Textile Conservation Centre

[BAJR Host]

"We the undersigned petition the Prime Minister to keep the Textile Conservation Centre open."

Details of Petition:

quote: "The Textile Conservation Centre (TCC) was established as an independant charitable trust in 1975. Based in Hampton Court Place from 1975-1999. Merged with the University of Southampton in 1998 and moved to a custom-designed building on Winchester School of Art campus in 1999. The TCC 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. MA Textile Conservation is considered the leading course internationally, with the majority of trained textile conservators around the world having studied at TCC. The University of Southampton proposes to close TCC commencing summer 2008 with full closure by September 2009, with the loss of all jobs and courses. This petition is to hopefully prevent the closure of such an important academic institution which has a distinguished history and international reputation and to secure the jobs of leading academics within this field."

Read the Government's response:

Public funding for higher education will have increased by 30% in real terms between 1997 and 2010. Southampton University is receiving its fair share of the total level of government funding and now operates on a total annual budget of some ?325 million. Within that total, it is solely responsible for deciding on its mission and strategy including which departments and centres it opens, closes, expands or contracts, taking account of competing priorities and student demand. The Government notes that the University has paid tribute to the significant achievements of the Textile Conservation Centre before and since becoming part of the University and it supports the work of the University and the Centre to look at solutions to the problems which have been identified but it is not the Government's role to override the decisions of the University on this issue.



Anyone have the contact details of the University person responsible?? for some direct comment?

"No job worth doing was ever done on time or under budget.."
Khufu

[m300572]

I got one of these as well - "We don't give a toss, we have abrogated all responsibility and by claiming to have delegated the decisions to Southampton University we can deny all responsibility for a nationally (internattionally?) important organisaton going down the tubes.

And by having target driven outcomes for the universities it isn't in their interest to fund a body like the TCC as it doesn't fit neatly into their tick boxes - I despair of this country sometimes, I really do!!!

[gorilla]

... and in the mean-time, the Government will keep taking all available monies (particularly from heritagey things) to pump into the 2012 Olympics in the vain hope we win a few shiny medals.

Yes... gotta love this place



I hate every ape I see,
From chimpan-a to chimpanzee,
You'll never make a monkey out of me!

[BAJR Host]

http://www.textileconservationcentre.sot...sept.shtml

The Textile Conservation Centre announced at the IIC London Congress that discussions have been taking place with the University of Oxford about the possibility of transfer of elements of the TCC’s work to Oxford in late 2009. The world-renowned teaching and research Centre is due to close within the University of Southampton then, a decision announced some time ago.

Negotiations continue, but if an early agreement is reached it may be possible to offer the postgraduate programme in textile conservation in Oxford as soon as the 2009-2010 academic year. Anyone who would be interested in this course should contact the TCC on tccuk@soton.ac.uk.


"I don't have an archaeological imagination.."
Borekickers