{"text":[[{"start":7.28,"text":"The writer is senior adviser at the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue and author of ‘Lives Between the Lines’"}],[{"start":14.24,"text":"The loan of the almost 1,000-year-old Bayeux Tapestry by France to the British Museum is a good example of creative cultural diplomacy that strengthens ties between friendly states and generates much-needed revenue for museums."}],[{"start":28.76,"text":"It also presents an opportunity — and a template — for the UK to reach a similar agreement with Greece on the Parthenon Marbles. After all, Prime Minister Andy Burnham has long supported their return to promote British soft power: “Send them back, no strings. And let’s use culture to change how Britain is seen around the world,” he said in 2023."}],[{"start":50.32,"text":"The marble sculptures that once adorned the Parthenon in Athens, the icon of ancient Greek civilisation as well as modern Greek national aspiration, have been in Britain for over 200 years and are displayed in the British Museum. The Bayeux loan is a model for the marbles, although the scope and implications could be far greater."}],[{"start":68.56,"text":"Their display in Greece could stimulate a much broader cultural partnership under the umbrella of a “Cosmopolitan Commonwealth”, involving the reciprocal exchange of rarely seen ancient Greek artefacts, the use of modern technology to enhance and restore the glory of ancient Greek culture and civilisation, as well as a range of broader social and economic aspects of a boosted Anglo-Greek partnership. This would also help with the UK’s effort to draw closer to Europe while Greece holds the EU presidency in 2027."}],[{"start":98.22,"text":"There is, however, a legislative obstacle. Until now, successive British governments have argued that the dispute is a matter for the trustees of the British Museum. In turn, the trustees have claimed they are prevented from de-accessioning from their collection by the 1963 British Museum Act. A loan would theoretically be possible under the Act, but Greece has refused to accept one on the basis that it confirms British ownership. Reported conversations between George Osborne, chair of trustees of the British Museum, and Giorgos Gerapetritis, the Greek foreign minister, appear to have stalled. Burnham could change that by promising a parliamentary vote of conscience on a carve-out to the Act at the end of the loan period — which can be three years, renewable once."}],[{"start":139.08,"text":"The envisaged deal would fulfil the Greek aspiration of having the Parthenon Marbles returned without depriving the British Museum of its role as a vital custodian of a cosmopolitan heritage."}],[{"start":150.32,"text":"This approach allows Burnham to honour his public commitment to returning the marbles and reap the geopolitical benefits in terms of relations with Europe; it circumvents anti-repatriation criticism by allowing the marbles to initially leave under the terms of a loan; it provides a window of time in which both countries can build trust; and as a carve-out to the Act rather than a revocation it prevents a future avalanche of de-accession. On the Greek side, the government can sell the temporary loan to the electorate as the best possible opportunity for the eventual permanent return of the marbles."}],[{"start":184.36,"text":"The key to the deal will be making the most of the opportunities presented by the new Anglo-Greek partnership for the duration of the loan. It will establish a “lending library” of ancient Greek civilisational heritage, enabling museums in both countries and beyond to curate exhibitions using new technology that serves to increase the scope of public viewing and enhance understanding of the ancient Mediterranean world across a range of media and formats."}],[{"start":209.6,"text":"Like the French loan, the trigger could be renovation and restoration. The Bayeux Tapestry was on display at a dedicated museum in Normandy until it was closed for renovation last year. Similarly, several galleries at the British Museum will be closed for renovation in the coming year or two, assuming funding can be raised. At the same time, many spectacular artefacts on display at the National Archaeological Museum in Athens, including the gold Mycenaean mask of Agamemnon, will be rehoused as that museum closes for renovation."}],[{"start":240.12,"text":"The coincidence of renovation in Athens and London creates an opportunity for a range of reciprocal loans that would generate spectator interest and revenue for museums in both countries."}],[{"start":250.76,"text":"This formula of a “Cosmopolitan Commonwealth” shifts the focus of the debate away from legal arguments towards the restoration and enhanced cultural importance of the artefacts — and ultimately facilitates an expansion of the circle of countries sharing cultural treasures."}],[{"start":268.12,"text":""}]],"url":"https://audio.ftcn.net.cn/album/a_1786274670_4881.mp3"}