Preventive Conservation MA
1 Year Full-Time by Distance Learning | September Start

During this module you will have an invaluable work placed learning experience in professional practice in which you can apply and further develop the theory that you have learnt in previous modules with regard to the care and preventive conservation of collections of moveable cultural heritage. The placement is for four days a week over a six week period during which you undertake the roles and responsibilities of a member of staff. As a result you will learn about the day-to-day operation of the institution, its administration and management, the respective roles and responsibilities of staff members and the scope and pace of the work involved. You will be involved with whatever is happening during that period whether it is installing or de-installing an exhibition, condition reporting and packing for transit, housekeeping, conservation cleaning, documentation, surveys, risk assessment, integrated pest management, writing reports, developing an emergency preparedness plan or attending staff training sessions or meetings. The learning materials from the previous modules will be available throughout the placement should you wish to consult them. It is your responsibility to secure the placement in advance of semester two and negotiate the placement assignment topic with the institution of your choice, both of which need to be approved by the programme leader to ensure that we are able to support your learning appropriately. Past students have often chosen an institution and placement topic that can contribute to the development of their personal research from which the dissertation may develop.

The Preventive Conservation Dissertation allows you to demonstrate original research with the potential to contribute to professional practice, prepare for publication and enhance employability. You will learn how to define your broad research area and narrow this down into a research question.. You will learn how to conduct quantitative and qualitative research in order to generate the primary date that will make your research into a significant and original contribution to knowledge. . You will learn to conduct a literature review, design and write a methodology section for your dissertation, conduct case study and participant research, and how to structure a masters level dissertation. You will also learn about research ethics and how to write an approved research ethics clearance application. additi. The Dissertation will further refine your skills as a critical thinker, reflective practitioner and independent learner and provide you with a framework for continuing personal and professional development.

As a Preventive Conservator you will be responsible for minimising the deterioration of artefacts in your care. In order to do so with confidence and competence you need to understand the physical and chemical characteristics of the materials from which the artefacts have been made as well as the factors that can impact on their condition.
You will be introduced to the changes that can occur over time in different materials found in museum collections. These will include paper, paintings, metals, wood, leather, ceramics, natural history specimens, wood and textiles. You will be shown images of the material in good condition followed by images of the characteristic types of degradation that can occur. A description of the physical changes that have taken place will be provided alongside the factors that have contributed to the change. The science will be used to explain the chemical changes that have taken place resulting in the degradation characteristics.
The factors that contribute to changes in materials will be considered including: those inherent to the materials, the impact of ancillary materials, relative humidity and temperature, the quality and quantity of light, insects, atmospheric pollutants, climate change, seismic activity and fire. In addition, you will be introduced to approaches to environmental management, mitigation and monitoring that can reduce the impact of environmental factors on materials including: risk assessment, museum design, display, storage, transit, integrated pest management and emergency preparedness, response and recovery as well as approaches to data collection and interpretation,
What you will learn during this module will be challenging, exciting and fundamental to your future professional practice.

The module will introduce you to the knowledge and skills required for the care and preventive conservation of collections of moveable cultural heritage. You will learn about the materials used in the creation of items/collections of movable cultural heritage and their physical and chemical characteristics. You will learn about the agents of deterioration how conservators mitigate this in practice when considering storage, display and transit and more. You will also learn about the making, processes and meaning behind many of the objects you will encounter in heritage collections. You will learn standards for conservation strategies around cataloguing, examination and documentation, report writing for surveys, loans, couriering, packing and condition reporting.. Overall this module will provide you with an overview on the demands and responsibilities of professional practice and how these issues are affected/influenced by ethical and legislative policies. You will develop the critical judgment, reflective practice and communication skills appropriate to plan, develop, implement and manage strategies in professional working practice. This module also introduces you to research methods that you will draw upon in the development of your assignments and personal research toward your dissertation.

You will learn about the role of preventive conservation and collections care in international repatriation protocols and indigenous rights, develop a critical understanding of colonial legacies in museum collections and an overview of some of the legal and ethical frameworks for object return and collaborative heritage management using case studies from indigenous communities across different continents. You will also engage with issues around the sensitive handling of culturally significant objects and the cross cultural strategies employed in values-based conservation ethics in the museum context. You will learn about different cultural perspectives around storage, display and handling and current ethical thinking in conservation theory. The modules will introduce you to International legal frameworks for cultural property protection, strategic planning for protecting cultural heritage in conflict zones, and methodologies for sustainable heritage care in the context of climate change.