About two years ago, AICCM’s new Development Committee started to think about how we could mark the 50th anniversary of AICCM. Out of these discussions was born the ‘50K for 50 years’ project, our inaugural fundraiser.
This was partly to explore new ways to achieve financial sustainability for AICCM. We also wanted to use the funds raised to support member-driven projects that would advance the vision and mission of the AICCM into the next 50 years. Project proposals were invited across key thematic areas that aligned with the objectives in the AICCM Strategic Plan.
I’d really like to thank our previous vice president, Grace Barrand, who chaired the Development Committee through this period and who was the driving force behind the project.
I’d also like to thank the founding committee members for their expertise and advice—Robyn Sloggett, Carolyn Murphy, Kasi Albert, Detlev Lueth, MaryJo Lelyveld and Jennifer O’Connell.
We were overwhelmed by the support shown by AICCM members during the appeal, and I’d particularly like to acknowledge the generous donations from Robyn Sloggett and David Thurrowgood, who offered to match donations during our 2023 June campaign. Others who have been exceptionally generous include Ian Cook, Ian Macleod, MaryJo Lelyveld, Michael Varcoe-Cocks and Laura Kennedy. Thank you to everyone for your donations, large and small—you’re all legends.
I’m very pleased to announce that we just managed to sneak over the line to achieve our goal of raising $50K, aided greatly in recent months by support from ArtsNational (formerly ADFAS) and the Gordon Darling Foundation.
The five winning projects are:
- University of Canberra Indigenous Art and Artefact Collection: Creating a Scholarship of Practice and Care—awarded to Hakim Abdul Ramin and Dr Wendy Somerville
- Natural Sciences 101: building natural sciences knowledge and skills in the Australian conservation profession—awarded to Sheldon Teare, Dani Measday and Irene Finkelde
- Collaborative models of care: preserving Australian First Nations digital cultural heritage—awarded to Rebecca Barnott-Clement with support from AGNSW. This project is generously supported by the Gordon Darling Foundation.
- Resilient Community Museums: Tailored Training Course for Heritage Professionals Working with Community Museums in Disaster Preparedness—awarded to Kay Soderlund and Tegan Anthes
- AICCM student conservators fund ($10,000 over 5 years), launching in 2024 with $2,000 to SC@M, for student conservators to organise professional development workshops. This project is generously supported by ArtsNational.
These projects reflect the key areas of focus of our current Strategic Plan:
- First Nations values and voices in conservation
- Engaging with regional, rural and remote communities
- Next generation conservators and/or skills development
- Disaster resilience and climate change responses
- Advocacy, profile, and capacity building projects.
Thank you to everyone who submitted a proposal—they all demonstrated passion and commitment and we’re only sorry we couldn’t fund them all.
To the winners, congratulations! The projects will begin in the new year and will take place over the next year or so—keep an eye out for updates in future issues of the eNews.