Looking forward to the year ahead
New Icon Strategy: Overview
In April 2022 we launched the new Icon Strategy.
The key ambition is to achieve wider recognition of the value that conservation brings to society and to ensure that the work of conservation professionals is recognised and respected because its relevance to society is understood.
Within the Strategy there are 5 overarching aims:
-
Champion cultural heritage and the value of conservation
-
Extend our reach within the UK and internationally
-
Maintain high standards in conservation practice
-
Develop conservation as an inclusive and rewarding career
-
Strengthen our Institute
Each of the aims has a set of actions, and we are keen to talk to members about their ideas and to other organisations about areas of overlap. It is obvious to me that Icon will not achieve its goals unless we work with others, and so I am keen to collaborate wherever possible.
Policy and Advocacy
Recognition from awareness-raising
One of the key activities within the new strategy is a real focus on raising our profile. This also chimes with one of values – to be outward-looking.
We do this through our policy and advocacy work, and it’s great to see that we are increasingly being asked to work with others and to take part in events and conversation beyond our sector.
Here are some examples of our policy campaigns:
Pay and reward
We have been gathering salary data, taking evidence from members, talking through ideas at roundtable meetings and, most importantly, sharing this information with colleagues and via our website and social media. We are also working with the union Prospect on their World Class Heritage, Second Class Pay campaign. I recently attended a parliamentary reception hosted by Prospect and was able to share our work with MPs and others.
Accreditation, training and skills
I am delighted to announce that we have been successful in our registration with Ofqual as an End Point Assessment organisation for the Level 4 Cultural Heritage Conservation Technician and Level 7 Cultural Heritage Conservator (Degree) apprenticeships. This has taken a lot of work but affirms our belief in the value of vocational training.
Patrick Whife, our Head of Skills, is also currently meeting stakeholders to gather ideas to feed into a new Icon Skills Strategy which will looks more broadly at future training needs and deliver mechanisms.
In addition, Patrick is the co-Chair of the Heritage Skills Demand Task Group which is looking at actions to stimulate the demand for accredited professionals. As we look forward to implementing the recommendations of the Accreditation Review next year we will also be increasing our advocacy for accreditation and the value of SME conservation businesses.
Sustainability
A great deal of the Sustainability policy and advocacy work is carried out by the Icon Sustainability Network.
Recent highlights include an excellent social media campaign during COP27 and another well received Twitter Conference.
The network’s Chair, Lorraine Finch, received a finalist’s award at the David Middleton Sustainability Awards for the work that she has done to build and support this new Icon Network - another great opportunity to raise the profile of conservation within the wider sector.
In parallel I have been busy delving into policy issues – speaking about environmental conditions in museums at the recent Museums Association conference and engaging in dialogue with ACE about the Government Indemnity Standards
.
New Member Magazine
And when we talk about advocacy we have to mention the new Member Magazine which will launch in January.
Michael Nelles, Head of Membership, led this exciting project and we have enjoyed working with the publishing agency over the last few months to rethink our approach and to deliver a product that is engaging for existing members and will hopefully also attract new members to Icon.
Marsh Charitable Trust: New awards scheme
We were approached by the Marsh Charitable Trust about setting up a new series of awards for Icon members. After some discussion we have agreed on an initial suite of three awards:
- Marsh Heritage Conservation in Action Award
- Marsh Award for Early Career Conservators
- Marsh Award for Research in Conservation
The Marsh Awards for the Conservation and Restoration of Objects and Collections are intended to promote wider recognition of the value that conservation brings to society.
We also hope that they will serve to ensure that the work of conservation professionals is better recognised and more fully respected.
The call for nominations will be launched in early in the new year. In the meantime you can find out more about the awards on the Awards page.
Members meeting: March 2023
The Marsh Awards will be presented at a members’ meeting which we plan to hold in March. The members meeting will also provide an opportunity for networking and for members to share ideas and feedback with the Board of Trustees.
- Short updates on Icon’s work and key projects
- Q&A with members of the Board of Trustees
- Presentation of the Marsh Trust Awards
- Drinks and networking
Join the conversation
- Come along to one of my monthly Drop-in Sessions
- Drop me a note: [email protected]
- Engage with our social media channels:
