In February 2017 Trustees of The ZGTF were delighted to meet up again with three 2016 Scholars at Glasgow University. Keira Miller, Rosie Nuttall and Ruby Antonowicz-Behan are all studying for an MPhil in Textile Conservation at the Centre for Textile Conservation and Technical Art History. They were given grants by the Trust which enabled them to go to New Zealand, Australia and Poland, respectively.
An important part of the grant process is that students who receive a grant from the Trust come back to give a presentation and provide a written report to convey to the Trust what they have learned and gained from the overseas experience. It is hoped that such travels not only enhance their technical skills, but also gives them an insight into different cultures and possibly how those influence the conservation process in a particular country, community or environment.
Keira Miller went to the Museum of New Zealand, Te Papa Togarewa, in Wellington, working on a variety of pieces including Maori artefacts and learning the Maori approach to conservation. Rosie Nuttall went to ArtLab in Adelaide, Australia; a feature of that experience was working with ethnographical textiles and gaining experience working in a professional working environment. Ruby Antonowicz-Behan spent two months with the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam working with costumes in the museum’s collection as well as tapestries.
The Trustees, Ellen Leslie and Dr Campbell Norman-Smith, were very impressed with the presentations, which demonstrated the positive impact such overseas experience can have early in a conservator’s career. The Trust is very grateful to Dr Frances Lennard, Senior Lecturer at the Centre for Textile Conservation for hosting the event.