As Icon reaches its 20th Anniversary year, we are delighted to announce that the Icon ACR Conference 2025 will be dedicated to the theme of 'The Conservator's Legacy', with the conference set to take place on Thursday 16 October 2025.
The issue of legacy is central to the conservator-restorer’s work, both in terms of the legacy we inherit when commencing project and the legacy we seek to leave to future generations when that project is complete. Legacy can be both a poisoned-chalice or a source of huge personal pride and achievement.
As a conservator-restorer, what are your legacy stories?
Submission Topics
We would like to invite our ACR members to submit conference papers on any one or a combination of the following topics:
- The Unwelcome Legacy
Have you ever taken on a project where you’ve inherited chaos. Were you grappling with a lack of information? Inadequate resources? Perhaps you had to rescue heritage after botched interventions by well-meaning amateurs? How did you manage these issues and what was the result? - Leaving a Legacy - A Job Well Done!
Have you ever carried out a treatment where the finished results surpassed all expectations? Perhaps you had a highly unstable object or were trialling a new treatment method. Tell us your ‘transformation challenge’ stories! - When Legacy Transcends Heritage
Protecting an object or site for the future is sometimes only part of the finished result. Sometimes the act of conserving and restoring adds additional value to society. Perhaps the project has revitalized an area, engaged a community or been of deep symbolic or spiritual significance? Perhaps your project has added to our understanding of history or your specialist field? - The Legacy for the Conservation Sector
How is the conservation sector changing and what does that mean for the next generation of conservators? Are these changes welcome, or problematic? Is there anything we can do to advance or futureproof the sector?
Submit Your Abstract
The deadline for submitting conference papers is Monday 14 April 2025
All abstracts will be reviewed by the Icon Professional Development Team. Selection of papers are based on originality, relevance to topic and current issues, methodology and clarity of expression.