Top conservation award for Birmingham Museums' Staffordshire Hoard team

The Staffordshire Hoard conservation team from Birmingham Museums Trust is celebrating after picking up one of the top awards in the conservation sector.  The team received the prestigious Pilgrim Trust Award for Conservation at the 2015 Icon Conservation Awards.

The project, which was described by judges in the annual awards as “the poster project of the sector” received praised for its public engagement, which has raised the profile of conservation, “making the public say ‘wow’ about conservation”.  The award, sponsored by Beko, is one of the most coveted in the heritage and conservation sectors, awards by a panel from the Institute of Conservation, which represents the nation’s top conservators.

The Staffordshire Hoard is the largest haul of Anglo-Saxon treasure ever discovered, comprising around 4,000 individual pieces, including over 5kg of gold and 1.4kg of silver.  With many items from the Hoard now on public display within the specially-constructed gallery at Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery, conservation and research on the Staffordshire Hoard continues with the treasures revealing ever more secrets about the skills of the 7thcentury Anglo-Saxon gold and silversmiths who crafted the items, but the reason behind why the hoard was buried in the first place still remains a mystery.

“This has been a fantastic project involving many different organisations and research partners, and the very nature of the original find and subsequent conservation works has generated a huge amount of public interest,” comments Pieta Greaves, Staffordshire Hoard Conservation Coordinator at Birmingham Museums Trust.  “Not only are we regularly updating displays in the gallery, but we’re publishing blogs and research to feed the public hunger for information about this unique collection - a level of interactivity really brings this conservation project to life.  This sits alongside specialist talks and studio tours for other conservation professionals.”

Indeed the whole project has required an unusual level of interaction between the Hoard’s joint owners and its custodians – the collection is held by Birmingham Museums Trust and The Potteries Museum & Art Gallery in Stoke-on-Trent for their respective councils.  Historic England provided major funding for the research and conservation, which is managed by Barbican Research Associates.

ENDS

Notes to Editor

1. Birmingham Museums Trust is an independent charity that manages the city’s museum collection and venues on behalf of Birmingham City Council. It uses the collection of around 800,000 objects to provide a wide range of arts, cultural and historical experiences, events and activities that deliver accessible learning, creativity and enjoyment for citizens and visitors to the city. Most areas of the collection are designated as being of national importance, including the finest collection of Pre-Raphaelite art in the world. Attracting over one million visits a year, the Trust’s venues include Aston Hall, Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery, Blakesley Hall, Museum Collections Centre, Museum of the Jewellery Quarter, Sarehole Mill, Soho House, Thinktank and Weoley Castle. www.birminghammuseums.org.uk
2. Arts Council England champions, develops and invests in artistic and cultural experiences that enrich people’s lives. It supports a range of activities across the arts, museums and libraries – from theatre to digital art, reading to dance, music to literature, and crafts to collections. Great art and culture inspires us, brings us together and teaches us about ourselves and the world around us. In short, it makes life better. Between 2015 and 2018, Arts Council England plans to invest £1.1 billion of public money from government and an estimated £700 million from the National Lottery to help create these experiences for as many people as possible across the country. www.artscouncil.org.uk
3. The Icon Conservation Awards recognise the highest standards of conservation, research and collections care within the UK art and heritage sectors. This year’s shortlist represents a diverse range of projects from right across the UK which once again proves the exceptional skills and innovation that the UK has to offer. Icon is the UK’s leading voice for the conservation of UK cultural heritage. The charity raises awareness of the cultural, social and economic value of caring for our heritage and champions high standards of conservation. The support of its members, partners, donors and sponsors is critical to its ability to represent the conservation profession and those who support the charity’s aims. www.icon.org.uk
4. Historic England (formerly known as English Heritage) is the public body that champions and protects England’s historic places. It looks after the historic environment, providing expert advice, helping people protect and care for it and helping the public to understand and enjoy it. 
5. The Potteries Museum & Art Gallery, Stoke-on-Trent holds a collection of 750,000 items, all of which are designated as being of national and international importance. The museum highlights the history of The Potteries including the world’s greatest collection of Staffordshire ceramics, a WWII Spitfire, fine and decorative arts, archaeology and natural history. Visitors can also see pieces from the Staffordshire Hoard in the ‘Anglo-Saxon Kingdom of Mercia’ exhibition. www.stokemuseums.org.uk
6. Beko plc celebrates its 25th year anniversary in 2015 and is the principal and corporate sponsor of the Icon Awards 2015. Beko is the UK’s best-selling home appliance brand, selling over 25 million appliances in the UK since 1990. Beko plc is a subsidiary of Arcelik, whose parent company is Turkish multinational group, KocHoldings – ranked 217th in 2013 Forbes Top 500 Global Companies. Arcelik is now the #2 home appliances manufacturer in Europe and winner of multiple energy efficiency, technology and design awards for Beko appliances sold throughout the world. Beko develops helpful, innovative and energy efficient electrical appliances that deliver exceptional value and quality, securing high levels of customer satisfaction. Beko partners with Barnardo’s charity in the UK to help support children and families in their local community.
7. The Pilgrim Trust was established by an American benefactor in 1930. Its first Trustees used funds to support social welfare projects, preservation of buildings and countryside, and the promotion of art and learning. Today, its priority areas are closely defined. With an annual income of around £2.5 million its modest resources are used where they can make the most impact. The Trust gives grants to charities and other public bodies with 60% of funding directed towards preservation projects, for example, the essential work of collections care and management and the repair of important historic buildings that need to find a new, sustainable use and 40% of funding going towards social welfare needs with a focus on projects that help women and girls who have been or are at risk of being involved in the criminal justice system. The Pilgrim Trust also supports organisations by offering more than just money. By working collaboratively with other foundations, not only can information and expertise be shared, but more money can be drawn into a project. Its Trustees always try to use their funds imaginatively. They might provide initial funding to get a project started so that an organisation can reach a point where it can apply for major grants. 

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Jay Commins

Pyper York Limited

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Email:    jay@pyperyork.co.uk