Are you curious about how to build a career in the Conservation Profession?
This session will offer an opportunity to hear directly from members of Icon’s Emerging Professionals Group as they share their personal journeys, insights, and advice.
Whether you're a student, recent graduate, or early-career professional, you'll gain valuable perspectives on:
- Career Pathways: Discover the diverse routes our speakers have taken into the conservation field, from academic studies to hands-on experience.
- Finding Opportunities: Learn how they identified and pursued internships, training programs, and job openings - and how you can do the same.
- Making Your Mark: Get practical tips on networking, professional development, and standing out in a competitive industry.
This is a chance to connect with peers, ask questions, and be inspired by those who are navigating the early stages of their conservation careers. Don’t miss out on this event designed to help you take the next step with confidence.
Speakers
Emma Callaghan
Emma is a Conservator at the National Museum of the Royal Navy Hartlepool, having recently completed the Cultural Heritage Conservator Apprenticeship programme. Emma holds the Emerging Professionals seat on Icon’s Board of Trustees, and is passionate about diversifying routes into the profession, representing and supporting current and future emerging professionals to ensure that their experiences are valued and recognised.
Leah Warriner-Wood
Leah is a Senior Lecturer on the undergraduate and postgraduate Conservation of Cultural Heritage programmes at the University of Lincoln. Trained as a conservator, she now applies her expertise to teaching and research, with a particular focus on textiles and historic interiors. Her work integrates conservation practice with material culture studies to explore how the physical traces of the past shape our understanding of everyday life. Alongside her academic role, Leah is committed to public engagement and promoting diversity, helping broader audiences connect with heritage through inclusive and accessible approaches.
Felicity Conway
Felicity is a paper conservator at Artworks Conservation, a private conservation studio. Since graduating from the MA Conservation of Fine Art: Works of Art on Paper at Northumbria University in 2022, she gained experience working in paper conservation studios and country house collections.
James Harvie
James is currently completing his PhD at the Royal Danish Academy: institute for Conservation, researching the treatment of waterlogged organic archaeological material. He has previously interned at the Western Australian Shipwreck Museum, primarily working with maritime archaeological objects and was a Western Heritage Conservation and Heritage Science Intern at the Mary Rose.
