The C Word (M4A Feed)
The Conservators' Podcast
Episodes
July 3, 2025
Jenny, Solange and Liz get philosophical at the end of the season and talk about object use, facsimiles, and the human connection.
00:33 Straight into philosophy
06:21 What do we value?
10:14 But use is damage, right?
14:20 What about future use?
15:55 Renaissance Disneyland
20:38 Interacting with collections
32:17 Familial connections
35:11 Message from Jenny
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June 11, 2025 • 63 mins
Jenny, Solange and Liz share their thoughts on finding clients, while some of our listeners in private practice reveal what really works for them. Also tune in for a book review from Phedra!
00:53 Let’s get into it!
05:05 Bragging about yourself can be hard
06:28 Listener contributions
08:07 Business cards, fairs and open studios
18:36 Should we tell people where we are?
21:27 Listener contributions
23:03 Social media
33:25 Web...
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May 29, 2025
Liz is joined by Isabella Rossi and Sophie McAloone for another emerging professional special – this time about being in private practice! Or freelance. Or whatever you’d like to call it! (We talk that one out too.) Can you go at it alone as an ECP? Spoilers: yes!
00:36 BevArt chat with Jenny and Solange
08:28 New kids on the block
11:26 The appeal of going solo
17:28 The delicate balance of working with clients
23:08 Learning fro...
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May 14, 2025 • 53 mins
Jenny and Solange are joined by conservation scientist Panagiotis Morfis as we talk bioplastics: what are they, where do they crop up, and how can we look after them? Also tune in for a review of ‘Experimental Design and Scientific Data Analysis’ from Jenny.
01:03 Feeling out of our depth is okay
05:00 What ARE bioplastics?
07:25 Information and identification
14:09 Bringing in the science
17:06 3D printing
25:28 Survey time!
2...
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May 1, 2025 • 51 mins
In this takeover special folks from the Heritage Trust Network Youth Forum get real about being emerging and early career professionals in heritage: sharing thoughts on resilience, broad skill sets, and whether or not we’re over the whole ‘digital’ thing. Are we maybe done with instant gratification? Also tune in for a book review from Liz!
00:13 BevArt update!
01:45 Introducing our takeover crew
02:55 Meet Grace, Becca, Emily, a...
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April 16, 2025 • 53 mins
Join us as we all share the love for the smaller museums out there by visiting somewhere local (to each of us) or ditty (if we were on holiday). Come along to five wonderful little museums!
01:03 Solange visits Derwent Pencil Museum
09:52 Phedra goes to the Museum of Greek Refugees
24:33 Liz visits the Our Lord in the Attic Museum
34:17 Kloe goes to Shibden Hall
44:00 Jenny visits the Dylan Thomas Boathouse
Show Notes:
- Derwent ...
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April 2, 2025 • 51 mins
Jenny, Liz and Solange tackle the age old question: how do you choose a conservation specialism? How did we find ours and what should you consider? Also tune in for a review of the new edition of ‘Culture is Bad for You’ from Jenny!
00:31 Kloe and Phedra are on maternity leave
01:24 How Solange found books
05:57 Do we begin with the craft?
08:55 Solange accidentally introduces someone to conservation
13:09 Let’s teach kids repai...
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March 20, 2025 • 53 mins
Liz and Solange are joined by Mary Lewis, head of craft sustainability at Heritage Crafts. Where does conservation and craft overlap? Let’s talk it out! Also tune in for a book review from Jenny.
00:24 Sponsorship news, hooray!
01:57 Meet Mary
05:53 Kindling crafts and their benefits
07:44 Intangible cultural heritage and the fetishisation of objects
11:45 Endangered crafts
17:19 Being human and using your hands
24:40 Overlap ...
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December 21, 2024 • 43 mins
Ho ho ho! In this festive special the team assembles to play a game of ‘Would you rather?’ and make some predictions for the year ahead – plus an exciting announcement from Phedra and Kloe!
00:05:13 A game of ‘Would you rather?’
00:31:07 Predictions for 2025
00:38:04 The announcement!
00:41:01 Songs on YouTube
00:41:34 Thank you, listeners!
Show Notes:
- S09E08 Dyes in Conservation: https://thecword.show/2021/06/30/s09e08-dy...
Mark as Played
December 11, 2024 • 83 mins
We consider a few different takes on apprenticeships: Liz has been an apprentice, Jenny has hosted one, and Kloe is keen. Kloe also talks to Jane Henderson about the potential pitfalls, and Solange interviews stone carvers Nina Bilbey and Charlotte Howarth about how apprenticeships work in their industry. Don’t forget to tune in for a Dear Jane about choosing a specialism at the end!
00:02:11 Recent keynote on the topic
00:08:38 ...
Mark as Played
November 27, 2024 • 80 mins
In this takeover special the conservators at the National Trust take us behind the scenes: telling us their stories, sharing their hopes for the future, and smashing myths about NT properties!
00:00:12 Have you heard of BevArt?
00:02:12 Sarah and Siobhan introduce the National Trust
00:08:18 Urban gems
00:10:14 Managing collections in houses
00:17:04 Changing approaches to preservation
00:22:30 Anita and Rebecca go for a walk
0...
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November 13, 2024 • 72 mins
Kloe and Solange give an update on their respective journeys while Liz and Phaedra talk to Bethany Jo Mikelait and Mariana Onofri about how the profession (and accreditation) works in Canada and Brazil. Also tune in for a Dear Jane about gently refusing to work on an object.
00:00:23 Solange and Kloe’s updates
00:15:29 Who are our co-hosts?
00:16:32 How it works in Canada
00:31:28 How it works in Brazil
00:45:48 How can we be regu...
Mark as Played
October 30, 2024 • 48 mins
Echoes of the past, dead objects, and creepy stores – Solange, Kloe and Jenny have a lot on their minds in this year’s spooky special! Jenny also visits a newly opened paranormal museum, Liz reviews an enchanting chapter from a sumptuous tome, and Jenny reads a book of ghost stories set in heritage locations.
00:34 Have you heard of BevArt?
04:59 What are ‘ghost signs’ exactly?
16:17 Solange’s haunted attic dwelling
21:19 We get ...
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October 16, 2024 • 56 mins
What’s it like to work on glass? Jenny and Phedra are joined by emerging conservator Terri Costello as they explore this fragile but ancient material. Also tune in for Solange’s interview with artist Freya Laughton about preserving memories in glass.
01:40 Phedra’s adventures with Roman glass
04:30 All the exciting places we find it in collections
11:36 Trying out glassblowing and involving expert makers
19:03 Chemistry, imperfec...
Mark as Played
October 3, 2024 • 65 mins
Fess up: when did you last lose something? Liz, Phedra, Kloe and Jenny explore what ‘loss’ can mean in collections, in heritage generally, and in conservation.
00:01:10 What do we mean by lost?
00:02:13 Misplaced, disassociated, data loss
00:05:59 Kloe is a fan of the hard copy
00:11:53 Theft in museums
00:15:37 Does loss enhance the value of art?
00:17:56 The motivation behind a theft matters
00:21:30 Freeports and their impli...
Mark as Played
September 18, 2024 • 86 mins
We recap our experiences at Icon24: Conservation for Change as we reflect on the conference and our first nearly-full-team meet-up! Phedra also interviews Patrick Whife from Icon about organising the event. Finally we all share our various summer adventures and plans for the autumn!
00:02:07 We went to a conference (you might’ve guessed)
00:08:11 Audio adventures from Icon24
00:42:41 Phedra has a great idea (please steal it)
00:4...
Mark as Played
June 26, 2024 • 83 mins
In this year’s travel special we go on FOUR individual journeys: a sort of deconstructed road trip. Kloe goes to sunny Spain, Liz takes her bike to the Rijks Museum, Jenny darts between museums in Sweden, and finally Phedra goes on a watery adventure in Cyprus. Don’t miss the return of Cass Fino-Radin at the end of the episode, when they interview emerging conservation professionals at the recent AIC conference in Salt Lake City. S...
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June 13, 2024 • 94 mins
Kloe and Phedra are joined by Jill Carruthers in an episode all about newer, fresh-faced museums. What’s it like opening a brand NEW museum? Phedra talks to Matt Turtle from the Museum of Homelessness AND Eleni Loizides from the Cyprus Archaeological Museum, while Solange sits down to chat with James Hogg from the Yorkshire Natural History Museum. Also tune in for a review of ‘Conservation Skills for the 21st Century’ from Jenny!
...
Mark as Played
May 30, 2024 • 51 mins
Liz and Phedra are joined by Jonathan Santa Maria Bouquet as they talk about the conservation of musical instruments: from tuning and treatment considerations to ethics and philosophy. Also tune in (pun somewhat intended) for an interview from Solange with Emma Hardy, violin maker and repairer. There’s even some lovely music at the end!
00:22 More announcements!
02:26 Origin story
07:01 The perils and pleasures of working in a fis...
Mark as Played
May 15, 2024 • 48 mins
Jenny, Solange and Phedra are joined by Luisa Casella as we talk about AI: how can conservators use these tools and what are their pros and cons? Luisa tells us about CRAIG, a large language model for conservators, while Jenny frets about the climate impact. Also tune in for a review of a recent lecture on AI usage from Solange and Phedra!
01:35 What do we mean by AI?
04:11 Building a LLM for conservators
13:33 Climate impact and...
Mark as Played
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