Fossil fuel-free culture
Consistent implementation of greening policies means revising cooperation principles with external entities, regarding both funding of your institution’s activities by private entities and making your space available for external business industry events. It is possible to successfully pressure institutions to give up funding coming from megacorporations making their profits on extensive mining of natural resources and demand that art and culture should not be treated by these megacorporations as a means to clean up their public image (so-called greenwashing).
> Fossil Free Culture is a collective of artists, activists and researchers who are fighting together to end funding from fossil fuel mining and processing. Interestingly, they strongly emphasise the aspect of climate justice in their activities, defining themselves as a feminist, anti-racist, intergenerational, queer and decolonial movement. One of the FFC’s strategies is to use civil disobedience. They explain their choice by the breakdown of the social contract associated with the catastrophic exploitation of the natural environment without respect for ‘life-sustaining networks’. Their activities are funded by Mama Cash, Stichting DOEN/VriendenLoterij Fonds, Urgent Action Fund, Guerilla Foundation, Patagonia/Tides Foundation and Stimuleringsfonds Creatieve Industrie.
> Fossil Free Future is an international movement bringing together initiatives aimed at ending the financing of various areas of the economy by fossil fuel companies.
> Culture Unstained is a cooperative engaged in research and campaigns against the financing of culture from fossil fuel funds.
> BP or not BP?: a group of activists who succeeded in persuading two prestigious cultural institutions in the UK to change their sponsorship relationships with BP. At The Royal Shakespeare Company this happened in 2019. The British Museum removed BP logos from its materials (2023), but at the same time signed a contract for another 10 years of cooperation.
> Art Not Oil is a coalition of organisations that aim to end fossil fuel financing. ANO evolved from the 2013 ‘Rising Tide’ campaign in the UK.
> Liberate Tate is an art collective that has been staging performances at Tate galleries since 2010, sponsored by BP. In 2017, the sponsorship deal with this company was terminated. In the meantime, the collective’s artworks have been added to the Tate collection, which shows how art institutions can ‘consume’ criticism of themselves. Here you can find out more about Liberate Tate. Latest information on corporate sponsorship at Tate can be found here.
> ‘The Tear Gas Biennial’: a campaign carried out by artists and activists aiming to remove Warren B. Kanders from the organisation of the Whitney Biennial. Kanders owned a company supplying materials used against people, including women and children, along the US-Mexican border. This is another example of a climate justice activity in 2019.
> Protests against Shell’s sponsorship of the Science Museum brought together pupils, students, Extinction Rebellion, etc. Particular criticism was levelled at the clause stipulating that the museum must not damage the company’s reputation, which is interpreted as censorship of business activities and their negative consequences for the environment (2021).
The financial policy of an institution should reflect its programming assumptions. Before you start cooperating with sponsors, find out their approach to sustainable development and caring for the environment, check their production methods and how they treat their employees. Bear in mind that as a cultural institution you enjoy social trust and prestige and have an influence on the image of your business partners and sponsors – you raise their status. Although it may be tempting to increase your budget, your institution should check where the money came from and how it was generated. Create a list of guidelines and values which your corporate partners and sponsors should adhere to, e.g. does the company invest in mining fossil fuels? Is its activity connected with exploitation of water and land, polluting of surface or groundwater or labour exploitation? Does it pay taxes in the country of its operation? (see: ECO-ETHICS OF COOPERATION)
Exploitation-free culture
An institution which wants to lead a sustainable financial policy should cooperate mainly with entities of the social and solidarity economy, such as cooperatives and foundations which strive for change in social, economic and ecological relations. They are smaller than global corporations, so it is easier to verify the standards important to you. Cooperation with social and solidarity economy entities should be prioritised in all competitions, tenders or requests for quotation. (see: ECO-ETHICS OF COOPERATION)
> “The report shows that more than half of the institutions analysed offer salaries lower than the national average, which in 2023 was PLN 7,262.98 gross,” states the report by the National Section of Museums and Monument Protection Institutions of NSZZ Solidarność trade union on salaries and employment in 67 cultural institutions and their 108 branches for the years 2022–2023.
> The website of the Ministry of Family, Labour and Social Policy lists social economy entities, as well as some foundations and associations.
Remuneration transparency – not only for employees
Being green means caring about justice for the environment, other species, society and the economy. Therefore, it is necessary to apply transparency in the remuneration system regardless of gender, age, ability, political views, nationality, ethnic origin or sexual orientation. It is also important to avoid disproportionality resulting from symbolic capital associated with personal branding or positioning in the sector. From 24 December 2025, cultural institutions will be required to disclose salaries, which is a positive step towards building trust within the team. The next stage is to establish transparent rates for working with artists, curators, those responsible for publication design, exhibition architecture, etc. (see also: EMPLOYEES)
> The Culture at Work Association fights for fair working conditions for artists. An interview with the founders.
> Agreement on minimum remuneration for artists developed by the Civic Forum for Contemporary Art.
Trade unionism as a means of supporting a community-based approach to work
Many cultural institutions have trade unions, but over the years they have not attracted large numbers of members. This is due to the approach to trade unionism inherited from the communist era, when trade unions did not fulfil their proper function. Yet the essence of a trade union is to maintain a balance of power between the party that provides work and the party that receives it. Through proper analysis of working conditions and collective bargaining, it is possible to ensure that the needs of employees are taken into account in the institution’s policy on an ongoing basis. At least 10 people working for a given employer are required to establish a trade union. At the founding meeting, a resolution to establish the union should be passed, followed by the adoption of the statutes and the election of the founding committee. Within 30 days of its establishment, an application for registration of the union in the National Court Register (KRS) must be submitted
> Instructions on how to set up a trade union.
> Federation of Art and Culture Trade Unions.
Co-deciding about the budget
In treating finance as an organisational framework of an institution, it is worth planning the process of co-deciding on spending. At first, this could concern only a portion of the budget, which could be systematically increased. Being green is also about looking after one’s own wellbeing, caring for a diverse environment and a good future. An important tool in this process includes making decisions and setting priorities together. This would allow various perspectives and needs to be taken into account and would start a conversation about resources. Below you will find a few examples on how to start such a process.
> Feminist Fund is a grant-giving organisation. The choice of the initiatives to be funded is made by a public forum: initiators assess each others’ projects and choose the ones to receive support.
>Every year, Warsaw initiative Open Jazdów in cooperation with the District Cultural Centre organises Jazdów Open University. A specially appointed board which chooses projects for implementation is not only made up of the cultural centre’s employees but also organisations and residents from Open Jazdów, hosts of the area where projects are carried out.
>The same mechanism was used by the Programme Committee of the Bródno Sculpture Park (representing various parties: institutional, official, social and artistic) during open recruitment for artistic projects in the 12th edition of the programme.
These examples show models where decision-making concerning funding is devolved – more perspectives are included, often diverse but allowing for equal treatment and discussion, giving a fuller view of needs and aims.
> Inspiration for other models of self-organisation and management which involve employees in decision-making on various issues, including the budget, can be found in the philosophy of teal organisations. You can read about teal organisations here: Andrzej Blikle, Compendium of Teal Organisations (2014).
> If you are interested in specific self-organisation tools, you will find them in sociocracy. A brief description of what sociocracy is can be found here: Aleksandra Jach, Sociocracy (2024). More materials are available here.
