Mark Ruffalo, Emma Thompson, Mark Rylance and other stars urge British Museum to end BP sponsorship

A starry list of actors, writers and scientists have urged the new director of the British Museum, Hartwig Fischer, to end its longstanding relationship with the energy company BP in a letter organised by the group Art Not Oil, published by the Guardian yesterday (3 April). A museum spokeswoman issueda robust response, expressing its gratitude to the company for its "loyaland on-going" support, which suggest its trustees won’t be U-turninganytime soon. The BM can call on some starry support. Among the great and thegood who make up the BM’s trustees is the Turner prize-winning artist GraysonPerry, who was appointed last year as the Royal Academy’s nominee. When askedfive years ago about the issue, he told the Guardian that he didn’t buy intothe whole “sponsorship is evil” line. “I don’t think that when people come outof exhibitions they think: “Oh, wow, I’m going to buy BP petrol now,” he said.