Qualifications in Cultural Materials Conservation in Aotearoa New Zealand

21 Jul

We have been fortunate to host our 8th graduate student intern through our studio at Heritage Preservation and Field Support Solutions! What a great honour that students trust us with their time and educational experience to want to come and learn with us. You'll often hear me say, having interns is professional development for us too! They are in courses learning the latest and greatest theories and approaches and those learnings filter into our work as well. They also bring their unique perspective and backgrounds to add to our skills. One of our students had a biology bachelors degree which worked well for seeing how we conserve waterlogged wood in a different way!

However, once their experience ends here, they are often left craving more conservation experience. Maybe that is why you are visiting this blog post today?

We can fully appreciate the frustration of not knowing what career paths could lie ahead for cultural materials conservation in Aotearoa New Zealand. Many of our cultural institutions, museums and galleries require a minimum of a bachelors or masters degree in conservation specifically. Hopefully we can move towards a different model one day where there is space for a wider interpretation of what being a conservator means, but for now, if you are looking for ways to 'become a conservator' in New Zealand that leads to long-term employment in conservation roles, I suggest you review the following resources. We'll periodically add to the list as the programmes develop.

Some things to flag:

All graduate training programmes are based overseas.

The list below ONLY includes those that focus on cultural materials conservation of artworks, objects, taonga and historic items. Yes, we do have some 'conservation' degree programmes in Aotearoa, but they are largely focused on policy and built heritage. This post is only for those wanting to work with artworks or moveable cultural materials.

Due to the competitive nature, many programmes have pre-requisites for entry. Make sure you check these out prior to applying.

Consider joining NZCCM to stay up to date on workshop opportunities or to follow job descriptions and track changes in the field.

The work is rewarding, but also competitive. Doing some volunteer work beforehand can give you a better idea as to whether this is a path you want to follow!