The Collingwood Conservators’ Collective: Adaptive Practice and Entrepreneurship for a New Generation of Conservators in Australia

Abstract

ABSTRACT Using an active collective of conservators in Melbourne, Australia, as a case study, this paper will provide practice-based insights into an alternative mode of practice for the private conservation sector. Through consideration of this collective of discrete but cross-pollinated small businesses, the implications of an adaptive, networked organisational model will be explored. Challenges faced by conservators in Australia have impacted employment in the profession, which could equally describe conditions overseas. The Collingwood Conservators’ Collective model has been developed in response to these challenges, with the aim of breaking down barriers to entrepreneurship in conservation. The Collective currently comprises a mixture of early and mid-career conservators working in a shared space, undertaking a variety of private work and public contracts. The short-term benefits of the collective model include access to shared resources, interdisciplinary knowledge and communal support. In the longer term, this organisational structure has the potential to make entry into conservation practice more accessible to a broader range of professionals. The collective model offers conservators an adaptable work environment within which they can scale their participation to their capabilities, contribute to large-scale projects and foster project-centred interdisciplinary partnerships. We have found that collaborative solutions have become embedded in our practices as a result of the collective’s working environment. The collective has emerged as a viable alternative model for early career conservators in addition to traditional institutional pathways, providing an adaptive platform for entrepreneurship and practice in the sector.