Annual ICON Stained Glass Group Conference 2026 - Data, Damage, and Decision-Making: The Next Era of Stained Glass Conservation
We are excited to announce that this year’s ICON Stained Glass Group Annual Conference will be held on 10th – 11th October 2026.
Join us in the stunning, historic setting of The Hospitium in York for two days of insight, discussion, and discovery. As the field evolves, so do the challenges we face. This year, we’re focusing on the vital intersection of ethics, decision-making, documentation, and professional practice in the 21st century and its impact on the future of glass conservation.
Call for Papers: Due 31st May 2026
Apologies for the previous email and any confusion caused. This is the corrected email.
We are pleased to announce the ICON Stained Glass Group conference theme for 2026 is “ Data, Damage, and Decision-Making: The Next Era of Stained Glass Conservation”. The conference will be held in York on the 10th-11th October, we hope to see you there.
This year we will look to the future, considering how the field of stained glass conservation may change for the next generation of conservators. In a time of rapid technological advancement, environmental change and political instability, how can our current work ensure that our stained glass heritage is preserved for future enjoyment?
Papers may address, but are not limited to the following subjects:
- What does it mean to work within an endangered craft? What can we do now to improve the long term viability of historic stained glass?
- How can the field of stained glass conservation respond to an increasingly globalised world?
- How might new digital technologies shape the field?
- What new materials are being developed and how might these shape future decision-making?
- What challenges are conservators currently facing and how might we mitigate these in the future?
- How might global warming create new challenges for stained glass heritage? How might we learn from, or adapt, current approaches to extreme weather conditions?
We especially encourage proposals that take a novel approach to the theme, considering underrepresented topics or new techniques.
To submit your proposal, please email an abstract for a 15-20 minute talk to [email protected] as a .docx or .pdf file. This outline should be no more than 300 words and should contain the proposed title for your talk and a brief summary of your main talking points. We encourage submissions from anyone who is involved or interested in stained glass conservation, at any stage in their career.
The deadline for submissions is 31st May 2026. If you have any questions about submitting an abstract, please get in touch with the committee via email ([email protected]) or social media.
We are hoping to attract a broad range of speakers to our 2026 conference so please share this call for papers with your wider professional networks. Don't forget to save the date!
Early Career and Student Ticket Bursaries
As in previous years, we are offering free tickets to students and early year practitioners who may struggle to attend the conference otherwise. To apply for a ticket bursary, please send us a short written application of 200-300 words which should answer the following questions:
- What is your professional experience in stained glass and/or conservation so far and where do you hope your career will take you?
- Why are you interested in attending the ICON 2026 conference and how do you think it will benefit your career?
Applications should be included in the body of your email and sent to [email protected] before the deadline of 31st May. Successful applicants will be notified as soon as possible.
