The Rt Hon George Osborne, Chair of the British Museum, addressed those that attended the annual Trustees' dinner on Wednesday 13th November.

The whole speech is available to read and we've added the link here.

There is a great deal to gleam from George Osborne's words. Over and above the huge investment that is being made to upgrade and improve the fabric of the museum, the outdoor entrance area and galleries, there is the view that with six million visitors, the purpose of the British Museum remains hugely important.

George Osborne lands on the premise that visitors head to the British Museum to think. "It took one of many amazing artists we have in the room with us today to illuminate that for me so clearly, Hew Locke. Hew has curated a wonderful exhibition here that challenges us to consider the origins of parts of this collection, and links with Britain's imperial part. We're no longer afraid to have the conversations inside these walls that are taking place outside them."

"Hew says this in his introduction to the show: 'I go to the British Museum to think.' And it captures our purpose today and our mission tomorrow. We want our visitors to have a good time, to enjoy the experience.... we don't want their coming here to be an ordeal, like a dose of cod liver oil. But we also want their visit to be something more than a tick on a global bucket-list. We want each of those six million visitors to leave better citizens of the world for coming here."

In 1753 when the museum first opened, founder, Hans Sloane wanted the museum to be 'as useful as possible.... for the improvement ... of all persons.

Osborne acknowledges that this was a bold claim and that it remains a bold claim particularly in this era.

"We can no longer be a temple to western ascendancy - nor hide from our visitors the true stories of how some of this collection was assembled. But respect for the sensitivities and a commitment to tell the whole truth- if such a thing is possible- should not morph into a wishy-washy neutrality, or cringing embarrassment about our purpose. We believe that if you come through these doors, you'll be a better person for it."

From these words George Osborne links that visitors to the British Museum will become better equipped to understand the present as they view all great civilisations alongside each other, reflecting on what makes us different and what we have also have in common. 

For those members of BCRPM that attended the dinner there remains the hope that when the proposals for the reunification of the Parthenon Marbles are agreed upon by the Greek government and the announcement is made, that the thinking will result in giving all museum visitors hope for the future of institutions that set their stall out to better humanity as a whole. From the cries of Byron and others at what happened at the  turn of the 19th century in Athens, to what twenty-first visionaries can do to restore by showing understanding and respect for a peerless collection of sculptures, which can only ever belong to the Parthenon. 

We remind ourselves of past Chair of BCRPM, Eddie O'Hara's words published 25th October 2014, a decade ago:

"The Parthenon and its sculpted elements are a single artistic entity.  Their integrity is compromised as long as they are divided.  Clearly the sculptures can no longer be replaced on the building, but the Acropolis Museum is unique in being the only place where these sculptures can be viewed in line of sight with the Parthenon itself.  

The moral and cultural case for reunification is overwhelming and enough. Time to tell the story as it deserves to be told and for all humanity to applaud."

The Parthenon Sculptures will be returned to Greece, Nikolaos Stampolidis, the general director of the Acropolis Museum, told the Hellenic Broadcasting Corporation, ERT.

For many campaigners including BCRPM, the role of the Acropolis Museum in the reunification of the Parthenon Marbles has been pivotal since the days when founder Eleni Cubitt was invited to look over the architects proposals for a new Acropolis Museum. It was just short of two decades that BCRPM organised an event for Professor Pandermalis, the then Director of the new Acropolis Museum to present the winning scheme. The London venue for that event was just a stone's throw away from the British Museum.

Professor Stampolidis in his ERT interview pointed to the UNESCO decision regarding the reunification of the Parthenon Sculptures in September 2021 as a crucial turning point, describing it as “the most significant…in recent years.”

BCRPM acknowledges that since 2009 and the opening of the Acropolis Museum, the case for reunification has strengthened annually.

"Stampolidis also noted that the unprecedented success of the Acropolis Museum in attracting visitors and hosting major exhibitions has cemented its role as a world-class institution capable of housing and showcasing the reunited Parthenon sculptures.

The museum’s visitor numbers have surged from 1.5 million in 2022 to 1.95 million in 2023, demonstrating its growing international appeal and position among Europe’s most iconic museums." Writes Nick Kampouris, for the Greek Reporter on Monday 28 October 2024.

That the argument for reunification extends beyond national boundaries has been emphasised and explored in media outlets throughout the world. Stampolidis stressed that “the reunification is not just a Greek request; it’s a global demand.” There is no doubt also that ethical arguments continue to garner support of Greece’s case against the British Museum's stance.

Stampolidis also pointed out that international law does not support the retention of illegally acquired artefacts regardless of the time that has passed since their removal. While acknowledging the political nature of the issue and its intricate implications on domestic British politics, Stampolidis, rightly remains confident.

“I deeply believe within two to three years there will finally be a successful outcome for returning the Parthenon sculptures to Greece,” he stated. This optimism is partly based on growing international support, including unexpected backing from countries such as Turkey.

Among the Acropolis Museum’s main concerns are the conservation and restoration of the works in its collections, taking preventive steps to ensure appropriate environmental conditions for its exhibits; and their presentation to the public in a fresh, contemporary way. To this end, the Museum encourages research, takes steps to promote scientific knowledge and introduces innovative ways of presenting exhibits.

In order to engage visitors to this exciting procedure, the Acropolis Museum participates in the celebration of the European Days of Conservation-Restoration 2024 with the program ‘From the soil to the Museum’ on 17, 18 and 20 October 2024. This is a journey in the complicated world of the restoration of antiquities brought to light in the excavation that extends beneath the Acropolis Museum building. The Museum’s conservators will share with the public their methods and the practices they followed to preserve the life of the buildings of the ancient neighbourhood, as well as the artefacts that were discovered, from the moment they were unearthed until they were displayed in the Excavation Museum.

The app, called “Chronos” after the mythological king of the Titans and Greek word for “time,” uses augmented reality to place the ancient impression of the site onto the screen, matching the real-world view as visitors to the Acropolis walk around.

AR after a wait, is set to affect a huge range of leisure activities. Memories of using it in June 2016 with Russell Darnely the then international liaison officer of the Australian Committee for the reunification of the Parthenon Marbles founded over four and half decades ago by Emanuel Comino. As we gathered for a commemorative event to mark 200 since the British government bought the sculptures from Lord Elgin, we also visited the British Museum with those that had attended the conference at Senate House. The then Chair of the British Museum Trustees Sir Richard Lambert did not allow those of us with the AR posters into the museum.  

"Despite the certainty of Greek authorities that the Parthenon Marbles (previously called the Elgin Marbles after the diplomat who shipped them to England in 1812) were taken from Athens illegally, London’s British Museum is unimpressed by the claim. While they are willing to consider loaning some of the marbles back to Athens, the museum’s trustees have publicly stated that their primary objective is to keep them accessible to world audiences. It’s a perspective rooted in colonialism, one that suggests that Athens is an inferior global tourist destination to London. But the British Museum is firm in its convictions. Since the marbles can’t be returned to the Parthenon itself—any sculptures there today are replicas while the originals are housed in the Acropolis Museum—they believe that the ideal place for them is the one in which they can best be understood for their universal value to all humanity, not just to the descendants of those who carved them." Writes Shoshi Park in Fodor's Travel.

To read the complete article, follow the link here.