🌟 Reflecting on the Museums + Heritage Show 2026 🌟
🏛️Icon was delighted to take part in this year’s @museumsandheritage Show 2026 as exhibitors, hosts of The Conservator’s Perspective networking session, and proud partners of the Restoration or Conservation Project of the Year Award at the Museums + Heritage Awards.
💬It was a brilliant day of conversations and connections, welcoming visitors to our stand and hearing directly from colleagues across the sector about the realities of caring for collections today, from everyday challenges to longer-term hopes for the future of heritage conservation.
🤝Our networking session brought together conservators, students, and heritage professionals for open and honest discussion about working in a changing sector, and the shared commitment to protecting and caring for collections.
🏆We were also pleased to attend the Museums + Heritage Awards, celebrating some truly exceptional work across conservation and restoration. Huge congratulations to @norwichcastle for winning the Restoration or Conservation Project of the Year, and to @durhamuniversity for their highly commended project.
🙏A huge thank you to everyone who took the time to visit, talk, and share their perspectives with us!
🔗 Find out more and read the full recap via the link in our bio.
#MandHShow #Conservation #Heritage #CollectionsCare
🔍Last week, members of the Icon staff team had the pleasure of going behind the scenes at Hampton Court Palace!
🏛️ It was fascinating to learn more about the conservation work currently taking place at @historicroyalpalaces , with projects spanning textiles, historic interiors and heritage science.
✨We also had the opportunity to meet with the conservation department and share updates on the work Icon is currently doing to champion conservation, including membership, advocacy, and support for professionals across the sector. It was lovely to connect with both members and colleagues working in the field.
🤝We would like to extend a huge thank you to Kathryn Hallett and the team for showing us around and making it such a fantastic day!
#hamptoncourt #conservation #heritage
✨Introducing the sixth Icon Conference 2026 talk highlight: Conservation for Wellbeing – creatively minded heritage activities ✨
🧠 How can heritage conservation actively support mental health and wellbeing? This session explores the evolving role of conservation practice as a tool for connection, confidence, and belonging, drawing on the growing field of culture therapy within heritage settings.
🏛️ Building on the 2018 @historicengland report Wellbeing and the Historic Environment, this talk reflects on how engagement with objects, places, and conservation activities can foster self-awareness and help reduce social isolation.
👐 @heelen.lindsay ACR and Daisy Rubinstein from The @restorationtrust will introduce the Conservation for Wellbeing (C4W) programme, sharing workshop examples, participant experiences, and the practical realities of developing wellbeing-focused conservation practice.
🌟 This is just one of many thought-provoking talks taking place at Icon26 and is part of Session Three: Transforming Society and Engaging Communities.
🔗 Find out more and explore the full programme via the link in bio!
#icon26 #heritage #conservation #wellbeing #culturalheritage
✨Introducing the fifth Icon Conference 2026 talk highlight: Contemporary Art Conservation in India – An Overview ✨
🎨How do you conserve artworks where the medium is often the message? This session explores contemporary art conservation in India, where unconventional and ephemeral materials present distinct challenges.
🔬Anupama Gaur, Paintings Conservator at @arcstudio.delhi will share insights from practice, including case studies of works by Gunjan Kumar Chawla and Amar Kanwar, to examine how heritage institutions are addressing challenges such as technological obsolescence, fragile in-situ works, and the ethics of replacing artwork components.
💡 The talk will also reflect on the broader context in India, where contemporary art conservation is still developing, highlighting gaps in documentation, training, and institutional focus, and what this means for future preservation.
🌟This is just one of many thought-provoking talks taking place at Icon26 and is part of Session One: Impact Through Innovation.
🔗Find out more and explore the full programme via the link in bio!
#icon26 #contemporaryart #conservation
✨The latest issue of Iconnect Magazine is now out to members✨ Packed with fascinating stories from the world of conservation, this edition highlights the depth and variety of work happening across the sector today, from hands-on conservation to research, collaboration, and skills development. 🔍Inside you’ll find: 🎥Sites, Camera...Action!: Leading up to their talk at Icon26, Heather Murphy and Eve Andreski from @spencerandfry discuss how filming conservation is rewriting the script for heritage sustainability. 💬Icon in Conversation: Icon CEO, Emma Jhita talks to Professor Meggen Gondek, Head of RICHeS IHQ about the importance of playing to strengths, creating opportunities for people to connect and collaborate, and staying curious. 📜An Icon Group Legacy: Meagen Smith ACR and Jane Thompson Webb ACR reflect on updating a 40-year-old seminal text on collection care fundamentals in museums and other heritage environments. 🧿 The Jet Set: Christopher Weeks ACR from @manxnationalheritage , Isle of Man, talks about the conservation of a Bronze Age jet necklace and using AI to help string the beads for display. 🌟Interested in signing up to the members magazine? Become a member today. Link in bio.
Icon has written to MPs to raise concerns regarding the Health and Safety Executive’s (HSE) consultation on proposed changes to safe lead-in-blood levels under the Control of Lead at Work Regulations (CLAW).
While we fully support strengthening health and safety standards, we are concerned that the proposals could have serious unintended consequences for conservation-restoration professionals, particularly those working in stained glass, where lead is essential and no viable alternatives exist.
Our letter highlights concerns about the impact on heritage conservation, the potential exclusion of women from parts of the profession, and the need for a balanced, evidence-based approach that protects both workers and the long-term care of the UK’s heritage.
🔗 Read the full letter via the link in bio.
📸 Moira Malcolm, @rainbowglass_2001
⭐ We are excited to announce that Icon has been appointed by the Research Infrastructure for Conservation and Heritage Science (RICHeS), on behalf of the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) to deliver the UK’s first comprehensive survey of the heritage and conservation science workforce.
🤝 This initiative will establish a robust, UK-wide evidence base on the people, skills, training pathways and challenges shaping the sector today, helping to inform future investment, workforce development and long-term resilience.
👉 Click the link in bio for the full announcement!
#Heritagescience #conservation #research
✨Introducing the fourth Icon Conference 2026 talk highlight: Reimagining Figureheads ✨
📖How can conservation practices respond to complex histories and ensure more inclusive, community-informed interpretations? This session explores how collaboration can reshape not just how objects are preserved, but how their stories are told.
⚓Emma Callaghan and Jo Valentine, will present the Reimagining Figureheads project, funded by @heritagefunduk . Initially focused on conserving three Royal Navy ship figureheads, the project evolved into a broader re-evaluation of the @natmuseumrn collection, including those on display in Portsmouth.
🤝At the heart of the project was co-curation with thirteen community groups, representing a wide range of perspectives. These collaborators played an active role in shaping decisions around conservation treatments, interpretation, and display, both physical and digital.
🔍One key case involved the figurehead from HMS Madagascar, identified as racially insensitive. Scientific analysis revealed that previous restoration limited physical changes, leading to the decision to remove it from display and instead share its story digitally via the Bloomberg Connects app.
🌍By combining conservation, research, and meaningful community engagement, the project highlights how heritage institutions can address difficult histories while creating more inclusive and relevant narratives.
🌟This is just one of many thought-provoking talks taking place at Icon26 and is part of Session Three: Transforming Society and Engaging Communities.
🔗Find out more and explore the full programme via the link in bio!
📸 @natmuseumrn
#icon26 #conservation #Heritage
🌟Call for Hosts: Tapestry Conservation Internship🌟
We are still seeking expressions of interest from organisations interested in hosting a fully funded internship focused on tapestry conservation.
🧵This placement will offer exposure to the breadth of tapestry conservation practice and is designed to reflect the diversity of professional practice in this field. It will further provide opportunities to contribute to ongoing studio projects while gaining insight into different organisational approaches and workflows.
📅For organisations interested, there will be a drop-in session taking place on Friday 24 April at 10AM.
💬This session is designed to provide insight into what hosting involves, including expectations, the level of support available from Icon, the types of projects that are suitable, and how to submit an expression of interest.
🤝This exciting opportunity has been made possible through the generous support of a partnership of seven heritage sector funders: The @annaplowdentrust , The Idlewild Trust, The Julia Rausing Trust, The National Manuscripts Conservation Trust, The Pilgrim Trust, The Radcliffe Trust, and The Swire Charitable Trust.
🔗Find out more via the link in bio!
📸 @leahww and the tapestry conservation team, Doddington Hall
#internship #tapestryconservation #earlycareer
✨Introducing the third Icon Conference 2026 talk highlight: Sustainable Preventive Conservation ✨
📖How can conservation balance protecting heritage with the urgent need for environmental sustainability? This session explores new approaches to preventive conservation that move beyond energy-intensive, carbon-heavy systems.
🔬Cathryn Harvey, Conservation Science Fellow at @englishheritage , will present work from the EU-funded GoGreen project, developing innovative methods to better understand material vulnerability and predict deterioration in indoor heritage environments.
💡At the heart of this research are “damage functions”, models that link environmental conditions to material decay. These tools help conservators assess risks, explore alternatives to full HVAC systems, and make more informed, sustainable decisions for collections care.
🌱By combining scientific modelling with climate projections, the project opens up new possibilities for reducing carbon impact while maintaining effective preservation, supporting a more balanced, data-driven approach to conservation.
🌟This is just one of many thought-provoking talks taking place at Icon26 and is part of Session Four: Future Proofing Conservation.
🔗Find out more and explore the full programme via the link in bio!
📸 @englishheritage
#icon26 #sustainability #conservation
✈️The Conservation of the Hawker Siddeley Hawk Mk 50 Aircraft ✈️
🌍The Hawker Siddeley Hawk Mk 50 is a truly unique aircraft, being the only Mk 50 ever built. Never sold, it was retained by Hawker Siddeley/British Aerospace as a demonstrator and flight test aircraft, travelling the world on sales tours and flying in multiple configurations throughout its operational life.
🔍During its time at the Academy for Skills and Knowledge, the aircraft had been fitted with a Hawk Mk 53 wing, one it had never flown with and which held no historical connection to the airframe.
🛠️In this compelling new article, Amanda Sutherland ACR and Paul Rash reflect on a major conservation engineering project to return the aircraft to its authentic configuration. The project involved replacing the non-original wing on G-HAWK/ZA101 with its original wing, restoring its provenance and interpretive value.
⚙️The work required highly specialised techniques, including sourcing and using ground support equipment (GSE) bespoke to the aircraft. This equipment was gathered from across the UK aviation heritage sector, demonstrating the importance of technical knowledge, planning, and collaboration.
🤝The project highlights the power of community engagement in making complex conservation work possible. It also raises an important concern across the heritage sector, that some museums may not fully understand the significance of the aviation assets, and supporting equipment, they hold in their collections.
👉Read the full story via the link in bio.
📸Geoff Lee & Mike Fantham
#industrialheritage #conservation #aviation
✨Introducing the second Icon Conference 2026 talk highlight: Transformative Collaboration ✨
📖How can conservation shift from focusing on outcomes and objects to centring people? This thought-provoking session explores how collaborative practice is reshaping the field by placing people, their needs, identities, and relationships to cultural heritage at its core.
🔬Joelle Wickens and Anisha Gupta from the University of Delaware will reflect on the evolution of their work, from the Advancing Equity and Inclusion in Conservation (AEIC) initiative to wider projects like the Community Conservation Initiative and the Conservation Collective.
💡The talk highlights a move from goal-oriented to process-driven practice where care, connection, and collaboration become as important as outcomes. Drawing inspiration from unexpected spaces like public libraries, they reveal how cross-disciplinary thinking can open new pathways for conservation.
🌟This is just one of many thought-provoking talks taking place at Icon26 and is part of Session Six: Power and Impact.
🔗 Find out more and explore the full programme via the link in bio!
📸 Evan Krape
#icon26 #conservation #collaboration
