There was an incredible response to our advert for members to join the Diversity & Inclusion Task and Finish Group to consider the issue of diversity and inclusion in the conservation profession and to develop recommendations for action. The group have now completed the selection and had their first meeting. We will be hearing a lot more as the work progresses but here’s a brief introduction...
Pierrette Squires
Chair
Pierrette Squires
Chair
ACR, Icon Trustee & Team Leader at Bolton Library & Museum Services.
I’m a bisexual woman, deaf & with chronic health conditions. My conservation practice focuses on ethics, sustainability & inclusion.
Lucie Mascord
Group Secretary
Lucie Mascord
Group Secretary
Accredited natural history conservator, trustee and group secretary. My interests include mental health disability, socioeconomic adversity and sexual harassment in the sector.
Laura O'Farrell
Laura O'Farrell
Emerging book and paper conservator from Ireland. I am autistic and have previous experience working with marginalised groups within heritage settings. I’m currently a Project Conservator at The National Archives.
Misa Tamura
Misa Tamura
A World Cultures conservator, recently naturalised British citizen, and Japanese migrant. My interests include diversity, inclusion, and equality of opportunities for underrepresented communities.
Clair Walton
Clair Walton
Books and archives, strongly motivated to encourage meaningful dialogue, create opportunity for all and promote the qualities of a diverse and inclusive workforce.
Clara Low
Clara Low
Emerging Professional, Textile Conservator and POC. Supporting wider accessibility and creating a professional environment where all can thrive, whatever their identity and circumstances.
Megan de Silva
Megan de Silva
Icon Welsh Trustee and Collections Manager for Monmouthshire Museums. Dyslexic, from a low-income background and passionate about conservation being welcoming, supportive and accessible to all.
Emma Smith
Emma Smith
Emerging Textile Conservator, formerly worked in Widening Participation in Higher Education, come to conservation from a low income, northern working class background. Passionate about creating more accessible routes into conservation for people underrepresented in the sector.
Kendall Francis
Kendall Francis
Emerging professional paintings conservator and POC. Enthusiastic about improving accessibility and diversity in conservation and the arts for disadvantaged and underrepresented young people.
Martin Kirke
Martin Kirke
I am an Icon Trustee and I have led or advised organisations on Diversity and Inclusion including NHS Trusts, the Post Office, Natural Environment Research Council and MacMillan Cancer Support.
The T&F group is made up of 10 people:
6 Icon Members & 4 Trustees
Membership status: Accredited & Non Accredited
Employment status: Employed, Unemployed, Contracted, Freelance, Student and Intern- working for a mix of private, trusts, local government & nationals
Conservator & Non Conservators with experience ranging from Student to Emerging conservators to Mature practitioners.
In September 2021, the Icon Board unanimously agreed that improving diversity and inclusion was an urgent strategic priority and endorsed the first report from the Task and Finish Group. In December, we presented our proposals to Icon’s Board and the recommendations, which were voted on, received the Trustees’ support with no votes against.
Resource for the cultural sector which advocates for the inclusion of children and young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) in cultural spaces