The potential for conservation as a social activity is emerging in the process of defining cultural heritage, says Diane Gwilt, Chair, Board of Trustees, Icon, the Institute of Conservation.
Using conservation advocacy to define cultural heritage
Conservation and the active care of cultural heritage are important ways in which people and communities cherish, communicate and explore their cultures. The recent Demos report ‘It’s a Material World: Caring for the public realm’ 1 identified the direct contribution that the conservation of cultural heritage makes to wellbeing, social cohesion, diversity, and citizenship.
Seven out of ten of our top tourist attractions in the UK are from the cultural heritage sector; tourism is the fifth largest industry in the UK. Without conservation we could not sustain many of the attractions for which people come to the UK, and ultimately the economic benefits that follow 2.
The vision of Icon, the country’s leading independent charity and professional body for heritage conservation, is to help people preserve the things they care about. Our mission is to improve the public understanding of the social and economic value of caring for the cultural heritage by championing high standards of conservation in the UK. We have set ourselves a timely challenge. The lack of government policy in this area is reflected in the low public profile of conservation. Two higher education centres of excellence in conservation teaching and research are closing this year, while others are at risk. The potential loss to the heritage sector is immeasurable. In the words of Michael Day, Chief Executive, Historic Royal Palaces: “Today, conservation is at a crossroads.” 3 Everyone who cares about the future of our cultural heritage is called upon to act.
A core element of Icon’s strategy to strengthen the sector is to develop and implement a national conservation education and skills strategy. This will build on the pioneering opportunities that we have already created with statutory and private partners for skills training and employment of young people without qualification, as well as training for those at more senior levels in their careers. We need to ensure that there is a ladder of learning including excellent postgraduate courses if we are to maintain the practical and research skills needed to preserve our cultural heritage for future generations. To achieve this will require co-ordinated policy at government level and across the cultural, business and education sectors.
All of this is good news for the museums and heritage sector. Support for conservation at policy level will bring greater public awareness with consequent benefits – increased resources – to organisations whose missions are to make accessible our material culture. Conservators, through their close relationship with objects, can unlock hidden stories that enable a richer, deeper experience of material culture. Through collaboration with other museum and heritage professionals, conservation expands the possibilities for learning and participation in museums. The Newport Mediaeval Ship Project, South Wales, provides a hands-on approach to learning. Volunteers, children and students are encouraged to help manually clean the ship timbers, take environmental readings and tank samples. “One of the project’s great strengths is the work we undertake with hard-to-reach or disengaged audiences. Our work is an example of using conservation to have a positive effect on wider social inclusion issues.” 4
Some of the volunteers that have worked on this project have since been successful at securing employment within the council’s heritage service. At this time of recession, there is an increased demand for re-skilling, as people who are out of work seek to improve their prospects and fill their time productively. Since 2002, over 500 volunteers at the Museum of London’s archaeological archive have taken part in a number of volunteer programmes in collection care and outreach.
The economic importance of both private and public sector conservation to sustaining Britain’s cultural tourism and creative industries by making our heritage assets accessible is not always obvious. Conservators need to see themselves as the enablers of access not just as those who care for collections. At our session at the Museums Association Conference in October, delegates will be able to explore the value of collaborating with conservators on public programming and of developing this growing avenue for public communication, which benefits everyone.
References
1. Jones, S. and Holden, J. It’s A Material World: Caring for the public realm. Demos, 2008.
2. Jones, S. and Holden, J. p.57
3. Jones, S. and Holden, J. Foreword p9
4. Personal communication. Sophie Adamson & Neil Stevenson, Learning and Access Officer, June 2009
About the author
Trained as a conservator, Diane Gwilt has worked in the heritage sector as a conservator, museum manager, strategic planner, lecturer and project manager. Her current position is Head of Collection Care & Access Projects, Amgueddfa Cymru – National Museum Wales.
