A conference for archive conservators
The ARA Conference is unique in bringing together the many different disciplines of the record-keeping profession. Our conference reflects that and over the three days one of our four tracks of programming is dedicated to archive conservators (although they may also wish to dip into the other exciting talks and workshops on offer). Our Thursday keynote will be delivered by Professor Christina Young, Professor of Conservation and Technical Art History, University of Glasgow.
The current chair of the conference committee is conservator Annie Starkey and we have a dedicated conservation programme lead in Katie Proctor. They have created a must attend programme for anyone working in conservation in the record-keeping sector.
Shirley Jones, Chair of our Preservation and Conservation Group on her attendance at our last conference:
“I was delighted to receive an ARA bursary to attend the 2024 conference in Birmingham.The conference theme of sustainability is certainly one which should be permanently integrated into proceedings. The conference timetable allowed for a good breadth and depth of content due to the three streams, as well as keeping most presentations to 20 minutes in length. I also enjoyed the generous time between sessions to catch up with acquaintances old and new.
I mostly attended presentations in the conservation strand. Coordinated by Annie Starkey, these provided an excellent balance of case studies on subjects very pertinent to the theme of sustainability as well as a some interactive and practical sessions.”
The conservation programme is Track B and is themed around: Innovation, sustainable conservation and the next generation.
Our conference is in person in Bristol and online from 27-29th August you can find registration details and the full programme here: https://openingdoors.eventsair.com/ara2025/
Our conservation programme (to date and subject to change):
Wednesday 27th August:
Workshop: Get up, stand up: simple clear supports for temporary exhibitions
Mrs Victoria Stevens, Subject Lead Tutor, Books Programme, West Dean College Of Arts, Design Craft and Conservation
Individual Papers:
Preserving the Panels: Conservation bindings for collections of British comics
Ms Amy Randall, Student, West Dean College
Lighting the Shadows – The conservation of tangible and intangible values in a collection of 20th century shadow puppets.
Mr Christopher Duffy, Student Conservator, West Dean College
The Use of Low-Thermal, Low-Pressure Plasma Treatment on Active Fungal Spores in Books: Results and What They Mean
Jamie Chmara, Student, West Dean College
Individual Papers:
Testing Times – the identification of polyester, cellulose acetate and cellulose nitrate film bases for storage and preservation prioritisation
Mr Mark O'Neill, Preventive Conservator (archives), Imperial War Museum Duxford
60 Minute Workshop: Building Better Homes: Rethinking enclosures for historic plans and drawings
Ms Hannah Milton, Archivist and Curator of the Architectural Drawings Collection, Historic Royal Palaces and Madeleine Marshall and Avery Bazemore, Conservator (Preventive/Tower Bridge), The London Archives
Thursday 28th August
Keynote 2: Accessible Cultural Heritage Education – Starting Small Thinking Big
Professor Christina Young Professor of Conservation and Technical Art History, University of Glasgow
Individual Papers
Treatment Decisions for Iron Gall Ink - Selecting Options and Managing Expectations
Dr Paul Garside, Kelvin Centre For Conservation And Cultural Heritage Research, University Of Glasgow
Shut down – switch on: empowerment, problem solving and plugging a gap
Amy Sampson, The National Archives and Sirpa Kutilainen, University of Brighton Design Archives
Conservation metadata: an unsung hero
Mrs Julie Bon, Collections Manager, The National Trust For Scotland
Mechanical strength of four traditional Asian adhesives
Miss Jiwon Jeong , Student, Cardiff University
Panel Session: Lighting the fire: securing conservation education for the future
Mrs Victoria Stevens, Subject Lead Tutor, Books Programme, West Dean College Of Arts, Design Craft and Conservation
Mrs Alexandra McGuire, Head of Paper Conservation, Hartwell Document Restoration Services Archive Conservation Training Scheme representative
Individual Papers
My Experiences as a student on the ARA Archive Conservation Training Scheme
Laura Anderson, Trainee Archive Conservator, Jersey Archive
Working Wonders – The Conservation of Severely Mould-Damaged Stationery Bindings for the Latymer Upper School Archive.
Ann-Marie Miller, Director and Chloe Tse, Assistant Conservator, Codex Conservation Ltd.
Off the Wall
Shirley Jones, West Yorkshire Archive Service
Workshop: What is archive conservation in 2025?
Ann Attwood, Gloucestershire Archives
Friday 29th August
Keynote 3: Archives for All! A Multisensory Approach to Archive Collections.
Dr Kate Allen Senior Research Fellow, RIX Inclusive Research UEL
Panel Session: Life after Hanwell: options, ideas, support
Elizabeth Stettler, Preventative Conservator Projects, Royal Armouries; Mr Pedro Maximo Rocha, Senior Conservation Scientist, The National Archives and Rhiannon Griffiths, Gwent Archives
Individual Papers:
Learning from the Christchurch disasters of 2011 and 2015. Old problems – new solutions
Mrs Lynn Campbell, Paper Conservator, Campbell Conservation
Facing the future: Reimagining environmental monitoring
Mrs Amy Sampson, Preservation Manager and Mr Pedro Maximo Rocha, Senior Conservation Scientist, The National Achives
Storage Environmental Close Control Issues
Mr Richard Aitken, Senior Conservator, High Life Highland Archive Service
HVAC shutdown and alternative environmental control methods
Ann Attwood, Gloucestershire Archives