Hay Festival suspends controversial sponsor after Charlotte Church protest
Hay Festival has suspended a controversial sponsor after Charlotte Church and others withdrew from the festival in protest.
Earlier today the Welsh star issued a statement announcing she was pulling out of the festival while taking aim at the festival’s ‘hypocrisy’ of receiving sponsorship from investment management company Baillie Gifford which has links to Israel and the fossil fuel industry.
The singer was due to appear in a talk with author Mary Loudon but said she was withdrawing ‘in solidarity with the people of Palestine and in protest of the artwashing and greenwashing that is apparent in this sponsorship.’
Comedian Nish Kumar and Labour MP Dawn Butler were amongst others to withdraw from attending.
Charlotte wrote on her social media: “I’m scheduled in to talk at the Hay Festival with the brilliant Mary Loudon this weekend. However, due to the continuing sponsorship of the festival by asset manager Baillie Gifford, I will be boycotting and not attending in solidarity with the people of Palestine and in protest of the artwashing and greenwashing that is apparent in this sponsorship.
“According to the Fossil Free Books campaign, Baillie Gifford has investments worth more than £10billion in companies with links to Israeli occupation, security apparatus and genocide of Palestinians. It also has between £2.5billion and £5billion invested in fossil fuel companies.”
You can read Charlotte’s full statement HERE
Now the festival CEO has issued a statement announcing that they would be suspending their sponsorship with Baillie Gifford
Julie Finch, CEO of Hay Festival Global said: “In light of claims raised by campaigners and intense pressure on artists to withdraw, we have taken the decision to suspend our sponsorship from Baillie Gifford.
“Our first priority is to our audience and our artists. Above all else, we must preserve the freedom of our stages and spaces for open debate and discussion, where audiences can hear a range of perspectives.
“Hay Festival Global is a charity. We are grateful to all those artists, partners and audiences who engage and contribute to the conversation, on stage and off.
“We look forward to welcoming you this fortnight, in person and online.”
Hay Festival runs from 23 May – 2 June.
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Note to self: need to go shopping in the morning – need more bread, tea, milk and coffee – must also remember to increase my investments with Baiĺlie Gifford.
Clicked on the flag by mistake sorry!
How did they get under the Hay ‘Lovies’ radar…! Billions of reasons…
Top man Mr Horowitz…
Gosh, I do hope Charlotte has no ‘links to the fossil fuel industry’. I expect her home runs purely on wind & solar.
…Perhaps her heating and lighting system runs purely on virtue.
idiot.
Idiot! It’s got nothing to do with the Fossil fuel Industry, but the company’s links/support for the genocide being carried out by the IDF, on innocent Palestinian civilians – women, children and babies – incarcerated by Israel in the outdoor prison camp of Gaza16 years ago, with no means of escape.
It was also about their links to the fossil fuel industry, Jan. Which is fair enough.
Da iawn Charlotte!