A dilemma resolved? Towards a revised philosophy of conservation education

Abstract

The guidelines for conservation education agreed by the European Confederation of Conservator-restorers’ Organisations’ state that “The only reasonable way of training in conservation/restoration is full time at university level or at an equivalent level, including practical internships.” Furthermore the September 1994 ECCO guidelines stipulated “Aptitude for the field of conservation/restoration should be determined by an entrance examination. The education should not take less than three years and preferably consist of four years”. Yet, in early 2000, an authoritative article entitled the “Dilemma of Conservation Education” asked a number of fundamental questions, including one which may be summarized as “Are we expecting a conservator-restorer to learn more than is humanly possible?”. This paper responds to some of these questions, tracing the development of conservation education from one which originated in a multi-disciplinary context to the concept of an interdisciplinary education which underlies the new courses being offered in Malta and a number of other countries. Specifically it will suggest that 1) the objective of conservation education is to create the conservator as an interdisciplinary member of a multi-disciplinary team and 2) rigorous training, a commitment to a shared vision, a deliberately formed and carefully cultivated interdisciplinarity, are the defining characteristics of a true conservator.