International

Romania has been added to the list of EU countries that UK performers can tour in sans visa.

As has become customary, DCMS concealed the actual size of the achievement, updating an August announcement to say visa-free touring is possible in 20 EU countries.

In fact, arrangements were already in place with 19 of those countries two months ago. Talks with Spain, Croatia, Greece, Portugal, Bulgaria, Malta and Cyprus are ongoing - and in some cases have been since the UK left the EU.

The Incorporated Society of Musicians (ISM) said Tuesday's announcement gave "a misleading impression about the extent to which work in these countries will now be possible".

It called on Government to clarify what kinds of work are allowed for how long in each of the 20 countries.

DCMS says: "Discussions with these countries are ongoing, and we are also working with the sector to amplify each other’s lobbying efforts."

Britain should return the Parthenon Marbles to Greece, UNESCO has decided.

According to Greek Culture Minister Lina Mendoni, the body's Intergovernmental Committee for Promoting the Return of Cultural Property has recommended the UK begin talks with Greece over the long-debated issue.

UNESCO reportedly believes the UK must recognise "the issue is of an intergovernmental nature – in contrast to claims from the British side that it is a matter for the British Museum – and mainly that Greece has a valid and legal claim to demand the return of the sculptures to their place of birth", Mendoni said.

The British Museum has so far declined to return the artefacts, sometimes known as the Elgin Marbles after Lord Elgin, who stole them in the early 19th Century.

An immersive art installation opening this weekend will mark the UN's Convention on Climate Change (COP26) in Glasgow.

Polar Zero, a collaboration between the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC), British Antarctic Survey, engineering consultants Arup and the Royal College of Art, includes a glass sculpture encasing Antarctic Air from 1765 and an Antarctic ice core drilled out of a glacier.

The centrepieces are significant because they provide scientific evidence of the earth's temperature before the industrial revolution - a turning point in global warming - and the state of the atmosphere now.

AHRC Executive Chair Professor Christopher Smith said Polar Zero "epitomises the power of the arts and arts s research to tackle pressing contemporary issues such as climate change".

“It translates crucial but complex scientific research in a way that will resonate deeply and emotionally with diverse audiences to inspire lasting change."

Polar Zero opens at Glasgow Science Centre on October 2.

A mock trial into the UK's role in Afghanistan has "concerned" the Culture Secretary and sparked an urgent investigation.

DCMS told The Jewish Chronicle that officals have been asked to "look into" the play at Camden People's Theatre.

People’s Tribunal on Crimes of Aggression: Afghanistan Sessions features Asim Qureshi and Moazzam Begg, directors of Muslim advocacy group Cage.

The men's previous public comments on 9/11 have caused some controversy and Secretary Dowden, upon becoming aware of the production, asked for an investigation.

Cross party MPs have condemned the yet-to-be-staged play as offensive.

Patients diagnosed with Covid-related stress in Brussels are being prescribed free visits to museums and galleries.

Doctors at Brugmman Hospital are offering visits to five publicly owned sites across the Belgian capital, including its centre for contemporary art, a fashion museum and a museum of the city's sewage system.

“It has been shown that art can be beneficial for health, both mental and physical,” Brussels' City Councillor for Tourism Delphine Houba said.

The idea forms part of a three-month pilot scheme designed to bolster mental health during the pandemic.

Inspiration has come from a similar programme in Quebec, Canada, where doctors prescribe up to 50 museum visits a year per patient.

The Afhganistan National Institue of Music is believed to have closed.

Established in 2010, the school is home to Zohra, the country's sole female orchestra. It performed at the British Museum in 2019.

Little has been heard from the institute since the Taliban's takeover. Its Founder, Dr Ahmad Sarmast, said the militant group has been searching for the keys.

Sarmast expressed hope the building would be able to reopen:

"Music is fading away from the air of Afghanistan so we need to keep an eye on what is happening and then act unitedly with the rest of the world," he told the BBC.

The UK cultural and outreach agency has suspended all operations in Afghanistan in light of the Taliban takeover.

The British Council's press office would not confirm whether this includes any arts programmes "for safety and security reasons".

The British Council website says it has worked in English, education and art in Afghanistan, and it has a headquarters in the British Embassy building in Kabul.

"We remain deeply concerned not only for our colleagues and those we have worked with over the last twenty years, but for all the people of Afghanistan," the council says.

"We are working very closely with the UK government to do everything we possibly can to ensure that all relocation applications of current and former British Council employees and contractors receive the fullest consideration possible.”