The Textile Conservation Centre Foundation
The Marquess of Douro OBE DL, Chairman of the TCC Foundation speaking at the event to celebrate the TCC’s achievements held in June 2009.
Michael Day, Chief Executive of Historic Royal Palaces, speaking at the launch of ‘It’s a Material World’ at the Banqueting House in November 2008. Also on stage (from l to r) are Sam Jones and John Holden from Demos (the report’s authors) and Yinnon Ezra (Director of Culture, Communities and Rural Affairs, Hants County Council).
The Textile Conservation Centre Foundation (Reg Charity no 269430) ran the TCC from 1975-1999, when it was independent and based at Hampton Court Palace. The merger with the University of Southampton was negotiated by the trust and it also oversaw a major capital campaign to raise funds to support the move. After the merger with the University of Southampton the trust was re-named the TCC Foundation and it continued to support the work of the TCC, in particular its fundraising activities.
The TCC Foundation's Patron is HRH The Princess Royal; the Chairman is the Marquess of Douro and its trustees are:
- Peter Longman, Deputy Chairman
- Steve Kennett, Hon. Treasurer
- Melanie Gee
- Santina Levey
- The Hon. Kirsten Suenson-Taylor
- Professor Deborah Swallow
The closure decision was a strategic one which the University reluctantly had to take after a change in academic direction of the School of Art, of which the TCC was part, meant the TCC was not sustainable within the university's model.
The TCC Foundation has been working tirelessly, and necessarily mostly behind the scenes, to try to find a future for the TCC's work in the light of the University of Southampton's decision to close the Centre. At the time of writing (September 2009) the Trustees are in discussion with several organisations about a possible future for some aspects of the TCC's work.
The TCC Foundation has also supported the TCC staff's efforts to raise awareness to wider challenges facing conservation and conservation education. The TCC Foundation supported the Centre's staff in commissioning a report reviewing conservation education in the UK and also research by Demos, 'It's a Material World: caring for the public realm'.
In June 2009 the TCC Foundation held a reception, in the presence of its Patron HRH The Princess Royal, to celebrate the achievements of the TCC over the 34 years since its foundation. The Chairman's speech is attached here in a downloadable pdf.
