CULTURE / ARCHAEOLOGY / INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
House of Lords debate changing law prohibiting antiquities return
54% of Britons say yes to the return of the Parthenon Sculptures and just 16% have the opposite view. This is the result of a poll published on the BBC website and carried out on behalf of the Parthenon Project.
54% of Britons say yes to the return of the Parthenon Sculptures and just 16% have the opposite view. This is the result of a poll published on the BBC website and carried out on behalf of the Parthenon Project.
The Parthenon Project is a relatively new body that aims to reunite the Sculptors. In fact, the former British Secretary of State for Culture of the Cameron governments, Lord Ed Vesey, was recently appointed as the president of the organization. Lord Vesey, who served in the ministry from 2010 to 2016, said he was confident "a deal is possible". In his article in the Times newspaper, among other things, he emphasizes that "the British Museum has housed half of the sculptures for more than 200 years. He was asked to return them to Athens so that they could be reunited as a single work of art, so that they could be seen at the Acropolis Museum. Greece has rejected loan offers. But the idea of a reciprocal exchange involving a rotating exhibition at the Davin Gallery of items never before seen in London has recently come to the fore and I am a keen supporter of the idea," points out Lord Ed Vesey.
Today, moreover, in the House of Lords, a first debate begins on changing the law that prohibits the return of antiquities to their place of origin. This is perhaps an even more important development as if the process goes ahead and the 1963 law prohibiting the removal of exhibits from the British Museum is finally changed then it will be much easier to make the decision to return the Parthenon Sculptures to Greece.
Furthermore, in other UK-GR cultural news, the Hellenic-British Symposium opens in the Peloponnesian town of Nafplio on Thursday, exploring ways to strengthen ties between the 2 countries in tourism, education and culture.
A roster of policy makers, academics, journalists and leaders in business and culture will discuss key topics like shifts in tourism demand, post-Brexit cooperation, culture in the service of stronger bilateral ties and sustainability. The last session, taking place on Saturday, will look at the impact of technological advances on hospitality, education and culture.
It is organized in partnership with the Delphi Economic Forum, and with the support of the British Embassy Athens and the British Council.
