Our Committee

Membership to the committee can provide opportunities to connect with fellow professionals, build your profile in the field, and develop new skills. Please get in touch if you are interested in joining! There are usually roles available on an annual basis and positions normally last for three years or we can co-opt positions for projects you are maybe interested in helping with.

Kysnia Marko ACR

Chair (2021-2024)

Following a degree in Textiles at Goldsmiths’ College, University of London, Ksynia worked in the Textile Conservation Department at the Victoria & Albert Museum. In 1975 She was awarded a Winston Churchill Travelling Scholarship to study tapestry and carpet restoration and conservation techniques carried out in Europe, which influenced her later work.

She went on to run her own highly successful Textile Conservation Studio in London for eleven years, before joining The National Trust in 1991 as Manager of the Textile Conservation Studio based at Blickling Hall, becoming the National Advisor from 1995. In that same year she organised the conference and subsequent publication, ‘Textiles in Trust’, as part of the Trust’s centenary celebrations.

She has been an accredited member (ACR) of the UK Institute of Conservation (ICON) since 1999. In 2016 she was awarded the prestigious Plowden Medal by the Royal Warrant Holders Association, in recognition of her contribution to textile conservation for more than four decades. Her recent focus has been on the care of historic carpets, working in collaboration with a member of the National Carpet Cleaners Association, adapting commercial methodologies for conservation.

Ksynia retired from her post at The National Trust in 2018, and published her book, ‘Woven Tapestry – guidelines for conservation’ in 2020. She is now a freelance textile conservator and consultant.

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Beth Gillions

Secretary (2021-2024), Conservation Officer, People’s History Museum, 2021- present

Beth discovered conservation during a childhood spent re-enacting and demonstrating historical crafts at heritage sites. After gaining a History BA through King's College London, Beth has just completed the MPhil in Textile Conservation through the University of Glasgow.

Marina Herriges

Treasurer (2021-2024), Textile Conservator, Textile Conservation Ltd

Marina holds an MPhil in textile conservation from the University of Glasgow (2020). She has also an MA in Conservation and Restoration of Cultural Heritage from the Universitat Politècnica de València, Spain (2018), and a BA in Art, Conservation and Restoration form the Universidade Católica Portuguesa, Portugal (2016).

Marina has worked in a range of different heritage and conservation organizations in Brazil, Portugal, Spain and the United Kingdom. She is a textile conservator at the Textile Conservation Limited, Bristol. Marina currently researches embedding environmental sustainability in conservation education at the Kelvin Centre for Conservation and Cultural Heritage Research at the University of Glasgow, where she has also been a guest lecturer. Marina is the environmental sustainability associate editor for the News in Conservation (IIC).

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Terri Dewhurst

Icon News Editor (2019-2022), Textile Conservator at the National Trust Textile Conservation Studio, Norfolk (2015-present)

Terri has a BAa (Hons) in Fashion Design from Nottingham Trent University. Combining her love of history and textiles, and wanting to utilise her practical skills, she then went onto study the ‘Conservation of Historic Objects’ at The University of Lincoln, graduating with a Masters in 2014.

During her studies she worked for Leicestershire County Council’s Museum Service & completed a placement with private conservator Sheila Landi. After her studies Terri worked as freelance objects conservator for WHConservation before taking up a temporary contract at the National Trust Textile Conservation Studio in Norfolk. During her time at the Studio Terri has completed a two year Levy Internship & now works as a permanent member of the team.

Email:: [email protected]

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Maria Pardos

Events Co-ordinator, Technical Assistance (2021-2024), Freelance Textile Conservator (2020-present)

Maria trained in Spain, where she obtained a BA Degree in Paintings (2005-08), Textile Conservation (2010-12) and a MA in Conservation (2014-15). She began her career as a Painting and Objects Conservator and, since 2010, she has focused on Textile Conservation, working at the Valencian Conservation Institute (Castellon, Spain), the Galliera Museum (Paris), The Bowes Museum and The National Maritime Museum Textile Conservation Studios. Between 2016-2018 Maria worked as part of the team at May Berkouwer's studio working as a full time Textile Conservator before taking up a post at the National Trust Textile Conservation Studio in Norfolk. She joined the team at Zenzie Tinker Conservation Ltd. between 2019 and 2020, before setting up as a freelance Textile Conservator.

Elizabeth-Anne Haldane ACR

Events Co-ordinator (2019-2022), Lead Textile Conservator, Victoria and Albert Museum (2002-present)

Elizabeth-Anne studied an MA in Conservation from the Royal College of Art/Victoria and Albert Museum Conservation Course in 1999. Following this she completed a one-year internship at Glasgow Museums, and worked on contract at the National Museums of Scotland and the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco before taking up a permanent post at the V&A in 2002. Elizabeth-Anne took on the role of Lead Textile Conservator in 2021. She is a regular guest lecturer at the Centre for Textile Conservation at Glasgow University, an editor for the V&A Conservation Journal, and so enthusiastic about organising events that this is her second time serving on the committee in this role.

Ania Golebiowska

Events Co-ordinator (2021-2024), Textile Conservator, Zenzie Tinker Conservation Ltd. (2015 – present)

Ania Golebiowska is a textile conservator based in Brighton. She moved to the UK in 2015 to join Zenzie Tinker Conservation studio after graduating from MA Textile Conservation degree at Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw.

Hannah Sutherland

Website and Facebook Editor (2019-2023), Icon Textiles Group, Textile Conservator, Victoria and Albert Museum (2020 - present)

Hannah gained an MPhil in Textile Conservation from the University of Glasgow in 2016. She completed a Clothworkers/Historic Royal Palaces internship in tapestry conservation, before staying on at Hampton Court Palace in the tapestry and furnishings teams.

In 2018 Hannah was awarded an Andrew W. Mellon Fellowship at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York and, on route back to London, participated in a tapestry knowledge exchange project in Brussels. These international experiences brought home the key role which social media plays in opening events and discussions across physical borders and time zones. Hannah worked in a freelance capacity between London and Brighton before taking up her permanent post.

Email:: [email protected]

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Kelly Grimshaw

Co-opted Officer, ECP Events (2021-2022), Textile Conservator, The Landi Compan

Kelly graduated with a Masters in Conservation of Cultural Heritage from the University of Lincoln in 2019. After having completed a summer textile internship with Studio Västsvensk Konservering (SVK) in Gothenburg, Sweden in 2018, she specialised in textiles for her MA. During her studies, Kelly carried out work experience with Textile Conservation Ltd., and the National Trust Textile Studio. After her studies, she worked for The Landi Co. to cover a maternity contract, which was later extended to a permanent role in 2020.

Melinda Hey

Emerging Conservation Professionals Representative (2021-2024), Textile Conservator, The Landi Company

Melinda has a background in fine art embroidery and after a varied work life graduated with an MA in Conservation of Cultural Heritage from the University of Lincoln in 2019. She has been working in private practice for 3 years and is part of the small team that cares for the textile collection at Burghley House.