Cross-cultural conservation
About
The Cross-Cultural Conservation Group aims to bridge national and international cultural expertise across communities and cultures to foster communication between groups and enable care of heritage (tangible and intangible). To do so, it seeks to make conservation more accessible to broader communities, recognising ways of care other than what is generally practiced in institutions. By fostering cross cultural learning and pooling different forms of practices and knowledge, the group endeavours to bring together and expand ways of conserving, ultimately empowering communities to care for their own cultural heritage and collections.
Projects
Developing two-way learning program with Indigenous communities - Warmun Art Centre Partnership
Each year Gija Board members, Elders and staff from the Warmun Art Centre visit Melbourne and work with Grimwade Centre to conducting teaching program and, in turn, learn about conservation from a lab-based university perspective. In return, Robert Cripps Institute staff and students visit Warmun where they are taught by Gija Elders.
Leading collaborative research and actions to conserve material culture in the tropics –APTCCARN Leadership
The Asia Pacific Tropical Climate Conservation Art Research Network (APTCCARN) is a collaborative effort to explore cultural maintenance and build conservation through the creation of strong, sustained research networks. Since its foundation, APTCCARN has held meetings across the Asia-Pacific region, linking intergenerational knowledge and heritage professionals to share regionally relevant conservation practices and question what it means to conserve material culture in the tropics, and how best to achieve this.
Conservation, Display and Storage of Artefacts Housed at Xieng Khouang Provincial Museum, Xieng Khouang Province, Lao PDR
Funded by the University of Melbourne (UoM) and the Australian Embassy in Lao PD, the research provides training in ceramics conservation and restore earthenware vessels excavated by the ARC funded Plain of Jars Archaeological Project.
Connecting local expertise to conservation projects in the Asia Pacific region – AusHeritage Leadership
Grimwade Centre for Cultural Materials Conservation is a founding Member and contributor to AusHeritage, a network of Australian cultural heritage management organisations, established by the Australian Government in 1996. The network aims to facilitate the engagement of practitioners and organisations for the Australian heritage industry in the overseas arena. Its members work internationally on a grant funded, commercial or cooperative basis.
Monitoring the condition of rock heritage using Machine Learning
Addressing the increased threat of loss from both natural and human causes to Aboriginal rock heritage, using Machine Learning to intelligently map damage onto 3D models, combined with advances in handheld and drone-based sensors, a new tool will be used to assess and monitor the condition of rock heritage to better target conservation actions and policies to help safeguard this threatened world heritage. Significant benefits include producing an accessible toolfor a wide range of stakeholders to monitor and protect culturally important sites.
