Why we take part
Heritage Open Days is simple and impactful. It reaches audiences we don’t typically, and are branching out into, so this was a really great trial year for us to test out these new waters.
What we do for HODs
In previous years we have highlighted and promoted what our fantastic members are doing themselves and through their organisations. This has included promoting opportunities, working with the Heritage Open Days team to connect conservators with sites for pop up events, and collaborating on event highlight media posts.
Dale Sardeson was one of the first conservators we matched with a site for a pop up event over the festival - giving visitors a rare chance to see the inner workings of a clock at Arundel Museum.
This year we took a big step up in our involvement as part of plans for a new programme of events to grow public understanding of the importance, value and skill in conservation and heritage more widely. Whilst continuing to support members we also developed our own, brand new, online workshop. Linking to the festival theme it aimed to explore how people can look after their everyday histories through the items they have inherited or have otherwise come into their care. We wanted to make it as exciting and helpful as possible, so we blended facilitated discussion and story sharing alongside the practical support of offering a framework to help people decide what to keep and how best to look after those items.
From conservators in museums to conservation in your own home - this year's webinar brought expert guidance to our own everyday histories.
The expertise was fantastic and there is just so much I learned, and now having a copy of the resources I will continue to learn because I’ll be going back over them.
The difference it makes
Our offices are directly next to The London Archives and we reached out to them about partnering on this project. We ended up working closely with Madeleine Marshall MA ACR, a Paper Conservator (and member of Icon) who shared her knowledge and expertise on how best participants could look after items that they had at home.
I’ve been wanting to facilitate a workshop for a long time, so I’m grateful that this partnership enabled me to fulfil that career aim.
It really highlighted the power of partnership working and is something we’ll be taking forward into future event planning.
Overcoming challenges
We were late to the planning, and were hoping to run an in-person event but swiftly realised that we had not allowed enough time to thoroughly prepare for this – so instead we pivoted to an online workshop which enabled us to deliver the same content with fewer practicalities. Next year we’re aiming to develop an in-person event, and will allow far more prep time!
Dodie's Top Tip
Do it - and check those deadlines way ahead of time!
Inspired?! Find out more…
- Icon - Discover all the Institute of Conservation has to offer
- Introducing... Icon: the expert care & repair shop - Read about the work of conservators on this earlier introductory blog
- Conservation Stations: Conserving the Arundel Museum clocks - Read Icon's interview with Dale Sardeson on his pop up event for the festival in 2022
- More case studies - Meet other local organisers
- Get involved - Taking part in Heritage Open Days