Students of the Grimwade Centre, Zeejay Tan and Chuqing Huang, engaged in restoration of an object of cultural and historical significance
Transforming the cultural health of the nation and our region and responding to emerging threats to cultural legacies will be the core focuses of a new institute in the Faculty of Arts at the University of Melbourne.
The establishment of the Robert Cripps Institute for Cultural Conservation, which will expand upon the pioneering work of the Grimwade Centre for Cultural Materials Conservation, was announced today by the University of Melbourne.
Minsmere Pty Ltd, as a subsidiary of the Cripps Foundation, has donated $15 million to establish the Institute, building upon a $6.9 million donation from the Foundation in 2013. The Cripps family has been a deeply engaged partner of and philanthropic donor to the Grimwade Centre for over 25 years.
The Grimwade Centre is a global leader in cultural materials conservation, research and teaching. This gift will enable the critical next phase of its development and help address increasing challenges to the security of cultural heritage, including the climate crisis and related disasters, global conflicts, mass migration and a dearth of vital conservation expertise.
Recent work of the Grimwade Centre includes the restoration of Australia’s 1297 version of the Magna Carta, reconstruction of church heritage in the Philippines, identification and remediation of ‘poisonous’ 19th century books, and the recovery and restoration of objects damaged in Victorian floods.
The Robert Cripps Institute for Cultural Conservation will bring together the Humanities and Sciences to produce new research that supports individuals and communities to ensure their cultural legacy is available to them and to future generations.
The Institute will educate the next generation of leading conservators, deliver research breakthroughs, work in partnership with Australian Indigenous and Asia-Pacific communities to protect and preserve their heritage, and provide expert conservation services to the public.
Read the full media release here.
AAANZ was delighted to see a substantial gift to support Cultural Conservation at the University of Melbourne.
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