Save the Textile Conservation Centre

From the Costume Society

We ask for letters to be sent objecting to this closure to: Professor Nick Foskett Dean of Law, Arts and Social Sciences, with copies to Professor Bill Wakeham, Vice-Chancellor, University of Southampton, Highfield, Southampton SO17 1BJ. The more post they get the better..

The Textile Conservation Centre Some recent achievements

Background: a distinguished history and international reputation

1. The TCC was established as independent charitable trust in 1975. Based in Hampton Court Palace from 1975-1999. Merged with University of Southampton in 1998. Staff transferred to U of S in 1998. Moved to custom-designed building on the WSA campus in 1999.
2. The charitable trust was re-named the ‘TCC Foundation’ and continues to support the TCC, particularly in giving bursaries to its students.
3. The TCC Foundation contributed £700,000 towards the cost of the building and funded the cost of all of the new equipment, the relocation, and development of the new academic programmes. Total raised from external sources: £1.7m (over 50% of the total cost).
4. The TCC currently has 11.6 fte staff plus 4 staff on time-limited research contracts.
5. The TCC was identified as one of the University of Southampton’s nine Key Distinctors.

Research: the TCC has met or exceeded all its research milestones

1. Secured the then largest ever grant awarded by AHRC: £948,000 to establish the AHRC Research Centre for Textile Conservation and Textile Studies, 2002-7.
2. AHRC Research Centre has consistently met or exceeded its milestones (e.g. academic publications, international conferences and exhibitions); its output and management have been praised by AHRC and by external reviewers.
3. Total research funding since 2000: over £1.9m.
4. University set TCC a target of RAE grade 4 in 2001: successfully achieved.
5. Draft submission for forthcoming RAE is considered strong by the University.
6. Collaborations with various subject areas across the university: e.g. £386,000 AHRC grant awarded for joint project with Engineering into monitoring of tapestries, 2007-2010.

Education: TCC alumni have an excellent employment record

1. Currently offer MA Textile Conservation and MA Museums & Galleries, and PhD opportunities in both areas.
2. MA Textile Conservation considered the leading course internationally; attracts many overseas students; majority of trained textile conservators around the world studied at TCC.
3. TCC graduates have an outstanding record of employment: all those wishing to remain in conservation (which is about 97% of graduates) gain employment.
4. MATC students regularly shortlisted for the Student Conservator of the Year Award; two have won it. A TCC graduate won the Conservation Award 2007.
5. MA Museums & Galleries has established very high reputation since its introduction (1999).
6. The MA Museums & Galleries’ graduates also have an enviable employment record in this very competitive part of the heritage sector.

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