“It’s time Sadler’s Wells took a stand against the oily financiers set on destroying everything we love, all to line their pockets.”
On January 26, activists from Fossil Free London disrupted the closing performance of Matthew Bourne’s Swan Lake at Sadler’s Wells in London. The activists are protesting the theatre’s ties with Barclays Bank which funds fossil fuels and arms.
Ten protestors staged a “die-in” outside the theatres. Accompanied with a cellist, they held a banner that read: “Barclays funds bombs and big oil.” Inside the theatre, they dropped another “Drop Barclays” banner from the balcony.
Barclays is one of Sadler’s Wells main sponsors. Notably, Nigel Higgins, chair of the Sadler’s Wells Board of Trustees, also serves as the chairman of Barclays, as stated on the theatre’s website.
Since the 2016 Paris Agreement, the world’s biggest banks have handed nearly $7tn (£5.6tn) in funding to the fossil fuel industry, with London-based Barclays leading the way, research shows.
In 2024, an investigation confirmed that Barclays invests over £2 billion in shares, and provides loans and underwriting worth £6.1 billion, to companies whose weapons, components and military technology have been used in Israel’s attacks on Palestinians.
Joanna Warrington, a Fossil Free London spokesperson said:
“It’s time for Sadler’s Wells to stop dancing around this issue, and stop partnering with Barclays. A bank that fuels genocide and climate breakdown.
“For as long as they do so, they’re complicit in the devastating extreme weather events and untold violence we’re seeing strewn across the news daily. Because, thanks to Sadler’s Wells’ cultural power, this sponsorship enables Barclays to hide behind a façade of corporate responsibility. All whilst they continue to bankroll industries that kill.
“It’s time Sadler’s Wells took a stand against the oily financiers set on destroying everything we love, all to line their pockets.”
The protest follows a similar action by Fossil Free London in December during the opening night of Swan Lake, which sparked media coverage, including headlines from the Daily Mail and Express that described the protestors as “eco-zealots” and sensationalised the disruption.
In response, Fossil Free London criticised the media’s framing of their actions, stating that such coverage distracts from the real issue, the destructive role of corporations in perpetuating climate and human rights crises. Talking to LFF, a spokesperson for the group said:
“Fossil Free London, like most climate groups, is made up of everyday people – parents, neighbours, young people – who care about those around them and are taking action to build a better world.
“We can’t let cooked-up labels divide us, especially when we are all affected by the ongoing destruction, it threatens our survival. Together, we can push back against the real enemy, the corporations that create and profit from the nightmare situation we are all facing.”
Photo credit: Fossil Free London
To reach hundreds of thousands of new readers we need to grow our donor base substantially.
That’s why in 2024, we are seeking to generate 150 additional regular donors to support Left Foot Forward’s work.
We still need another 117 people to donate to hit the target. You can help. Donate today.
