conference design by ingeousstudios.com
More than Materials: Collaborative Approaches in Cultural Heritage Conservation
AICCM National Conference | State Library of Queensland | Kurilpa | South Brisbane
12-14 November 2025
AICCM members and First Nations Communities may request the conference recording password by emailing contact@aiccm.org.au
The 2025 AICCM National Conference will take place at Kurilpa (South Brisbane) on the unceded lands of the Turrbal and Yuggera/Jagera peoples who we acknowledge as the Original Custodians of this Country. We pay our respects to Elders past and present. We recognise First Nations enduring connection to lands, waters, culture, and community and extend that respect to all First Nations peoples.
Cultural heritage conservation is a complex field that involves many diverse communities. It is built on material expertise, context and the relationships that shape our work. Whether we analyse pigments, stabilise historic textiles, design exhibition displays, or work directly with communities to safeguard living traditions, we recognise that cultural materials are deeply connected to people, place, and knowledge systems.
As AICCM continues to learn and grow in its cultural responsibilities, this conference is an opportunity to bring together all aspects of our work – scientific, material, ethical, cultural and relational. It marks an important step in strengthening relationships with First Nations and all communities to embed cultural perspectives and build stronger, more culturally informed conservation practices together.
This event is being developed and co-curated with Caroline Martin of Yalukit Marnang Consultancy. We are committed to creating space for respectful dialogue, community-led contributions, and shared learning. The conference will comprise a three-day hybrid event with presentations, digital poster sessions, panel discussions, and includes pre-conference tours and workshops.
Meet our Key Speakers
Caroline Martin
PhD Candidate, Griffith University –‘Transformative Cultural Safety: Unveiling Structural Oppression and Identity Fraud within Institutional Frameworks and Advancing Trauma-Informed Systemic Reform’. Affiliate -Centre of Excellence for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, Monash University
Caroline, a Sovereign Boonwurrung and Wemba Wemba Woman, is a leading advocate for the recognition and amplification of First Nations voices while transforming systems for lasting change. With over 35 years of impact across arts, education, tourism and policy, she led Museum Victoria’s Bunjilaka Aboriginal Cultural Centre for 12 years, where she advocated for and managed the development of the internationally acclaimed First Peoples exhibition, renowned for its pioneering community-led approach. As Founder and Managing Director of Yalukit Marnang, she drives transformative Cultural Safety initiatives, reshaping institutions nationwide. Her leadership as Creative Director of YIRRAMBOI (2019, 2021) showcased over 350 First Nations creatives, elevating the festival as a defining force of cultural excellence. Caroline’s unwavering commitment to advocacy and cultural understanding continues to challenge systems, reinforce First Nations leadership and shape Australia’s cultural landscape.
Unsettling Comfort: Restoring First Nations Cultural Integrity in Collaborative Conservation Practice
Western conservation practices, even when framed through the language of inclusion and protection, often uphold settler-colonial structures that marginalise First Nations voicesand knowledge systems. While institutions may claim commitments to cultural integrity, these actions frequently remain superficial, anchored in institutional ease rather than genuine transformation. This paper presents a First Nations-led intervention into these systems, arguing that cultural integrity demands more than symbolic gestures; it requires the active unsettling of dominant narratives and the centring of truths long denied.
Drawing on case studies, critical theory, and First Nations scholarship, the paper exposes how conservation frameworks continue to reinforce cultural erasure and displace First Nations authority. It interrogates the ethical implications of institutional self-preservation and explores pathways for truth-telling, relational accountability, and decolonial practice. Key interventions include challenging institutional complicity and fostering environments where discomfort becomes a necessary catalyst for justice.By insisting conservation move beyond material preservation and engage with the complexities of cultural sovereignty, the paper reframes integrity as a living, relational practice, grounded in truth, reflexivity, and ethical courage. Ultimately, this work contributes to a growing discourse that calls for conservation to be reimagined not simply as technical stewardship, but as a culturally just and historically conscious responsibility. Cultural integrity, then, is not a fixed benchmark, but a continual process, one that demands both unsettling and rebuilding.
Shevaun Wright, Senior Solicitor, Terrie Janke and Company – BA/LLB (MU), MFA (UCLA), LLM (UniMelb)
Shevaun is a practising artist as well as a Senior Solicitor with Terri Janke and Company, with expertise in fine arts, commercial and construction law, and Indigenous Cultural and Intellectual Property (ICIP). She is committed to empowering First Nations communities through advocacy, training, and culturally grounded legal solutions. Admitted to practice in both Australia and California, she holds multiple postgraduate degrees in law and fine art and was a John Monash Scholar. She also won the Parliament of NSW Aboriginal Art Prize in 2015. Her work spans legal aesthetics, ICIP and Indigenous Data Sovereignty.
Indigenous Cultural and Intellectual Property & Data Governance and Sovereignty as it relates to heritage conservation
This session will provide a targeted Indigenous Cultural and Intellectual Property keynote and an artist-led panel discussion. This is with aim to provide conservators with the shared vocabulary, knowledge and strategies to engage respectfully with ICIP and First Nations communities. This presentation will cover foundations of ICIP and its relevance to conservation work; overview key principles including free, prior and informed consent; discuss case studies relating to ICIP integration; common challenges and practical solutions; and interactive Q&A and scenario analysis.
Workshops and tours
12:30-4:30pm 11 November 2025
See Workshops section for locations
Conference Venue
Auditorium 1, Level 1, State Library of Queensland, Stanley Place, South Brisbane
Registration
The registration desk will be located outside Auditorium 1 and will be open:
8:00 – 9:00 am Wednesday 12 November
8:30 – 9:00 am Thursday 13 November and Friday 14 November
The conference sessions will run 9:00am to 5:00pm daily on the 12th, 13th and 14th November 2025
Name Badges
All delegates will be given a name badge on registration. We ask that you wear your name badge at all times as this is the official entry pass to the conference and its receptions.
Speakers
Please check in with a member of the symposium organising committee at the registration desk on your arrival to confirm your speaking time.
Food and drinks
Morning tea, lunch and afternoon tea is included as part of your conference registration and will be served on the Queensland Terrace, State Library of Queensland. Please note that no food or drinks can be taken into Auditorium 1.
Conference Evening Events
Two evening events are included in your 3-day registration. Extra tickets can be purchased separately.
Wednesday 12 November 5:00 – 6:30pm – Welcome Event, GOMA Bistro. An informal event to relax and catch up with colleagues over pre-dinner canapes and drinks. Includes viewing of ‘The Big Hose’, a recently installed outdoor sculpture by Tony Albert (Girramay/Yidinyji/Kuku Yalanji) and Nell (Sydney).
Thursday 13 November 5:00 – 7:00pm – AICCM Awards Night, Queensland Terrace State Library of Queensland. Join us for the 2025 AICCM Awards Night to celebrate our hard working, creative and fabulous members and colleagues. The evening includes awards, appetizers, drinks and live entertainment.
Q&A
At the end of each session, if time allows, questions will be fielded from the online and in-person audience via Slido. Please use the QR code or joining code below to submit your questions at any time during a presentation. Please also include the speakers name you would like the question directed to.
Join at slido.com and enter code #AICCM25
Contact
For assistance during the conference, please see AICCM representatives at the registration table.
FULL REGISTRATION – 3-day in-person attendance + 1-day workshops
- Full registration (early bird before 14/10/25) Member $600
- Full registration (late) Member $790
- Full registration Member Student/Concession+ $370
- Full registration (early bird before 14/10/25) Non-Member $890
- Full registration (late) Non-Member $1090
- Full registration Non-Member Student/Concession+ $450
DAY TICKET – in-person attendance
- Day ticket Members $260
- Day ticket Non- Members $300
VIRTUAL REGISTRATION
- Virtual Individual $350
- Virtual Institutional (up to 3 attendees) $600
EVENING RECEPTIONS
The Welcome Reception and Awards Celebration events are included in your 3-day full registration (not day ticket). If you would like to bring guests, tickets need to be purchased separately.
- Guest ticket – Welcome Reception – 5-6.30pm 12/11/25 $90
- Guest ticket – Awards Celebration – 5-7pm 13/11/25 $110
What does Conference Registration include?
FULL REGISTRATION
- All programmed sessions
- Access to pre-programme workshops and tours on 11 November
- All morning teas, lunches, and afternoon teas
- Printed abstract and program booklet
- Welcome Reception (12 November)
- AICCM Awards Celebration (13 November)
- Access to virtual live-streaming and on-demand recorded sessions, including the full presentation by Shevaun Wright (Terrie Janke and company)
DAY REGISTRATION
- Day registration is available for each day.Day rate includes morning tea, lunch and afternoon tea , but does not include the evening receptions. Tickets for the evening events must be purchased separately.
MOBTIX
- Complimentary day registration is offered for First Nations guests. Please contact secretariat@aiccm.org.au for details
VIRTUAL REGISTRATION
- Virtual access to all live-streamed sessions
- Digital abstract and program booklet
- Participation in live conference sessions Q&A
- Access to on-demand recorded sessions, including the full presentation by Shevaun Wright (Terrie Janke and company)
REGISTRATION POLICIES
- Please note prices are in AUD$ and include GST
- *members = AICCM/NZCCM
- +student/concession = must have valid student/concession card
- Early bird registration closes midnight 14 October 2025
- Late registration fees apply from 15 October 2025
- In-person registrations close on 28 October
- Online/virtual registrations close 7 November
- Registrations are not transferrable or shareable, except by prior arrangement with AICCM.
- After registering, should your circumstances change, you may nominate a substitute delegate. Unfortunately, refunds will not be possible if you wish to cancel within 14 days of the event.
- For registration questions, please contact secretariat@aiccm.org.au
Congratulations to our Student Bursary recipients for the 2025 AICCM National Conference! Thanks to the generous support of the University of Canberra and Archival Survival, these outstanding students will be joining us to explore, connect, and grow at this year’s conference. We’re excited to have you and can’t wait to see you there!
Sarah Paul from the University of Canberra is eager to connect with fellow professionals and leaders in the field to expand their understanding of conservation and care of First Nations cultural material.
Brigid Stapleton from the University of Melbourne hopes to gain a better understanding from leaders in the field,
and practical insights into skills sharing and building relationships of trust from other First Nations communities.
Accommodation
- Recommended suburbs close to the State Library of Queensland are South Brisbane, Southbank, West End, Highgate Hill and the City
Places to eat
- Eating in South Brisbane
- https://taros.com.au/
- https://www.southside-restaurant.com.au/
- https://chuthephat.com.au/
- https://juliuspizzeria.com.au/
- https://www.bigroddysribs.com/
Transport
- Public Transport – Translink app or https://translink.com.au
- Most public transport can be paid for upon entry using a credit card
- Air Train https://www.airtrain.com.au/
About Kurilpa
Special Hotel Discounts and Offers
To help make your conference attendance more affordable, we’ve secured a range of hotel discounts for conference attendees. This includes 9 hotels in central Brisbane, suitable for a range of budgets. You can also get in touch for a 25% discount for the Airtrain, which will get you from the airport to the city in just 20 minutes!
Pro-invest Hotels
Pro-invest Hotels are offering conference attendees a 15% discount on the following Brisbane hotels:
-Holiday Inn Express Brisbane Central
-voco™ Brisbane City Centre
-Hotel Indigo Brisbane City Centre
Discount Code automatically applied via this link: 15% off IHG
CLLIX Apartments and Hotels
CLLIX Apartments and Hotels are offering conference attendees a 15% discount on the following properties:
-Brisbane Skytower by CLLIX
-CLLIX Brisbane Central Apartments
-Brisbane One Apartments by CLLIX
-Hope Street Apartments by CLLIX
Eligibility: The discount is valid for guests who book at least 2 nights over the weekend or must follow our website’s minimum length of stay restrictions. No room blocks are reserved with this promo code.
Extended Stay: This discount can also be applied 3 days before and 3 days after the event (November 12-14, 2025), subject to availability.
Website: www.cllix.com
Discount Code: AICCM25
Ibis Styles Brisbane
Ibis Styles Brisbane are offering conference attendees a 15% discount for the following hotel:
-ibis Styles Brisbane Elizabeth Street
Eligible Dates: Tuesday 11 – Saturday 15 November 2025. Includes complimentary internet access.
Website: https://ibisstylesbrisbaneelizabeth.com.au/
Discount Code: ISB15
Airtrain 25% Discount
As a delegate you are entitled to 25% discount on return fares with Airtrain, use the promocode AICCM2025 to redeem or pre-booked online at airtrain.com.au to skip the queue.
One of Airtrain’s city stations is the South Brisbane station, which is located just 538 metres from the State Library of Queensland. For those unfamiliar with Brisbane, you can use our online journey planner to map out your journey to the centre.
Instructions to purchase:
- Head to airtrain.com.au
- Select the Book Tickets button
- Select Return button
- Choose departure and return date from 09/11/2025 to 17/11/2025
- Select From destination as the Airport Domestic or Airport International
- Select To destination as one of the following stations: Eagle Junction, Wooloowin, Albion, Bowen Hills, Fortitude valley, Central, Roma Street, South Brisbane
- Select the number of passengers
- Enter passenger details and select proceed to payment
- Select the check boxes
- Select payment method
- To apply a promo code, use a link Click here, enter the promo code AICCM2025 and click Apply
- Enter payment details
- Press the Confirm booking button
Terms and Conditions: This offer is available for travel from 09/11/2025 to 17/11/2025. Tickets are non-refundable and non-changeable. Your city ticket is valid for travel to and from all stations between the Airport and South Brisbane, including Eagle Junction, Wooloowin, Albion, Bowen Hills, Fortitude valley, Central and Roma Street stations. Children 14 years and under travel free to city stations when accompanied by a paying adult and using paper ticket or e-ticket purchased from airtrain.com.au. For Airtrain’s full terms and conditions visit https://www.airtrain.com.au/terms-and-conditions/.
Please contact the secretariat with any questions.
image: Shantanu Starick 2011
Founded in 1896, State Library of Queensland is the leading reference and research library in Queensland. State Library is responsible for collecting and preserving a comprehensive collection of Queensland’s cultural and documentary heritage, providing free access to information for all Queenslanders and for the advancement of public libraries across the State.
State Library plays a lead role in serving all Queenslanders, through statewide library services and partnerships with more than 320 vibrant public libraries and Indigenous Knowledge Centres in Queensland.
The conference will be held in Auditorium 1 on level 2 and will extend onto the Queensland Terrace for catering, networking opportunities, conference information and AICCM Awards event on the Thursday evening.
If you are travelling, conference organisers can arrange for large bags to be safely stored during the day. Ask at the conference welcome desk on arrival.
Until the 15th of November, all donations made to the AICCM will go towards support of the 2025 AICCM National Conference. Your donation will provide funds to support the participation of next generation, First Nations, and regional speakers, helping to build knowledge sharing across Australia’s cultural heritage communities.
Thank you for generosity and support. We will list names of 2025 AICCM National Conference donors on the conference website page. If you do not wish to have your name listed as a conference donor, please contact secretariat@aiccm.org.au.
Donations of $2.00 or more are tax deductible. For donations $1500 or more, please contact samantha.shellard@qagoma.qld.gov.au for sponsorship packages.
The Australian Institute for the Conservation of Cultural Materials (AICCM) bespoke 2025 National Conference design was created by ingeous studios. It tells the story of the AICCM working to improve inclusivity and to share knowledge and understanding throughout its activities. The stylised design represents the communities, people and collecting institutions which the AICCM works with to conserve Australian First Nations cultural heritage. Each element forms a part of the cultural jigsaw, illustrating the connections between First Nations communities and cultural heritage collections, First Nations knowledge lines and knowledge sharing, and non-indigenous museums and collections.
Sponsors and Donors
We thank all our sponsors and donors. Your contribution will help AICCM bring together First Nations colleagues and heritage conservation professionals to build cultural awareness and develop a strong network across our sector.
AICCM warmly acknowledges the generous support of the Australian Museums and Galleries Association (AMaGA) as a valued sponsor of the 2025 National Conference. AMaGA is co-sponsoring the important Indigenous Cultural and Intellectual Property (ICIP) presentation by Shevaun Wright from Terri Janke and Company and has provided three bursaries for First Nations speakers to attend, share knowledge, and participate in professional exchange. We thank AMaGA for their commitment to inclusivity, cultural leadership, and collaborative sector growth, and we look forward to a continuing and impactful partnership.
Conference Support and Session Sponsors
Professor Emeritus Barbara van Ernst AM | AICCM acknowledges with gratitude the generous support of Professor Emeritus Barbara van Ernst AM, major donor to the 2025 National Conference. Barbara’s contributions have long strengthened the conservation profession, notably through the Barbara van Ernst Internship supporting textile training. Her support for this conference extends to funding First Nations participation, ensuring Indigenous voices are heard, celebrated, and connected through shared learning. We thank Barbara for her enduring leadership and commitment to inclusive cultural heritage.
Invited First Nations Speaker Sponsors
Workshop Sponsors
Tradetable Sponsors
Student Bursary Sponsors
International Sponsors
Other Sponsor/Donor
In-kind Support
