The British Museum Ball in central London on Saturday night drew a star-studded guest list, with Maya Jama, Sir Mick Jagger and Gwendoline Christie among the celebrities in attendance. The event, which raises money for the London landmark, also saw multiple protests on Saturday evening, including from a pro-Palestine group opposing the museum’s sponsorship by BP.
Red-themed fashion on the carpet
Jama, who is currently in Celebrity Traitors, wore a strapless burgundy gown featuring layered ruffles and a sequined choker. The theme of the ball this year was red, with the attraction saying the colour was a “unifying thread woven through all three of the museum’s upcoming displays”.
Plenty of famous faces adhered to the theme, including model Adot Gak, and Game Of Thrones star Gwendoline Christie, who was photographed on the carpet wearing a burgundy dress and clutching a red rose. Host Rosanna Konarzewski was photographed outside the museum’s steps wearing a dress inspired by the 11th-century embroidered cloth.
The 70-metre (229ft) tapestry, which is made of linen with embroidered images of the Norman Conquest, arrived at the British Museum in July. Benedict Cumberbatch and Rolling Stones singer Sir Mick Jagger were also among the attendees at the museum’s second annual bash, while London Mayor Lord Sadiq Khan was there with his wife, Saadiya Ahmad.
Protests over BP sponsorship and Parthenon Marbles
During the evening, protesters projected “Drop BP” and “Blood Ball” on the building. Earlier this week, campaign group Energy Embargo for Palestine asked supporters to stage a demonstration at the ball opposing the museum’s celebration of the US and its sponsorship by BP.
Demonstrator Georgie Robertson, who said she was a guest at the event, wore a dress with the words “Return the Marbles” on it in protest over the ownership of the Parthenon Marbles. She said in a statement that the marbles “must be reunited with the sculptures displayed at the Acropolis Museum in Athens”.
She added: “Our national museum should reflect modern values, not perpetuate the legacy of colonial violence and looting. Return the marbles to their rightful home.”
The statues came from friezes on the 2,500-year-old Parthenon temple and have been displayed at the museum for more than 200 years since they were removed by Lord Elgin when he was British ambassador to the Ottoman Empire in the early 19th century.
Other attendees and museum plans
Actresses Cush Jumbo and Lesley Manville, social activist Bianca Jagger and former chancellor George Osborne were also in attendance. They were joined by former British Vogue editor Edward Enninful, model Erin O’Connor and architect Kulapat Yantrasast.
The ball is said to have been inspired by its autumn exhibitions including the loan of the Bayeux Tapestry from France. Other exhibitions at the museum this autumn include a display marking the 250th anniversary of the United States and a landmark exhibition exploring 2,000 years of Korean creativity.
Last year’s ball raised more than £2.5 million for the museum’s international partnerships. According to the museum, proceeds this year will go towards its “masterplan” project, which includes overhauling its “outdated energy infrastructure” by phasing out fossil fuels and shifting to low-carbon energy.
