This conference will be a fantastic opportunity to network with fellow ACRs in-person, hear some fascinating papers, and discuss some key topics affecting the conservation sector today.
As Icon reaches its 20th Anniversary, our theme for the 2025 ACR conference is "The Conservators Legacy". The issue of legacy is central to the conservator-restorer’s work, both in terms of the legacy we inherit when commencing project and the legacy we seek to leave to future generations when that project is complete. Legacy can be both a poisoned-chalice or a source of huge personal pride and achievement.
As a conservator-restorer, what are your legacy stories?
In this year's conference we discuss the following themes:
The Unwelcome Legacy
The challenge of taking on projects where chaos has been inherited. How do we grapple with a lack of information or inadequate resources? How do we rescue heritage after botched interventions by well-meaning amateurs?
Leaving a Legacy - A Job Well Done!
What happens when we carry out a treatment where the finished result surpasses all expectations? How do we deal with unstable objects or trial new treatment methods?
When Legacy Transcends Heritage
When the act of conserving and restoring adds additional value to society. How can a project revitalise an area, engage a community, or be of deep symbolic or spiritual significance? How do projects add to our understanding of history or specialist fields?
The Legacy for the Conservation Sector
How is the conservation sector changing and what does that mean for the next generation of conservators? Are these changes welcome, or problematic? Is there anything we can do to advance or futureproof the sector?
We’re asking the tricky questions, make sure you are part of the conversation!
Join us in London at the Coin Street Conference Centre and celebrate being part of one of the finest communities of Conservator-Restorers in the world!