WA," she said.

"The project that it is proposing, the Browse project ... will breach our Paris agreements and blow out WA’s carbon budget ... this is a big fossil fuel corporation that is not planning to reduce emissions and we all need to call bullshit on 'clean gas'."

She said Woodside's recent announcements of partial offsetting of its share of emissions from reservoir gas at its WA projects would only offset a tiny percentage of its total emissions.

Ms Dawson has received a letter from Fringe lawyers K&L Gates saying the campaign imagery included unlawful misuse of Artrage’s intellectual property and requesting removal.

K&L Gates specialises in the resources sector and the firm is also a major partner of Fringe World.

The campaign follows recent news the National Galleries of Scotland and the UK’s National Theatre and Royal Shakespeare Company have cut ties with sponsors BP and Shell.

Ms Dawson said in 2016 the Edinburgh Arts Festival and Tate Festival ended their partnerships with BP and had since expanded their programs.

The replacement campaign materials. Credit: File image

She said Perth's was one of the world’s largest and most successful fringe festivals and was unlikely to struggle to secure a new sponsor.

Petro Vouris is a Perth artist who has worked with Fringe on and off for more than a decade.

He said locals had traditionally seen Fringe as edgy, brave and loyal to locals when Perth Festival had been more international in flavour.

“While proud of what our Fringe has achieved, we are also heartbroken at the fact that Fringe continues to be bedfellows with WA’s biggest homegrown polluter, Woodside,” he said.

“Though this support was welcomed by the arts community at the time, the reality behind climate change and the extent that these corporations are the main drivers has emerged as a harsh reality that must be urgently addressed.”

A Fringe World spokeswoman said producer Artrage was a not-for-profit and without sponsors such as Woodside, Fringe World would not be possible.

She referenced Fringe World's sustainability plan, which concerned recycling at venues, but not carbon emissions or sponsorship ethics.

She said Fringe World welcomed freedom of expression but not misuse of others’ intellectual property and hence the letter requesting removal of the signage parodying Fringe's branding.

A Woodside spokeswoman declined to discuss the campaign specifically but said the company had supported Fringe World since being an establishing partner in 2012.

Fringe World brought energy and vibrancy to Perth summers, enriched the cultural fabric of both city and state, and showcased emerging and established local artists, particularly through the Woodside Homegrown Heroes program.

Former Fringe World chief executive Marcus Canning last year said in a statement that Woodside’s support was “rock solid” and a measure of its commitment to WA.

The resources sector has traditionally been heavily involved in the WA arts landscape.

Woodside also supports Barking Gecko Theatre Company, the WA Ballet, WA Youth Orchestra and Yirra Yaakin Theatre Company.

FMG supports Black Swan State Theatre Centre, Chevron Perth Festival and BHP the Awesome Arts Festival.

Rio Tinto is a major sponsor of visual arts, particularly Indigenous arts, and Tianqui Lithium supports the WA Museum and WA Symphony Orchestra.