Northumbria University – Fine Art Conservation

Postgraduate Study, 2 year full-time course at Burk Hall, Newcastle City Campus.

‘It is the combination of technical skill and passion for the arts makes this unique MA perfect for those from both a science-based and arts background.’

It is the only Master of Arts course in the UK that specialises in both conservation of Easel Painting and Works of Art on Paper, giving students the choice as to what they focus on. There are also numerous other courses around the UK that included conservation of textiles, pottery, metal e.g. University of Glasgow MA Textile Conservation, Dip in Conservation of Easel Paintings MA University of Cambridge and Conservation of Archaeological and Museum Objects MA University of Durham. Requires a minimum of a 2:2 degree and a minimum of a grade B in science at GCSE. If not, you could take an extra short course equivalent to this before you start.  The staff on this specific course include Jean Brown (Associate Professor) Lesley Twomey (Professor) Dr Charis Theodorakopoulos and Nicola Grimaldi (Senior Lecturer’s).

 

As I have a limited science background, there are online courses they suggest you do to further your application such as Chemistry for Conservators run by IAP in London.

To get a better understanding of the Fine Art Conservation course at Northumbria, I researched into their programme and found online a previous student who had graduated this year. I emailed her and within a few days she responded:

I gained so much valuable and honest information about the course such as how much studio access she had, what the facilities were like and also general information on how she found the course! She came from the US to study there and also told me about internships and other courses too that would help further my application.

In addition, the first time I became interested in Fine Art Conservation was watching BBC One’s ‘The Repair Shop’. Lucia is the main Fine Art Conservator on the programme and also started her career at the University of Northumbria in 1984. She used to work in the V&A Museum and currently has her own private practice in London. I decided to message her through social media not having much hope that she would reply but she did!

Lucia was so helpful and informed me on a few different postgraduate studies I could do as well as shorter courses too. Hearing information from both long-term and short-term fine art conservators has been so useful and interesting and has given me plenty to research!