Conservation Matters in the North Conference

Conservation Matters in the North Conference realiza-se a 20 de novembro de 2026, Manchester Central Library, em Manchester.

Join us in-person on Friday the 20th of November at Manchester Central Library for a deep dive into the subject of managing hazardous materials in museum collections. Proudly sponsered by Historyonics and Meaco, this years conference will feature an exciting line up of talks and posters along with plenty of opportunity to meet new people and network. The day will conclude with an optional historic tour of Manchester city centre where you'll learn how the North West has been affected by the hazards spoken about during the day. We'll then continue the conversation over drinks at a nearby venue. The North West Conservator Group is partnering with Manchester Guided Tours to offer this bespoke tour at a subsidised price. Your spot on the tour must be pre-booked with your conference ticket. Open to all with an interest in conservation and collection care, including curators, conservators, historians, students, volunteers, interns and related disciplines. Tea and coffee will be avaliable upon arrival and lunch is provided. Please email Emily Gershman emily.gershman@nationaltrust.org.uk with any dietary restrictions by 12 November. We expect this conference sell out, so if you can no longer attend, please email emily.gershman@nationaltrust.org.uk so we can notify our waitlist. If purchasing more than one ticket, please also notify Emily with the names of all attendees. #CMN2026NOV Getting Here Manchester Central Library, St. Peter's Square, Manchester M2 5PD By car There are several NCP car parks within a 5-10 minute walk of the library so a search on their website will show you a range of options: National Car Parks - Find Car Parking for Cities, Airports & Events There are seven disabled parking spaces on Mount Street beside Central Library although these do tend to fill up fast. Drop off is possible here also for the closest step-free access to the library entrance. By train The nearest station is Oxford Road. However, those coming from further away may arrive at Piccadilly Station which is about 10-15 minutes' walk or a short tram ride to St Peter's Square which is the nearest stop and is directly opposite the main porticoed entrance to the library. This tram stop is fully accessible. By bus There are bus stop in nearby streets and full information on stops and times for both the trams and the buses can be found here: Bee Network | Powered by TfGM Accessibility The library is accessible on every level to wheelchair users. Doors at the entrances are automatic at ground level and there are lifts to all floors. In the event of an evacuation, evacuation chairs will be used by trained staff. There are wheelchair-accessible toilets on every level of the library, one is on the same level and very close to the performance space. The event takes place on the ground floor and there is a ramp and a disabled lift to this space as it is on a mezzanine level. There is a hearing loop system so please let staff know you require it and follow their instructions. Lunch will be served just outside the event space on the mezzanine level. If you have any accessibility requirements or dietary restrictions, please email Emily Gershman emily.gershman@nationaltrust.org.uk with details so we can be sure to accommodate you. The link below is for further information including a map of where the library is located in central Manchester. Central Library | Manchester City Council We will conduct registration on the mezzanine from 9am on the day of the conference. Staff members on the doors can direct you but if you come through either of the entrances. From the portico entrance you should bear to the left, if entering through the cafe/shop entrance we are at 11 o'clock from there across the exhibition space. While we don't have a dedicated quiet space there are lots of spaces away from the event that may offer some respite, such as the film booths on the ground floor and the Reading Room upstairs on the 1st Floor. Travel bursaries We want this event to be as inclusive as possible and hope that financial hardship does not pose a barrier to attending. Thanks to the generous assistance by our sponsors, Meaco and Historyonics, we are able to pay a limited number of travel bursaries. These are to assist with travel costs to attend this event (the most economically viable transport within the UK or Ireland. Eligibility criteria : students, volunteers, interns, speakers. Any hardship criteria will be assessed upon receipt of an application. Once all the available funding is allocated, we are unable to provide any further bursaries. To apply for a bursary by email, please tell us in less than 100 words of text: your name , your eligibility or hardship criteria , where you are travelling from , the amount you are asking for; and what this amount will cover. We may ask for further details after initial application. To apply please email Christian Baars Christian.baars@liverpoolmuseums.org.uk and Abby Stevens Abigail.K.Stevens@manchester.ac.uk stating ‘#CMN2026 Bursary‘ in the Subject line. The deadline for bursary applications is 12 November. Conference Programme 9:00 Registration begins Tea and Coffee avaliable upon arrival 9:45 Welcome and housekeeping Managing Hazardous Materials in Collections and Museums Using XRF Mike Dobby Don't Panic! Managing Asbestos Hazards in Museum Objects Kevin Graham Under the Radar - A Collection Survey of Radio, Signalling and Radar Equipment at IWM Mark O'Neill Not in the Database: Dealing with undocumented hazards during National Museums Liverpool's Racking Infrastructure Project Larissa Jennings, Anastasia Rybachenko 11:00-11:30 Break - Tea / Coffee Empowering Safety: Hazardous material awareness, identification and management at the Science Museum Group Fiona Brock The least hazardous part of working with hazardous collections; Procedure Pierette Squires Hazards in Collections: Reducing Risk Helena Jaeschke Panel Discussion - How do you begin? Preparing for your hazards project 12:30-13:45 Extended Lunch and poster session When Hazard Becomes Part Of The History: The ethics of retaining and disposing of original radioactive components in museum collections Lisa Oxborough-Cowan Chemical Hazard Management in Collections: The role of data and documentation in reducing risk Isabel Lewis From Sour Negatives to Collection-Wide Risk: Managing hazardous photographic film in a museum environment Maria Bastidas-Spence, Jade Pinkett Mirrors Mirrors on the Wall... Reflections on the Discovery of Mercury Mirrors in the Manchester Town Hall Collection Diana Hepworth, Amelia Cadman, Harriet Haugvik Survey, Shielding, Sealing: Radioactive Collections at IWM Dan Proven Poster Presentations The Choice is Ours: Conservation of a series of twentieth-century paintings on asbestos Heather Davis Managing Decay: Ionising radiation at the royal armouries Lauren Piper Testing Times - Identification of cellulose nitrate film and photographic material at Imerperial War Museums Mark O'Neill More Than Meets the Eye: How surveys and audits reveal hidden hazards in museum collections Sara Pomposelli 15:50 - 4:00 Summary of the day and final thoughts 16:30 - 17:30 Optional guided tour *Must be pre-booked 17:30 Evening drinks