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.. Continue Reading »

From the Daily Echo by Andrew Napier

ONLY a seven-figure cash boost will save the threatened Textile Conservation Centre (TCC) in Winchester, the Daily Echo has learned.

Earlier this month we revealed that the world-renowned centre at Winchester School of Art would close in 2009 because it costs too much to run. Continue Reading »

From the Southampton University Bulletin

Following a detailed review of the viability of the Textile Conservation Centre (TCC), the University’s Council proposes, with profound regret, that the Centre, which has been part of the University since June 1999, will close in late 2009. Continue Reading »

From the Just-Style apparel and textile blog

What do Henry VIII’s football boots, the hood of the Elephant Man and Freddie Mercury’s outlandish concert costumes all have in common?

They’re among the conservation projects carried out by the Textile Conservation Centre (TCC), the world’s leading school for textile conservation – which is threatened with closure in 2009 unless an endowment of GBP5m can be found. Continue Reading »

From the Times Online by Simon Tait

Conservators around the world have been shocked by the University of Southampton’s decision to “condemn to oblivion”, in the words of the UK Institute of Conservation (Icon), the world’s leading school for textile conservation.

The Textile Conservation Centre (TCC), which has trained half the world’s select group of 800 textile conservators, including the winner of this year’s £15,000 national Conservation Award, is to close because it no longer fits the university’s research and funding criteria.

The president of the International Institute of Conservation, Jerry Podany, of the Getty Museum in California, wrote to the Vice-Chancellor of Southampton, Professor Bill Wakeham, saying the decision is “widely perceived as no less than a betrayal of trust”.

“We see the university’s decision as damaging to the world’s textile heritage, the international conservation community, and most sadly a poor repayment for the loyalty, high standards and dedication of its highly motivated staff,” he wrote.

Read the rest of the article here

From the Past Horizon’s weblog

The Textile Conservation Centre is the leading international organisation in the field of textile conservation research, education and practice. Students of conservation, conservation science and museums and galleries study alongside each other, so building a mutual understanding of the wider sector in which they will work. Continue Reading »

From the Daily Echo by Andrew Napier

SOUTHAMPTON University chiefs are coming under pressure over their controversial decision to shut the world-renowned Textile Conservation Centre.

The Daily Echo revealed earlier this month that the university says the centre is unviable and should close in 2009. Continue Reading »

From Martin Tod’s blog

One local story that hasn’t received the national coverage that it deserves is the University of Southampton’s plan to close the world-renowned Textile Conservation Centre at the Winchester School of Art.

The Textile Conservation Centre is not just a centre of excellence. It is the worldwide centre of excellence in textile conservation research, education and practice. The majority of trained textile conservators around the world studied at TCC. Continue Reading »

From the Lincoln Stitchers blog

Mandy-Jane Patterson is studying for an MA at the Textile Conservation Centre (TCC) Winchester, which is part of the University of Southampton.

The University are planning the closure of the TCC in the near future due to funding issues. Continue Reading »

From ICON - The Institute of Conservation

The conservation community around the world has reacted with shock and anger to the news that the Textile Conservation Centre at Southampton University is to close in 2009. Despite its enviable track record, Southampton University has announced the closure of the centre in 2009 for financial reasons. The Winchester School of Art, of which the Textile Conservation Centre is a part, is in deficit and the policy of the University requires every School to be self-funding and to make a significant contribution to the central running costs of the University. Continue Reading »