Woodside and Perth’s Fringe World organiser cut final ties

Woodside has severed final funding ties with Artrage, 18 months after the Fringe World organiser discontinued the oil and gas giant’s principal sponsorship and naming rights.

The city’s coming summer festival season will not feature any fossil fuel sponsorships after Perth Festival cut its ties with former sponsor Chevron in 2023.

Woodside lost naming rights for the Pleasure Garden festival hub for 2022 after being a sponsor since 2012. Credit: Miles Noel

In 2021, Artrage confirmed Woodside would “transition” from a sponsor of Fringe World, one of the world’s largest fringe festivals, to a sponsor of Artrage itself through its philanthropic program where the money was directed towards helping the organisation diversify its funding sources for the future.

It is nearly five years since artists came together under the banner of Fossil Free Arts WA to devise a plan to pressure Perth’s two biggest festivals to cut ties with WA’s two biggest polluters.

The campaign included protest performances, onstage disruptions, a month-long protest show, projected messages beaming into performances, a petition, protests and the presentation of petitions at Woodside’s AGM, the creation of an alternative “fossil-free festival”, and engagement with festival organisers.

One of its leaders, Anthony Collins, urged other arts organisations to “draw inspiration” and “call out the promotion of fossil fuel extremists.”

“It is now a matter of time before other institutions either cut ties with big polluters or face negative consequences due to their support of an LNG industry which is betting against a livable climate,” he said.

Campaign artist Noemie Huttner-Koros said Woodside was taking the state down a path of “climate catastrophe and gas-fuelled disasters.”

She said after the hottest year on record, the November bushfires and phase-out agreements at the recent COP28 global climate summit, it was crystal-clear the era of fossil fuels must end.

“While the WA government continues to sabotage any meaningful action on the climate crisis, it is up to everyday people, in all sectors including the arts, to stand up and speak out for a better future,” theye said.

“Woodside’s plans for the Burrup Hub is a disaster for climate and culture. This community and people-powered campaign demonstrates that all arts companies have the ability and responsibility to transition away from fossil fuels and stand up for climate justice.”

A Woodside spokeswoman said the company was proud to supply the oil and gas the world needed and was working to develop new energy products.

“As a global energy company with domestic and international operations, we are proud to be part of the diverse communities in which we work,” she said.

“We recognise the importance of our role in delivering mutual and sustainable social outcomes in the communities we are part of. We’ve built genuine, long-term relationships with our stakeholders and host communities over more than three decades.”

Artrage chief executive Jo Thomas thanked Woodside for its support of its philanthropic program.

“Thanks to the generous contributions made by our sponsors, both past and present, as well as the wonderful people who attend and support our events, we have been able to reduce ticketing fees and double cash awards and bursaries,” she said.

Asked to respond to the charge that the state was sabotaging meaningful action on climate, a spokesman said the government was taking significant action to put WA on the path to net zero by 2050, including closing its coal-fired power stations by 2030, investing billions in renewables, and legislating interim emissions reduction targets from 2035.

“We know WA is an emissions-intensive state and that our decarbonisation path will be unique. WA has an important global role to play in the transition to net-zero – our critical minerals and gas are crucial to global efforts to decarbonise,” he said.

“The Cook government in November announced a major investment to secure the future of Fringe World in WA – delivering $2.7 million through Lotterywest for the 2024 festival, and $2.9 million to support the 2025, 2026 and 2027 events.”

Other arts organisations still partnered with Woodside include WA Ballet, WA Youth Orchestra and WA Symphony Orchestra. These were contacted for comment.

The news follows recent furore over the Fremantle Dockers and Woodside funding partnership.

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