ACE issues new best practice for museums in England, responding to restitution and repatriation cases

Today, Arts Council England (ACE) has issued guidance intended to clarify the process around the return of cultural material to its original owner or place of origin. The 32 page document is entitled 'Restitution and Repatriation: A Practical Guide for Museums in England'. It replaces the previous guidance, the Museums and Galleries Commission of 2000.

To read or download this new guidance, follow the link here.  

In 2020, the announcement was made that this guidance would be prepared in collaboration with the Institute of Art and Law. ACE in the acknowledgements thanks Professor Janet Ulph (University of Leicester) for her involvement in the project, as well as the many experts from the museum sector and beyond who were consulted in developing the guidance.

Delays caused by the pandemic and no doubt the political sensitivity of the document, contributed to the time is took to publish this guidance. BCRPM are hopeful that the outcome will support the British Museum's Deputy Director, Jonathan William's announcement at weekend, where he expresed the museum's willingness to enter into dialogue with Greece, for the future of the Parthenon Marbles. 

The guidance states that, while restitution and repatriation cases can be complex and time-consuming, they "often present rich opportunities for enhancing understanding for all involved".

"Considering a claim for restitution can offer the opportunity for museums to develop their collections knowledge and research, to build relationships with originating communities, to open up dialogue around contested items and to create opportunities for discourse and discussion around cultural heritage," states the guidance.

The document acknowledges the public interest in the debate about restitution and says the guidance is "written in a way that can be accessible to everyone, whether or not they have any previous experience of the English museum sector".

To read more on the Museums Association's reaction, also see Geraldine Kendall Adam's write-up. 

And the response from Artemis Papathanassiou, Senior Legal Advisor at the Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs: "An excellent guidance from Arts Council Britain that could be  the inspiration for UK Museums, and in so doing also become leaders in restitution."