Call for applications--Nigel Williams Prize

Call for applications

Nigel Williams Prize

The Nigel Williams Prize rewards conservation work in ceramics,
glass and other related materials.  Taking place every two years,
The Nigel Williams Prize is the result of the collaboration between
Nigel Williams' family and the Icon Ceramics and Glass Group.

    <URL:http://icon.org.uk>

It was created to serve both as a memorial to Nigel's work and to
encourage continuing high standards at all levels within the
profession.

The Main Prize: The Winner receives UKP1000 plus a "virtual"
presentation of a gilded ceramic copy of the Portland Vase (kindly
donated by Wedgwood and kept at the Museum)

The Secondary Prize: UKP400 may be awarded to a close runner-up,
entirely at the judges' discretion

The Student Prize:  The Winner receives UKP250.  Applications must
have been completed while the applicant was still in full-time or
further education.

Application Criteria: Entries are invited from any Icon Member,
whether in the public or private sector.  The project must have been
completed within three years prior to the next Award (2016) and may
be either preventive or interventive (or both).  The primary focus
of the project must be on the conservation/restoration of ceramics,
glass, or a related material.

How to Apply: For more information and to request an Application
Form please contact

    Ronald Pile
    Prize Coordinator
    ronaldpile37<-at->btinternet<.>com>

Submissions require one digital and one hard copy each of the
following:

    A completed application form

    A brief CV (or CVs for a joint project)

    An abstract describing the project (maximum 250 words)

    A maximum of 3000 words outlining the project and describing the
    work undertaken

    Up to 20 images on CD

Deadline: 30 April 2016

The History of the Prize

In the 1960s, before conservation was seen as a profession, a
16-year-old called Nigel Williams started work as a museum assistant
the Department of British and Medieval Antiquities in the British
Museum.  Though he worked on a variety of antiquities, ceramics
proved to be his primary and lasting passion, and with that creative
mixture of hard graft, good hand-skills and resourcefulness, he
eventually became Head of the Ceramics and Glass Conservation
section at the museum.  His name has since come to be associated
with the conservation and restoration of some of the museum's best
known objects, especially the Sutton Hoo Helmet and the Portland
Vase.

In 1994, at the relatively young age of 49, Nigel died suddenly
during a British Museum excavation in Jordan.  By way of a memorial
to his achievements and to the professional values that he upheld,
the Ceramics and Glass Conservation Group, together with Nigel's
family, later created a Prize to be awarded in his name.

The current organisers recognise that for most conservators today
the opportunities to conserve or restore high-profile objects such
as the Portland Vase are rare.  Thus, in acknowledgement of another
important aspect of Nigel's work, the Prize is awarded as much in a
spirit of encouragement as in that of healthy competition,
recognising the value of consistent and day-to-day professional
practice.  Nigel himself was a great encourager, sharing his
knowledge over the years by teaching evening classes, giving
lectures both in Britain and abroad, and through his book on
Porcelain Repair and Restoration.

We are looking forward to hearing from you.

Tiago Oliveira
Ceramics and Glass Group committee member
The Institute of Conservation, UK


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                  Conservation DistList Instance 29:34
                 Distributed: Sunday, January 24, 2016
                       Message Id: cdl-29-34-001
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