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The Wire
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Wire
From Colonial Loot to Cultural Genocide at the British Museum
Menu हिंदी తెలుగు اردو Home Politics Economy World Security Law Science Society Culture Editor's Pick Opinion Support independent journalism. Donate Now Top Stories From Colonial Loot to Cultural Genocide at the British Museum Rachel Spence 8 minutes ago The British museum secretly hosted a birthday party for the Israeli embassy earlier this month. Israeli embassy event at the British Museum. Photo: X/@MooniTB Real journalism holds power accountable Since 2015, The Wire has done just that. But we can continue only with your support. Contribute now Last week, London's British Museum inaugurated 'Ancient India', a new show exploring the origins of Hindu, Buddhist and Jain sacred art. It should have been a moment to celebrate this rich confluence of artistic expression. Instead, there were calls to boycott. One guest, British-Indian actor and author Jassa Ahluwalia, published his refusal on Instagram. Behind his withdrawal, he wrote, lay the museum's 'repugnant' decision to host a birthday party for the Israeli embassy some days earlier. Held in secret – despite the museum's claim to run itself in an 'open and honest way' – the event was leaked by an insider to the activist organisation Energy Embargo for Palestine. The group was already focused on the museum for taking funds from BP, the fossil-fuel giant preparing to explore for gas in offshore Israel. The party celebrated the 77th anniversary of Israel's founding in 1948 – an event coinciding with the Nakba, in which Israeli forces expelled 7,50,000 Palestinians from their homes and land. The evening was hosted by Israeli ambassador Tzipi Hotovely, who has called the Nakba 'a very strong and very popular Arab lie'. The museum's interior walls were lit in the blue and white colours of the Israeli flag, while Zionist guests made gleeful posts on X. Attendees included Maria Eagle, UK Defence Procurement minister who made a speech lauding Royal Air Force 'surveillance flights' over Gaza 'in support of hostage rescue efforts'. The British Museum is arguably the UK's premier cultural institution, home to around 8 million objects including Egypt's Rosetta Stone and India's Amaravati Marbles. It drew 6.5 million visitors last year alone. In an interview last year, its director, Nicholas Cullinan, condemned 'divisive discussions around nationalism' and claimed the museum had 'a role to play in giving people another way of thinking about the interconnected world, to be curious about each other.' How then could he have permitted his institution to welcome a country so steeped in ongoing violence against civilians? The museum defended itself by saying that the party was held on a 'commercial basis', unlike events that the museum 'actively hosts'. Yet given our collective awareness of the world's first live-streamed genocide, the British Museum's decision to sell itself to the country responsible for that horror is shocking. However it is far from the only western museum complicit in Israel's aggression. Last month, FreeMuse released their annual report monitoring international cultural censorship. As usual, they spotlighted a handful of countries with particularly oppressive records. Less usually, this year two western democracies were on the list. The USA and Germany found themselves alongside long-time offenders such as Cuba, Afghanistan, Russia and Iran, due to multiple museums' policies of cancelling and censoring pro-Palestinian art. As I write this piece, reports come in that the Whitney Museum in New York has cancelled a performance about Palestinian mourning after concerns about certain phrases used by one of the artists in a previous presentation. When cultural institutions cannot find the imagination to negotiate differences of language and viewpoint without resorting to cancellation it begs questions about their authenticity. Powerful art blossoms out of the darkest dilemmas. It is rarely elegant, polished, without rough edges. When the world beyond the museum is wracked with violence and injustice, it is inevitable that much artistic expression will reflect that raw, cruel turbulence. Our cultural spaces should be the places where our eyes are most open. Yet around Palestine, institutional western culture has suffered a willful blocking of vision. The result is a quenching of culture's ethical spotlight; a silencing of art's moral song. If they continue to erase the Palestinian experience, western museums will not only lose their reputation as flag-bearers of free expression, but also betray that their vaunted efforts to decolonise their collections and staff hierarchies were merely window dressing. Today, a growing number of culture-makers from the Global Majority doubt the intentions of western institutions. 'The sad realisation that our inclusion had probably been a form of tokenism and that the wider fraternity I genuinely believed in probably existed only in my mind leaves a bitter taste,' said Shahidul Alam, a photographer from Bangladesh, who in late 2023 found a German biennial he was curating suddenly cancelled, after he showed support for the Palestinian cause. Asked to comment on Israel's event at the British Museum, Alam replied, 'The museum's website states its aim is to provide a safe, welcoming environment for all children and adults at risk. By hosting a birthday party for Israel, the museum supported the selective erasure of humanity. Its prioritisation of profit over principle reveals its mercenary nature.' Palestinians are the victim of Israeli settler colonialism. That brutal system is dependent on the military support of countries such as the US and the UK, whose own wealth was built by stealing land, enslaving people of colour and exploiting labour. For the British Museum, colonialism is a particularly raw nerve. Much of its collection was acquired thanks to Britain's imperial conquests. Today the museum is assailed by repatriation demands, most famously by the Greek government for its Parthenon Marbles. Thousands of Egyptians have called for the return of their Rosetta Stone, which arrived in London with the tag 'Captured in Egypt by the British Army'. From colonial-era India, the museum acquired the Amaravati Marbles, 121 sculptures taken from an ancient Buddhist stupa in Guntur, Andhra Pradesh, by British civil servant Sir Walter Elliot in 1860. Calling for their return in 2016, writer Ruchika Sharma castigated Elliot for his reckless excavations, accusing him of the 'greatest robbery of all time'. The museum says that an Act of Parliament prevents it from returning items. However, British Museum director Nicolas Cullinan has said he has no intention of lobbying to change the act. That attitude is in keeping with the heartlessness that welcomed Israel as Palestinian children starve. What is the point of conserving objects so impeccably if you collude with those who damage nature and community outside the museum walls? If the British Museum cannot find sympathy for Palestine, it might spare a thought for their heritage. Ottoman historian Dr Yakoob Ahme d has spoken of a 'cultural genocide' as dozens of historic sites, including the Great Omari Mosque, which dates back to the early seventh century, were flattened. Echoing the looting of their British colonial forebears, Israeli troops have been accused of thieving more than 3,000 objects from Gaza's Al-Isra University, then wrecking the site to hide their crime. The economic anthropologist Jason Hickel recently declared that 'Palestine is the rock on which the West will break itself.' How devastating if the region's great museums, who claim to foster cultural dialogue and harmony, help to fulfil his prophecy. Rachel Spence is a poet and arts writer. Her latest book is Venice Unclocked (2022, Ivory Press). Her work has appeared in the Financial Times, Hyperallergic and The Art Newspaper. 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Scottish Sun
20-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Scottish Sun
Free and cheap activities for the kids during May half term – from Legoland to splashpads
All recommendations within this article are informed by expert editorial opinion. If you click on a link in this story we may earn affiliate revenue. From fun workshops at world-class museums to nature roadshows and London's biggest kids' festival, there is stacks to do for free NO END OF FUN Free and cheap activities for the kids during May half term – from Legoland to splashpads Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) WHEN May half term comes around, parents across the UK can breathe a sigh of relief knowing there is plenty they can do to keep their children occupied for free. That's because, as the weather warms up, we can make the most of cheap, or free, days out while the kids are off school. 6 You don't need to splash out so the kids can have fun at half-term Credit: Getty It's a good job too, as I often find that this half term costs almost as much as the summer holidays if you want to go away - which is why me and my family like to hunker down at home and enjoy budget-friendly day trips that won't break the bank. Here's how you can do the same. Museum specials According to the Museums Association, there are almost 1,800 museums in the UK are free to enter. Many of these are holding additional special free activities for kids during half term. For instance, in London, the British Museum is hosting a series of free family activities inspired by their new Ancient India exhibition and the National Maritime Museum has free storytelling and workshops on the wonders of the ocean. In Manchester, the Manchester Museum has free dance workshops and storytelling as part of a collaboration with Afrocats. In Edinburgh, the National Museums Scotland is hosting a day of free performances and activities to kick off the Edinburgh International Children's Festival. To find out more about what's happening in a museum near you, head to the Which Museum website. Get hands on with art galleries Many of the country's top art galleries hold child-friendly sessions and workshops during the school holidays, and May half term is no exception. The National Gallery is holding special sessions in the Roden Centre for Creative Learning, showing children how to decode pictures. Parents are scrambling to The Range to nab new kids' toys - there's inflatables, swimming pools and up to 40% off The Tate Modern has a free programme of art and activities for kids as part of its Uniqlo Tate Play sessions. In Liverpool, The Walker Art Gallery is hosting a Big Art special: Art Sparks session, where kids can make their own masterpiece to take home. Head to the big parks Many of the country's top parks are hosting free activities and festivals over half term. In the capital, Brockwell Park is hosting Brockwell Bounce which claims to be London's biggest kids' festival. Free to enter, it has live music, creative workshops, skateboard lessons, theatre and much more. For something a little quieter, St James's Park and Kensington Gardens are hosting nature roadshows, and Greenwich Park is holding a welcome day with London play - inspiring kids through nature-based play. In Manchester, Heaton Park is holding its #sevendaysofstufftodo throughout the entire half term, with craft-making, family-friendly films and traditional games. Splashpads and paddling pools Getting out and about in the fresh air is so much easier if the weather is warm. Pack a picnic and head for your nearest park so the little ones can let off steam. 6 Councils are opening up their paddling pools and splashpads in May - and most are free to access In May lots of councils will be opening up their splashpads and paddling pools for the summer season, so check those out if you feel like you've done all your other local outside spaces to death over the winter. Most are free to access and there's often other facilities like playgrounds nearby, so you can make a day of it. We also love a lido, but you usually have to pay. If you have monthly membership at your local leisure centre or your kids take swimming lessons there, it can sometimes cover taking a dip in the outdoor pool, so it's worth checking. Don't forget the suncream and hats! Start of season offers Lots of visitor attractions want to start the summer in style, so you'll often find some good deals if you keep your eyes peeled. The more visitors they can get through the doors in May, the more their site will appear on social media, so it's worth their while to keep costs low at the start of the season while they build up a buzz. 6 I found an incredible deal on social media for Legoland Discovery Centre in Birmingham over May half term And some seasonal sites are still getting fully up and running after the winter so aren't charging full price yet. One year, we spotted an incredible deal on social media for Legoland Discovery Centre in Birmingham over May half term, which dropped prices to less than £10 per person, compared to more than £20 per person at peak times normally. We had a fantastic day out for less than £50 at a place that would normally be out of budget. Annual passes about to expire May half-term can be a great time to make one last visit to any attractions covered by a pay once, visit all year scheme, particularly if you're planning to go away at the start of the summer holidays. There's nothing more annoying than getting out annual passes and finding they are a few days out of date when you want to use them again. 6 We visited National Space Centre in Leicester at the very start of August and entry tickets are converted into an annual pass if you prebook online - so get in a return trip Credit: Catherine Lofthouse Last summer, we visited the National Space Centre in Leicester at the very start of August and entry tickets are converted into an annual pass if you prebook online. So I need to make sure to use our tickets again in May half term or the start of the summer holidays if I don't want to miss out on a return visit. Launch parties Lots of places will be launching new or refurbished attractions in time for May half term, so it's worth taking a look at whether there's any launch parties you can latch onto or new locations near you that you haven't visited before. The National Trust has just announced that Coventry Charterhouse, which has a children's playground and heritage parkland, will reopen in time for the half term holiday. This former monastic house in the Midlands city had been operating independently but will now be part of the National Trust, so members can get in free and there will be a programme of children's activities provided. Bouncy castles in beer gardens If the sun is out, there's nowhere better to enjoy the great British summer than a beer garden, particularly if it's got bouncy castles, sandpits or games to keep the kids happy. While you might be expected to buy a round of drinks, you can choose how much to spend and the bouncy castle itself is usually free, so the kids can have fun for as long as they like. 6 If the sun is out, there's nowhere better to enjoy the great British summer than a beer garden Credit: Catherine Lofthouse 6 It's even better if your local has a bouncy castle and ballpit for the little ones Credit: Catherine Lofthouse Our local has even gone one step further and opened a small soft play and ballpit for younger children in its outdoor space. You can treat yourself to some pub grub and a drink instead of splashing out on entry fees and parking costs. Even better, if it's within walking distance of home, you haven't got any travel costs either! Having a great half-term doesn't have to cost much at all. It's all about thinking outside the box and making the most of what's on your doorstep. And supporting local sites is a great way to keep them open to all, so it's a win win.
Times
19-05-2025
- Times
Ancient India: Living Traditions review — gods and rituals come to life
Considering the sheer size of the country, you might expect an exhibition entitled Ancient India: Living Traditions to be a sprawling mess. However, it's surprisingly compact, perhaps because if they were to go big, we'd have to go home well before we got to the end. The British Museum's atmospheric show — separated into four sections by curtains of sheer, shimmering silk and accompanied by a soundtrack of temple bells and birdsong — looks at the devotional art of the region's main religious traditions active between about 200BC to AD600, when sacred images shifted from the purely symbolic to take broadly human forms. Starting with the worship of nature spirits, it leads into Jainism, then Buddhism, both of which appeared in northern India about 2,500
