Podcasts
Art and Heritage Law: Contested Heritage
Art, heritage and the odd bit of law. Every Wednesday, Richard Harwood KC, barrister of 39 Essex Chambers and co-host Clarissa Levi, Art & Heritage Counsel of Wedlake Bell LLP discuss challenges and successes in the heritage and art world with guests from across the sector. For professionals, owners and the general listener, Richard and Clarissa ask: what is going on? what can be done? what are the stories behind the buildings, treasures and the cases?
Episodes
Latest
Art and Listed Buildings
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What has art to do with listed buildings? When can a painting or sculpture be a listed building or part of a listed building? How can listed building consent be obtained?Richard Harwood KC of 39 Essex Chambers discuss with co-host Clarissa Levi of We...
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Paying Tax with Art
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What is Acceptance in Lieu of tax, and how does the AiL Scheme operate? Richard Harwood and Clarissa Levi are joined by AiL Panel Chair Michael Clarke, and Arts Council England Director of Cultural Property Sarah Posey. We discuss the benefits and hu...
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World Heritage Sites
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Are there really 1248 sites with outstanding universal value? How does the World Heritage Convention work in practice? Richard Harwood and Clarissa Levi talk to Alexandra Warr, Head of International Strategy at Historic England about world heritage s...
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Funding our Heritage
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What do we value from our past, and how do we fund it? We discuss the impact of lottery funding on the UK’s heritage landscape, the additionality principle, and if we should celebrate a John Major Day. Insights from the heart of the heritage world wi...
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Export of Works of Art
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Pippa Shirley joins Richard Harwood and Clarissa Levi to discuss the UK’s export controls for cultural objects. How does the Reviewing Committee for the Export of Works of Art operate? Who was Viscount Waverley, and are the 1952 Waverley Criteria sti...
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The Heritage Industry - Heaven or Hell?
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How heritage consultants help, retro-fitting and the three characteristics of Gothic architecture. Richard Harwood KC and Clarissa Levi chat to Dr Emma Wells, Director of Heritage at Heritage Potential about big issues in heritage advice and competit...
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Tax in Historic Houses
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How does tax policy shape our heritage?39 Essex Chambers barristers Richard Harwood KC and Clarissa Levi of Wedlake Bell are joined by Sarah Roller of Historic Houses to discuss the economic benefit of country houses, how they operate as businesses a...
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Heritage Foundations
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Richard Harwood KC and Clarissa Levi talk to Lucy Brown, Chief Executive of the Hugo Burge Foundation, about setting up an arts foundation. We explore how the founder’s vision became a reality, and the gifts of bringing artists and makers together.
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The Huguenot Museum
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What brought a wealth of French artists and craftsmen to London in the 16th and 17th centuries? Tessa Murdoch, Chair of Trustees of the Huguenot Museum, joins Richard Harwood KC and Clarissa Levi to discuss refugees, The French Hospital, the importan...
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Heritage Uncovered
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To live in historic homes we must keep them modernised. This needn’t mean a loss - updating a home for modern living can reveal and celebrate its heritage. Also… we need bathrooms! Clarissa Levi and Richard Harwood talk to Henry Berkeley of Spetchley...
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Curating Portraits
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What does a Chief Curator do, and what goes on behind the scenes at an art gallery?Richard Harwood KC and Clarissa Levi are joined by Imogen Gibbon of National Galleries of Scotland to discuss making art work for everyone, whether it's on display or ...
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What do historic buildings and art mean to the historian?
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We often talk of the historic interest in buildings, but what does that mean to the historian? How does art help understand our past? Richard Harwood KC and Clarissa Levi from BHL Art Group talk to Dr Elizabeth Norton, a historian specialising in the...
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The Art of Mediation
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It’s good to talk. Richard Harwood KC and Clarissa Levi chat with barrister and mediator Kelly Stricklin-Coutinho of 39 Essex Chambers about how mediation works, and its role in commercial and institutional art disputes. From private disputes to the ...
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The Economics of Heritage
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How is the viability of a heritage project considered? When do the numbers stack up?Richard Harwood KC of 39 Essex Chambers and Clarissa Levi of BHL Art Group talk to David Tomback OBE FRICS, the Development Economics Director of Historic England abo...
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The Real Tennis Episode
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Gripped by the nation's annual tennis fever, Richard Harwood KC and Clarissa Levi turn to heritage tennis with Robert Dolman. Robert explains Real Tennis from the recreation of monks to the sport of Kings, and describes the important cultural and bui...
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Barts Heritage
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The restoration of the Great Hall and Hogarth Staircase at St Bartholomew’s Hospital in the City of London is one of the most exciting conservation projects presently underway. Richard Harwood KC and Clarissa Levi talk to Will Palin, Chief Executive ...
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The Value of Art
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How do we value a work of art? What makes one object sell for millions when a similar object doesn't sell at all? And is that really what those objects are worth? Richard Harwood KC and Clarissa Levi chat with art expert Frances Christie about the al...
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Art and Land
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When is an artwork part of a building or land? Or can you just take the statue with you when you sell up? Dr David Sawtell, barrister at 39 Essex Chambers, talks to colleague Richard Harwood KC and Clarissa Levi at Wedlake Bell about Henry Moore scul...
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By the Seaside
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Funfairs, rollercoasters and ’99 ice creams. Richard Harwood KC and Clarissa Levi talk to leading planning consultant Nick Laister of Laister Planning, about the ups and downs of seaside amusement parks, including the rescue of Margate’s Dreamland. T...
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Mixing Art and Law
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How do lawyers relax? Richard Harwood KC and Clarissa Levi chat to Stephen Tromans KC, one of the country’s leading environmental lawyers, about his painting and his works recently exhibited at 39 Essex Chambers.The catalogues for two of the collecti...
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Landmark Trust at 60
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Dr Anna Keay, Director of The Landmark Trust, joins Richard Harwood KC and Clarissa Levi to discuss the origins of Landmark, how its buildings are saved, what they mean to us to us, and to describe two exciting current projects to rescue and restore ...
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Caring for Cultural Heritage
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In her book 'Caring for Cultural Heritage', Dr Charlotte Woodhead explores the legal and ethical initiatives in the UK for caring for cultural heritage. Richard and Clarissa discuss ethics of care and the appropriate care for our heritage with Charlo...
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SAVE Britain's Heritage at 50
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The historic buildings charity SAVE Britain’s Heritage is 50 years old in 2025. Richard and Clarissa talk to Henrietta Billings, the Director of SAVE, talks about its work and how to save and revitalise heritage buildings. From fishing docks to count...
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Artificial Intelligence and Art
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How does Artificial Intelligence affect art and cultural institutions? Richard and Clarissa talk to Emily Gould, Assistant Director of the Institute of Art and Law, to discuss the use of creative works for training generative AI; who owns rights to A...
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Gasholders
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What are gasholders and how do we mark engineering heritage when technology moves on? Professor Russell Thomas, Technical Director of WSP, and Timur Tatlioglu, Partner and Head of Montagu Evans’ Historic Environment and Townscape Team, discuss the pa...
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Curating Our Heritage
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The Acceptance in Lieu scheme allows Inheritance Tax to be paid with art. Richard and Clarissa talk to Professor Frances Fowle of the University of Edinburgh and Scottish National Galleries. They discuss an important collection of paintings, heritage...
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Art and Cultural Heritage in Ireland and Beyond
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How does Ireland deal with treasure? What does a Stratocaster guitar tell us about tax? What does the Irish experience teach us about the legacies of Empire?Richard Harwood KC and Clarissa Levi chat to Martin Bradley is a barrister in Ireland and qua...
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Pilgrimage Routes
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What was it to be a pilgrim? How has pilgrimage continued over the centuries and how authentic are our modern pilgrim ways? Richard Harwood KC and Clarissa Levi chat to Dr Emma Wells. Emma is a heritage consultant in the private sector. Her book 'Pil...
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Working in the Art World
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What is it like to work in the art world? Richard Harwood KC and Clarissa Levi talk to Alice Minter of the Victoria & Albert Museum about moving from working in an auction house to becoming a museum curator. Alice shares her passion for her work,...
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The Fate of Looted Art
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What became of the art once owned by Jewish collectors in Nazi Europe? Restitution expert Richard Aronowitz explains his work in provenance research in the commercial art world, finding “just and fair solutions” for looted art.
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Antiquities and Treasure
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What do we mean by antiquities, and what is Treasure? Richard Harwood KC and Clarissa Levi are joined by expert Judith Nugée who explains why antiquities so capture the imagination, the importance of provenance, the fascinating world of detectorism a...
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Syrian Cultural Heritage
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The work of restoring Syria’s cultural heritage after years of wartime looting goes beyond the antiquities trade. Richard Harwood KC and Clarissa Levi talk to intelligence expert Anwar Darkazally of Field Intelligence about how thefts and looting can...
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Keeping the Castle
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What are the joys and challenges of life in a castle? Richard Harwood KC and Clarissa Levi speak with Charles Berkeley of Berkeley Castle about combining a family home and business, and looking to the future after nine centuries of castle life.
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The Parthenon Marbles Dispute
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What are the Parthenon Marbles? Were they lawfully removed from the Acropolis in Athens by Lord Elgin’s agents in the early Nineteenth Century? What ethical issues arise by their retention at the British Museum? How might the dispute be resolved?Rich...
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The Business of Exhibitions – Taylor Swift Songbook Trail and the V&A Museum
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Museum exhibitions are creatures of business…” Richard and Clarissa talk to Anthony Misquitta of the V&A and Keystone Law. They discuss what makes an exhibition a success, and the commercial importance of exhibitions to the museum world. Featurin...
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The British Country House Revival
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Most of Britain’s heritage is cared for by private owners. Richard and Clarissa talk to Ben Cowell OBE, the Director General of Historic Houses. They discuss the threats to country houses and their safeguarding over the last 50 years, fueled by entre...
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Art and Heritage Law: Contested Heritage - Trailer
Authors:
Richard Harwood KC, barrister at 39 Essex Chambers and co-host Clarissa Levi, Art & Heritage Counsel at Wedlake Bell LLP introduce their new series, Art and Heritage Law: Contested Heritage, looking at the challenges and successes in the art and ...
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