Liberate Tate

Liberate Tate is an art collective exploring the role of creative intervention in social change. The group aims to "free art from oil" with a primary focus on the art museum Tate ending its corporate sponsorship with BP. Liberate Tate has become internationally renowned for artworks about the relationship of public cultural institutions with oil companies. In 2016 Liberate Tate won its campaign with the announcement that BP sponsorship of Tate would come to an end in 2017.
Origin.
The collective was founded during a Tate workshop in January 2010 on art and activism. When Tate curators tried to censor the workshop from making interventions against Tate sponsors, even though none had been planned, the participants decided to continue their work together and set up Liberate Tate.
Positions.
Early in 2010 Liberate Tate issued an open invitation for artists, art lovers and other concerned members of the public to act to ensure that Tate ends its oil sponsorship. This led to a growing movement of artists and the public, including Tate members, raising their voices for a more ethical approach to the art museum's relationships and sources of funding.
Artworks.
Liberate Tate works include:
Publication.
In December 2011 Liberate Tate, with arts and research organisation Platform and activist group Art Not Oil, released a publication, "Not if but when: Culture Beyond Oil," on oil sponsorship of the arts.
Audio tour.
In March 2012 Liberate Tate, with Art Not Oil and Platform, released a sound artwork themed around the issue of BP sponsorship of Tate, "Tate à Tate". The site-specific work, an alternative to the official Tate Multimedia Guide and Tate to Tate tours, is for the three locations of Tate Britain, Tate Modern and the Tate Boat. The work is downloaded onto smartphone, iPod or MP3 player and played whilst walking around the Tate London galleries and while sitting on the boat journey along the Thames between the galleries. Artists collaborating with Liberate Tate on "Tate à Tate" were performance artist Mark McGowan (aka The Artist Taxi Driver), Jim Welton and Ansuman Biswas as well as composer Isa Suarez, comedian Mae Martin and journalist Phil England.
Open Letter to Nicholas Serota.
Liberate Tate enhanced performances with evidence of the voice of Tate members and visitors as the art collective argued Tate itself had appeared to not make any meaningful effort to assess their views. Given this, Liberate Tate gave stakeholders this opportunity with an Open Letter to Nicholas Serota in late 2011. Signed by over 8,000 people in just three weeks with a call on Tate to "disengage with BP given the damage being caused by the company to ecosystems, communities and the climate" this was handed to the Tate director at the Tate Members Council on 2 December 2011.