The Northern Ireland Network is relaunching as a Group. We're excited to welcome you all to join, online or in-person, to celebrate this important milestone!
Our inaugural event will be taking place at the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland in Belfast (PRONI) where we exploring the importance of conservation in relation to the recent successful tour and display of the Belfast Good Friday Agreement in 2023. We will also give you the chance to hear about the role of the group and how you can get involved in helping us to represent the tight-knit conservation community in Northern Ireland.
Programme
13:30 Arrival and coffee
Welcome and introductions
Emma Jhita, Chief Executive, Icon
Janet Hancock, Head of Preservation and Collections Management, PRONI
Icon Northern Ireland, Overview and Role
David Orr ACR, Chair, Icon Northern Ireland
Keynote Presentation: Collection Care behind the Tour and Display of the Belfast Good Friday Agreement to mark the 25th Anniversary in 2023.
Giorgia Genco, Senior Conservation Manager, The National Archives
Sarah Graham, Head of Conservation, PRONI
David Orr ACR, Chair, Icon Northern Ireland
Abstract
As a teenager growing up in Northern Ireland, I thought the Troubles would never end. The agreement was heroic.
Gala dinner guest, Hillsborough Castle
The Belfast Good Friday Agreement (BGFA) recently completed an 800-mile tour across Northern Ireland to mark the 25th anniversary of its signing. This historic agreement, which ended 30 years of violent conflict known as the Troubles, has played a crucial role in shaping Northern Ireland’s path toward peace and prosperity.
The Northern Ireland Office facilitated the return of the original UK copy of the Agreement for the first time since 1998 in collaboration with the National Archives, Public Records Office of Northern Ireland (PRONI) and Hillsborough Castle.
The ambitious BGFA 25 Years On programme included a complex series of displays across Northern Ireland including Queens University Belfast, as part of the Agreement25 conference, a civic event at the Game of Thrones experience. The conservation team at PRONI worked closely with conservators and registrars at TNA to design a collaborative, pilot collection care project to create proxy reading room conditions for the public, politicians, peace advocates and community leaders to see the signed pages of the BGFA, whilst keeping the document safe. Where possible the BGFA was displayed outside of the case to increase engagement for visitors, with people of all different ages and backgrounds taking the opportunity to view the document.
The programme culminated with a four month display at Hillsborough Castle, a site significant to the political discussions and diplomacy conducted for the Agreement. David Orr will explore the process and conservation that culminated in the display of the BGFA which drew praise and support from public, politicians and diplomats far and wide.
The Good Friday Agreement remains an important part of Northern Ireland’s history, and its recent tour allowed people to reflect on its impact and legacy. It showed that original objects can have a talismanic property for the public who lived through the events which resulted in the BGFA, changing not just the political landscape but life in Northern Ireland. Join us on the 11th September to hear more about the facilitation of this unique touring programme.
Closing Remarks
Emma Jhita, Chief Executive, Icon
The event will will end by 16:00 and will be followed by the opportunity for coffee and networking.
Speakers
Mr Jonathan Black
Giorgia Genco
Sarah Graham
Emma Jhita
David Orr ACR
