10 C O N T E X T 1 3 6 : S E P T E M B E R 2 0 1 4 IHBC Annual School 2014 The art of conservation Art:A skill at doing a specified thing, typically one acquired through practice. Conservation: The preservation and repair of archaeological, historical, and cultural sites and artefacts. Following the simple theme of ‘Skills’ at last year’s annual school, delegates this year were asked to contemplate ‘The Art of Conservation’. Is this, by definition, an extension of last year’s theme? With the variety of site visits and topics on offer to delegates, this was never going to be an easy theme to quantify. In his introduction to Fiona Hyslop’s keynote address, Stuart Eydmann admitted that the subject matter was rather ambiguous (themes were intended to help us look at the topic in different ways) and it was this sense of ambiguity that promoted discussion throughout this year’s school. Those of us who reached the top of the Forth Bridge on the first afternoon could certainly marvel at the art of its construction, but the art of conservation was limited to its cyclical regime of painting and maintenance, and the need for some amazing structural scaffolding to support the workforce. How well the remaining tours that day tackled the subject can be gauged in the reports in this issue of Context. Presentations at the Day School seemed to weave in and out and round and about the theme. Jukka Jokilehto concentrated on art in, rather than of, conservation, and Neil Gillespie offered a response to the challenge of new design in sympathy with existing fabric and places – an example of which certain delegates were fortunate to witness on their tour of Orkney. By contrast, Angus Farquhar’s passionate presentation looked at consolidating the abandoned seminary at Cardross, and at his ambitious and imaginative plans to breathe new life into the building and surrounding landscape. Shout for what you want, he extolled, loudly and successfully. The afternoon’s presentations were frustratingly limited in time. I am sure that Mike Galloway would have liked to tell us more about the Dundee Waterfront as a complex master planning exercise. Andy Millar had more time to expand on how he made things happen in the Borders thanks to his persistence and ability to creatively finance various regeneration projects. William Napier looked to help from delegates to resolve the problems of damp ingress at Mackintosh’s Hill House. Another Mackintosh building, the Glasgow School of Art, featured throughout the day as a topic of great concern following its recent extensive fire. The restoration will be watched with interest. One visit on the final day which best satisfied the theme of the art of conservation must have been the visit to Rosslyn Chapel, with its challenge of restoring and conserving the structure and its many and varied sculptures, while also integrating a new visitor centre into this historic environment. I headed off to Orkney, where I found that the true meaning of the art of conservation is synonymous with the art of conversation. Talking to and listening to the experiences and expertise of fellow delegates proved to be one of the most stimulating aspects of the annual school. Richard Majewicz Organisers of the annual school, from left to right: Charles Strang, Leigh Johnston, Devon DeCelles, LukeWormald, Jane Jackson, Mark Watson and Stuart Eydmann
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