The International Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works

Annual General Meeting 2022

Notice is hereby given that an Annual General Meeting (AGM) of IIC will be held on Thursday 26 May 2022 at 6pm (BST).

In accordance with Article 11 permitting Hybrid General Meeting, this AGM will be at a physical location where simultaneous participation will also be enabled via an electronic platform (Zoom). Members are invited to participate in the AGM via a live webcast, which you will be able to access by a Zoom link which we will send shortly before the event, as well as making available to eligible members by logging into the IIC website. The agenda can be downloaded at the bottom of this page. The minutes from the previous EGM in January 2022 are available to view here and the minutes from the previous AGM in April 2021 are available to view here.

You will be asked to consider and vote on the resolutions below:

1. To receive and consider the Reports of the Council and the Auditors and the Financial Statements for the year ended 30 June 2021 (downloadable from the foot of this page).

2. To appoint Sayer Vincent LLP as Auditors to The Institute and to authorise the Council to fix their remuneration for the ensuing year.

3. To re-elect a President

4. To re-elect a Secretary-General

5. To elect a Director, Chair of Awards and Grants Committee

6. To elect a Director, Chair of Emerging Professionals Committee

7. To elect one Ordinary Member of the Council

8. To transact any ordinary business of The Institute

By Order of the Council
Jane Henderson
Secretary-General
25 April 2022. 

This notice has been sent by electronic communication as appropriate to all eligible members as advised.

How to vote

Honorary Fellows, Fellows, Individual and Early Career Members of the Company in good standing (that is, having paid their IIC membership fee for 2021-2022) are able to vote at the AGM.

There are three ways to vote:

• by joining the meeting by videoconference – sign up to let is know you will be attending here.

• logging into an IIC member account online and following this link to the online ballot form, which will be live and can be used for voting in advance online, until Wednesday 25 May 2022 at 6pm (BST, London time); or

• by voting in advance by downloading the pdf form at the bottom of this page , which once completed, can be sent to IIC by email to iic@iiconservation.org by Wednesday 25 May 2022 at 6pm (BST, London time).

If you intend to vote at the AGM on 26 May 2022 you should not, of course, make use of the online ballot or proxy voting form in advance and if you use the online ballot please do not send or email in a scanned ballot form.

Proxies

Individual and Early Career members, Fellows and Honorary Fellows may appoint a proxy to exercise all or any of their rights to electronically attend, ask questions and vote on their behalf at the AGM. The ballot and proxy form can be returned by email to iic@iiconservation.org.

Please remember that this form must reach the Institute 24 working hours before the meeting, that is by Wednesday 25 May 2022, at 6pm (BST, London time) at the latest; votes and proxies received after then will not be counted.

Attending the AGM Online

To help us facilitate your attendance we would be grateful if you could fill in this form so that we can make sure you are sent a meeting link to join the AGM online. The registration form will close on Wednesday 25 May 2022 at 6pm (BST, London time).

Documents for review and for voting

• Ballot and Proxy Form
• Reports of the Council, and the Auditors and the Financial Statements for Year Ended 30 June 2021

Candidates for Election

Julian Bickersteth is standing for re-election as President; Jane Henderson will be standing for re-election as Secretary General; Juergen Vervoorst is standing for election as Director, Chair of Awards and Grants; Aditya Prakash Kanth and Meaghan Monaghan are standing for election in two roles, Director Chair of Emerging Professionals and Ordinary Member of Council, for the first time. 

Please note: the successful candidate for Director, Chair of Emerging Professionals will automatically be withdrawn from candidature as an Ordinary Member of Council. A vote "for" candidates indicates that such candidate, if not elected as Director Chair of Emerging Professionals, would be acceptable to the voting member as an Ordinary Member of Council. A vote, may, therefore, be given in relation to each candidate. 

Their election statements have been checked and reviewed by the Talent and Participation Committee are published here below:

IIC President

Julian Bickersteth

Three years on from my election as President of IIC in 2019, I seek re-election for a second (and final) term. It is a huge privilege to have been elected President and in seeking re-election I do not do so lightly. However, the past three years have seen very significant changes to the organisation. These have been led by the Secretary General and myself with the indefatigable assistance of the Executive Director, and I strongly feel there is unfinished business in bedding down these changes and ensuring their benefits are maximised. Three changes I am most proud to have seen implemented in the last three years are firstly the organisation of IIC’s first fully online Congress. Planned for Edinburgh in November 2020, due to Covid the physical event had to be cancelled. Rather than postpone or reschedule, we decided to stick with the 5 day format delivered online, creating a highly successful event that over 4 times the normal number of delegates participated in. Secondly a full review and rewriting of the Institute’s Articles was implemented, possibly for the first time in the history of IIC. It was unanimously passed by the membership and results in significant structural changes to Council, creating the opportunity for a more inclusive and diverse membership that will better represent the cultural and geographic diversity of the conservation profession. Thirdly IIC has taken a lead role in engaging conservators with the great moral challenge of our time, namely how we respond to climate change. I initiated and coordinated the Joint Commitment for Climate Action signed by IIC, ICOM CC and ICCROM. This was followed by our invitation to be present at COP26 in Glasgow. This work must and will continue and I look forward to leading it.

IIC Secretary General

Jane Henderson

As Secretary-General I have loved working with the team at IIC and I offer complementary skills and approaches to the President and Executive Director. I have enjoyed working with Council to keep IIC as the inspirational global conservation body that it is known to be. I have contributed to the work of IIC at every level, from office management, online community guidelines, risk registers, and finance through to pivoting to virtual conferences, opening the fellowship process and re-evaluating our headline goals to increase engagement internationally. In my first term I have worked towards IIC becoming more accountable and inclusive. Supported by council, I have helped lead the organisation to a clear focus on: its international membership; it's sustainability and on the accessibility to our ideas, people and structures.

IIC is a tremendous organisation with a well-deserved reputation for excellence, for supporting the profession and for helping steer cultural protection worldwide. Quite reasonably this reputation has been protected by rules and processes. In my first term a critical task has been to maintain the spirit of IIC whilst building a modern and dynamic organisation. The revised articles of association, the new council roles and in particular the introduction of a talent and participation committee are all IIC’s achievements of which I am incredibly proud. IIC now has specific commitments and leadership on inclusion and sustainability and this is becoming reflected in our practice. Having spent much of my first term working to build foundations for a reinvigorated IIC, I would love to serve a second term where these practices become embedded.

Director, Chair of Awards and Grants

Juergen Vervoorst

In times of war, climate emergency, financial uncertainty and post Covid, it is all too easy to forget the amazing work conservation professionals consistently produce. Recently we saw conservators around the globe unite to stand by colleagues in Ukraine. Whether in response to fire, flood, or conflicts, this is a timely moment to reflect on the extraordinary work of our profession.

This dedication, ingenuity and excellence amongst conservation professionals deserves to be celebrated, and our emerging talents need to be nurtured and supported, wherever they are. IIC is in the unique position to connect conservation professionals and those with an interest in conservation around the world, independent of politics, governments or institutions: it links our Fellows and most experienced experts with our emerging professionals; it offers affordable opportunities for colleagues from poorer regions and it celebrates outstanding achievements. IIC has no borders, but boundless opportunities.

Having completed a term as Treasurer and Chair of the Governance Review group, I have helped deliver on our strategic goals to improve IIC’s financial sustainability and of being an open and inclusive organisation. Looking to the future, it would be an honour to serve as Chair of Awards and Grants. In this new role, I would champion and promote the exceptional work of our profession, extending the reach, representation, and profile of our sector globally. Having studied, worked and taught in several countries for over 30 years, my understanding of the interdisciplinarity and internationality of our sector will help IIC to celebrate the exceptional work of our profession, to support our talent and to find sustainable and innovative solutions to challenging problems.

Director, Chair of Emerging Professionals

Aditya Prakash Kanth

I am teaching conservation science at Ahmedabad University as full time faculty. I have also taught at National Museum Institute, Delhi before joining Ahmedabad University. I have also served National Museum, New Delhi as Senior conservator. I have imparted training through workshops in Conservation of Acrylic paintings, Conservation and Preservation of museum collection and conservation and preservation of archival collections. I have been participating in IIC events. I have attended two of its biennial international conferences. I was also one of the participants in IIC conducted workshop on “Scientific Preservation of Museum Collection” in Palace Museum, Beijing. I am working in the field for past 17 years.

I would like to stand for the election of “Chair of Emerging Professionals Committee”. Being both practicing conservation and academician, I look at the field from different vantage points. Being a part of the IIC council I will get a change to meet and interact with emerging professionals from various countries and work with them. I will also look into the professional development of the emerging professionals. I will look how IIC can create and facilitate in building the opportunities for the young professionals in the field. How IIC can provide more workshops, regional conferences and other opportunities for them. I will also work for bringing more emerging professionals from the developing nations to assimilate into IIC conservation community. IIC is the most prestigious international institution for conservators. I strongly believe that the IIC needs to engage more with the conservators of the developing world and especially those are in disadvantaged situations. It will also work to drive the IIC membership in the region. I will look forward to play an active part in the growth of IIC and also in the growth of emerging professionals from all parts of the world.

Cultural sector is heading more towards sustainability. I believe that conservators have an important role to play in demonstrating contribution towards achieving sustainable development goals listed by UNESCO. I think we can look forward to more community participating for any conservation activities and look for solution agreeable to all. IIC has a great role in the promotion of cultural heritage and its conservation, I will help in every possible way to expand its area of advocacy for becoming a voice of conservators and conservation in every part of the world. I will also work for building more collaborations of IIC with regional institutions to further its mission. I will also look to stress more on linking the academic knowledge and practice to bring the academic workers and actual practitioners closer for the common goal to form a united global conservation community. I will look forward to improve the communication to disseminate the IIC’s mission.

Meaghan Monaghan

My first exposure to IIC was speaking at the 2013 Student & Emerging Conservator Conference (IIC- SECC). At the time, I was heavily involved in advocating for emerging professionals as the Chair of the Emerging Conservators Committee for the Canadian Association for Conservators (CAC-ECC). IIC-SECC made a huge impression on me. The initiative of emerging conservators planning and hosting a conference for their peers showed wonderful possibilities for engagement and leadership training. I was immediately inspired to join IIC and a few years later I was mentored by Amber Kerr to become the Chair of the Student Poster Committee for the 2016 IIC Congress. As I reflect on the past 6 years, I am honored to work closely with IIC personnel and volunteer mentors who give their time and expertise to provide a peer reviewed platform for students and recent graduates to present their research on an international stage.

Over the past few years IIC was challenged to pivot and expand its abilities to host online events and conferences. The talented and committed members of the Student Poster Committee and the IIC-SECC Planning Committee contributed to overcoming language barriers through mentoring, peer-review, pre-recorded sessions, and translation support during Q&A sessions for multilingual emerging professionals presenting at IIC Congresses and IIC-SECC. The sustainability, access, and inclusion work of IIC is extremely important and I was grateful for the opportunity to be part of the initiatives developed to reach wider diverse audiences. If elected to the Council position Chair of Emerging Professionals I will build on and draw from my experience with these committees to inspire excellence and empower IIC members through the development and delivery of tailored resources, programs and guidance to suit the needs of early career members.

Ordinary Member of Council

- Aditya Prakash Kanth (Statement as above).

- Meaghan Monaghan (Statement as above).

Please note the AGM Agenda was added to the bottom of this page on 20 May 2022 with  a link to veiw the minutes of the previous EGM and AGM provide. An election reminder was also circulated by email to all eligible members. The Annual Review 2020-21 was added on 25 May 2022.