The former interim director of the British Museum has called for the Parthenon statues to be shared with Greece, saying foreign visitors must pay to enter London exhibitions.
THE Sir Mark Jones he took over as interim director in August 2023 after the uproar caused by the thefts that came to light. Jones told the Sunday Times that “some of the buildings are in a bad state” and the galleries sometimes leak during heavy rain.
He also said: “The way we will benefit from different claims on different objects is not to create differences of opinion, but to create partnerships around them, instead of creating conflicts around them.”
»» This is expensive. Currently this project is funded entirely by private philanthropy, but in the long term it would make more sense to use some of the funding from overseas visitor fees to create a better funded global partnership system.
»» If we find a way to form a partnership with the Greeks for the Parthenon Marbles, we will have to find a way to finance it..
Sir Mark Jones, former head of the museum Victoria and AlbertHe stated that the British contributed in the form of taxes and did not have to pay to visit the British Museum.
However, he said, “the money has to be found somewhere,” adding: “Either a large part of the funding has to come from taxation, because it’s a very strained public finances, or we have to charge (tourists) sensibly.” .
»» Why is it fairer that all the money comes from the British taxpayer, when in fact the benefit is shared equally by overseas visitors?
Mark Jones took over Hartwick Fisherresigned as director in August after it was discovered that 1,500 items from the museum’s collection were missing or stolen.
In March Mr Nicholas CalivanSince 2015, he has been announced as the director of the National Gallery and the new director of the museum.