LSE Hellenic Conference 2025: Cultural Politics and Ongoing Debates, the Reunification of the Parthenon Sculptures

Date: 21st March

Time: 12:00-13:00 PM

Location: LSE Campus, Yangtze Theatre - Centre Building

Speakers

● Victoria Hislop

● Mark Stephens CBE

● Roger Michel

● Moderator: Dr. Tatiana Flessas – Associate Professor of Law, LSE

Victoria Hislop is an internationally acclaimed author whose works explore Greece’s rich history and cultural heritage. A member of the British Committee for the Reunification of the Parthenon Marbles (BCRPM), she is a passionate advocate for the return of Greece’s displaced antiquities. Her debut novel, The Island (2005), became a global sensation, selling over 6 million copies in 40 languages and inspiring a record-breaking Greek TV adaptation. Victoria's dedication to Greece extends beyond literature—she was awarded Honorary Greek Citizenship in 2020 for her contributions to Greek culture. She is also Patron of Knossos 2025, working to support archaeological research in Crete. Beyond writing, Victoria is an ambassador for Lepra, a UK charity supporting leprosy treatment worldwide, and an advocate for literacy through her work with the National Literacy Trust.

Mark Stephens CBE, is a distinguished solicitor specializing in media law, intellectual property, human rights, and cultural property law, with Legal 500 (2025) describing him as: "Quite simply a legend of the art and cultural property world ‘’. He is the co-founder of the renowned law firm Howard Kennedy and member of the British Committee for the Reunification of the Parthenon Marbles (BCRPM), working to address legal and ethical debates surrounding cultural heritage. Throughout his career, Mark has advised high-profile clients, representing figures such as Julian Assange, Mike Tyson and Greenpeace, as well as handling complex international arbitration disputes. He has also been retained by multiple governments, including that of Cyprus to advise and represent their legal interests. He also lectures at universities and higher education institutions worldwide.

Roger Michel, is the Executive Director of the Institute for Digital Archaeology (IDA), known for its ground-breaking work in heritage preservation and reconstruction. The IDA collaborates with national governments, major universities, and NGOs to create high-precision replicas of significant cultural artefacts. Its reconstructions are featured in museums worldwide, including the Victoria & Albert Museum’s Cast Courts. The potential replication of the Parthenon Marbles aims to provide a diplomatic solution to the longstanding ownership debate. Michel’s team can produce indistinguishable copies, offering the British Museum a way to maintain the visual experience of the Marbles while allowing the originals to return to Greece. Before founding the IDA, he had a distinguished career as a public prosecutor in the U.S., specializing in high-profile murder cases and a Lecturer at Boston University Law School for 25 years.

Note that the conference organizers extended an invitation to the British Museum to participate in this discussion, but they were unable to send a representative.

Each speaker will explain how they first became involved in the debate over the Parthenon Marbles and why this issue resonates with them.

Historical background: Was the acquisition of the Parthenon Marbles by Lord Elgin legal, and does legality override ethical considerations? 
● How does modern international law, including UNESCO conventions, view cases like this?
● Should the legal ambiguity of the Marbles’ removal impact their return?
● How might future legal frameworks evolve to address cultural property disputes more effectively and what role will international organizations (UNESCO, ICOM, the EU) play in shaping restitution policies?

Museums’ role, Challenges, Future Outlook 
● Are museums still justified in holding culturally significant artefacts?
● How do recent restitution cases (e.g., the Benin Bronzes) set a precedent? What lessons can be learned from Italy and the Vatican’s recent returns of Parthenon fragments?
● Could a long-term loan be a viable compromise, or would it set a dangerous precedent?
● Could the British Museum and Greece reach another collaborative resolution in the coming years? What would that look like?
● How do generational shifts in museum leadership influence the likelihood of change?
● How has literature, media/journalism, and public discourse influenced the debate on the Parthenon Marbles?
● Have you encountered resistance to your work in advocating for cultural restitution?
● How could emerging technologies (AI, 3D scanning, digital twins) offer alternative solutions for cultural heritage access?

Q&A Session 

Closing Remarks 

Friday 21 March was day one of a two day conference, the LSE Hellenic Conference 2025.

The first session included a thought provoking discussion between Margaritis Schinas, Vice President of the European Commission (2019-2024) with Spyros Economides. The Translatlantic Alliance and Europe's standing on the world stage, gave the audience plenty to reflect upon. Despite the challenges that Europe and the world face, there is hope. 

BCRPM remembers Margaritis Schinas' article on the Parthenon Marbles too.

The second session of Friday's conference was aptly entitled "Debate on Greek Cultural Heritage: the reunification of the Parthenon Marbles" and was graced by three speakers, two are members of the British Committee for the Reunification of the Parthenon Marbles: Mark Stephens CBE and Victoria Hislop. Roger Michel of the IDA. The moderator was Dr Tatiana Flessa.

Dr Flessa asked the speakers to start by outlining how they had come to support this cause. Mark explained that his legal background and interests saw him working on both the return of Aboriginal remains and Nazi looted art. Meeting with others that had been involved in the Parthenon Marbles case, he too felt strongly that this was a just cause. Victoria spoke of her childhood and as a regular visitor to the British Museum in the 60's and 70's how she had sat on the fence until Boris Johnson, the then PM declared in an interview that the sculptures held in the British Museum would never be returned (March 2021). Roger Michel remembered speaking with the Greek Ambassador pre Covid and explaining that exact replicas could be the answer to this long-running debate. 

Both Mark and Roger spoke at length about the legality of Lord Elgin's removal of the sculptures, not least the sale and the centuries of division. International law, British law and statutes of limitation were highlighted  but Roger wanted to question why the Charities Act rather than the Museum's Act had not been used to facilitate the reunification. Dr Flessa also gathered the thoughts of both Mark and Roger regarding good title and legal transfer.

Victoria was keen to emphasise that should the Parthenon Marbles be reunited, the British Museum would not be emptied. That it was time for the British Museum to look where it was in terms of public opinion and that reuniting the Parthenon Marbles would be the best thing that it could do as an institution that also prides itself on education and research.

Mark spoke about UNESCOand the UN, the resolutions passed regarding specific objects that ought to be returned to their country of origin. On the international arena when emblematic cases where return and restitution to their countries of origin is discussed, there is the greatest support for the reunification of the Parthenon Marbles.  

Roger quoted Castlereagh, one of the most distinguished foreign secretaries in British history, and yet it was Byron that criticised Castlereagh. Roger also added that art has its own rights.

Victoria has often imagined the day when the sculptures will finally arrive at the Acropolis Museum, declaring: "There will be great rejoicing in the whole of Greece - and a National Holiday declared.  In Britain, most will not even notice or care - there won’t be weeping in the street."

BCRPM wishes to thank the organisers and especially Maria Efthymiadou.