From Crafts in Crisis to Rubbish in Retrofit: IHBC’s 5 Commitments to Help Heritage Skills in Conservation
Alterations to 1 in 4 buildings in the UK need heritage specialists Heritage Skills in Conservation Report Scan the QR code to access the report.
‘The report is an independent scoping of barriers to key skills needed for successful built and historic environment conservation. It helps shape our response to this costly and damaging story of skills deficits and disappointments. Ranging from old crafts and new trades to professional practice and, of course, retrofit, its grand and ambitious sweep captures a challenging account of poor decisions and missed opportunities. The wide scope reflects the concerns of IHBC members who, as Conservation Professionals, work across development processes to achieve the best viable outcomes for valued places and buildings. That scope also reflects the IHBC’s successful case to apply for a Charter, as we continue to focus on enhancing the public benefits of cross-cutting and interdisciplinary conservation practice. Here, our own ‘Five Commitments’ lists how we will respond to the skills challenges captured in the report. So I hope everyone can use this work too, to help you seize on any opportunities to address them.’ I am delighted to welcome the IHBC’s response to a new report into ‘Heritage Skills in Conservation’, supported by the IHBC’s CREATIVE Conservation Fund. Rebecca Thompson, IHBC President & Director of Property, St Paul's Cathedral
The new report into ‘Heritage Skills in Conservation’ follows on from the IHBC-led research ‘THE VALUE OF HERITAGE: FIRST REPORT of the APPG on Conservation, Places & People’ The new report into ‘Heritage Skills in Conservation’ follows on from the IHBCled research ‘THE VALUE OF HERITAGE: FIRST REPORT of the APPG on Conservation, Places & People’, which consolidated views, priorities and initiatives in heritage values from across key sectors and our diverse partners. Now, the IHBC is looking at a practical priority for us: ‘Heritage Skills in Conservation’, our first step in commissioning a single vision of the skills challenges that directly constrain conservation outcomes across ALL areas of practice relevant to us. The research was designed to identify critical areas of concern for us. These range from the familiar – linked to capacity, demand and supply – to the catastrophic, such as the billions wasted on usually well-meaning but often inappropriate retrofit initiatives. Skills sit at the centre of the IHBC’s own cross-sector and interdisciplinary conservation objectives. As we advance our ambitions for interdisciplinary built and historic environment conservation practice, this work helps us shape our support for all conservation skills. Background 4 Scan to access ‘The Value of Heritage’ APPG report
The Pressure points we find reveal a skills landscape in conservation that is critically fragmented and side-lined, often due to prejudices and short-term objectives. Inevitably, lessons are ignored, opportunities missed, and money wasted, as demonstrated by: Wasted investment The debacle of publicly-funded retrofit insulation recently highlighted by the National Audit Office, well-meaning but un-informed and exceptionally damaging. A small part of that funding targeting heritage-related VAT relief, such as in refurbishment and repair, would create demand, underpin skills and deliver sustainable outcomes. Sidelined successes and missed opportunities Traditional & craft skills, whether achievements or challenges, are barely recognised outside their own areas. For trade skills, calls for better regulation tied to skills are passed over. Professional conservation accreditation schemes underpin specialist standards, but practitioner numbers are tiny and many key professions have yet to grapple with the issue. Though planning sits at the heart of today’s challenging balance of development and environment, critical support still demands the most energetic lobbying. Pressure Points 5 Scan here to access references & related links
2. Educate Enhance access to IHBC standards and services across all built and historic environment practices and operations. For traditional skills and trade, make learning resources and infrastructure more accessible to non-professional and non-specialist users. For professional practitioners, align our services and standards to facilitate wider professional engagement and continuing professional development. For retrofit, embed the informed management of retrofit as a core skill for the Conservation Professional. IHBC’s ‘Five Commitments’ to Help Heritage Skills in Conservation 1. Advocate Present targeted parliamentary-level briefings across the UK and its Home Nations. Partnerships are critical to sector advocacy and success, not least the link with bodies such as Built Environment Forum Scotland and, in England, The Heritage Alliance. We will build on our APPG work with new briefings to enhance crosssector engagement at the highest levels. 3. Investigate Investigate the complex challenges in heritage management processes and skills and respond accordingly. Regulatory, policy and administrative processes in heritage management can be disconnected, under-funded and ignored, obscuring the real challenges and deficits. We will host a parliamentary briefing on how the management of valued buildings and places under-serves society, and what we can do. 4. Celebrate Celebrate the achievements of heritage skills in conservation, helped by our CREATIVE Conservation Fund. IHBC'S CREATIVE Conservation Fund is designed to help built and historic environment public benefit priorities using restricted IHBC budgets, donations and bequests. 5. Integrate Establish and host a new network, open and free, to support service leads delivering conservation-related learning, training and education. Skills development and support can maximise conservation benefits if it reaches across all conservation-related sectors, disciplines and practices - from craft to retrofit.
IHBC CREATIVE Conservation Fund Allocation Table The IHBC’s Charitable Objects Scan for more information Helping Conservation and People Add value and support your personal conservation priorities with confidence. To promote new and alternative thinking and exploration in all aspects of the future of conservation IHBC Day School Spotlights* Gust Astley Student Award Council+* Donate to any, or all, of the funding areas Innovation Visioning Exploration Conservation Funding Area Specific Purpose Sample Initiatives and Allocations General Aims Celebration To applaud outstanding practice Marsh Awards Gus Astley Student Award Research To support excellence in research IHBC’s Toolbox Research Programme Education Apprenticeship Training To facilitate corporate, collective, or individual competence, learning, knowledge transfer and understanding IHBC’s Annual School bursaries* Gus Astley Student Award
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