Cross-disciplinary conservation—Is this the way forward?

Abstract

This paper advocates the benefits of cross-disciplinary conservation in the UK by exploring the hypothesis that the current barriers to knowledge-sharing amongst conservators are created by the structure of conservation education and reinforced by institutional and professional organisations. The paper argues that, in the face of the changing demands, conservators need to be more versatile in order to work with a broader range of objects and materials. The paper will use primary research collected through interviews with conservation managers working in London’s national museums, as well as interviews with recent graduates of courses in the UK, Australia and the US. Their responses suggest that the profession needs both specialist and general conservators, and that the value of introducing a more cross-disciplinary approach during training and in the work environment is a future replete with versatile and innovative conservators.