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Grimwade Centre for Cultural Materials Conservation (University of Melbourne)

  • Project: Cultural Conservation Channel
  • Amount: $100,000 over three years
  • Year(s) Funded: 2013

Encouraging and assisting diverse user groups to participate in conserving Victoria’s history and heritage

In a new approach to the delivery of conservation expertise and support, the Cultural Conservation Channel has put custodians of Victoria’s cultural records at the heart of an ambitious project to build collection care knowledge, skills, and capacity using online tools.

Conservation-Workshop-Parkville-2
Conservation Workshop University of Melbourne, Parkville
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“The raft of easily accessible tools provided by the Cultural Conservation Channel is seen as extremely useful.” Professor Robyn Sloggett, Grimwade Centre.

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Significant cultural and heritage material is held in regional Victoria, but the expertise and support for cultural conservation lies predominantly in Melbourne. It is expensive for conservators to travel to regional Victoria, and virtually impossible to bring collections to Melbourne for assessment. The Cultural Conservation Channel (CCC) has built a community of over 500 conservation practitioners to focus on access to conservation education, training and knowledge, bringing together disparate partners across Victoria and Australia representing peak bodies, community collections, and key individuals. It delivers both content on conservation, and the delivery platform from which to access this information to those responsible for, and interested in, cultural material preservation.

Snapshot:

  • The CCC provides a portal through which to raise awareness of new options for conservation resource delivery and communication
  • It contains a unique suite of integrated online conservation learning resources, designed by and for regional heritage custodians.
  • These resources can continue to be accessed and added to, extending life-long learning opportunities.
  • It enables professional development across heritage organisations for professionals and volunteers
  • It provides functional support mechanisms to preserve significant cultural materials enabling participants to look after their cultural collections.
  • The CCC is a sustainable information platform that can develop alongside new conservation resources.

Q&A preventative conservation forum: www.conservationanswers.net

Open text book with resources for a variety of conservation learning pathways: http://culturalmaterials.net/wp

arts.unimelb.edu.au/grimwadecentre