Category: AIA

Festival of Archaeology 2024 Comes to Ironbridge

Festival of Archaeology 2024 Comes to Ironbridge

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Next Saturday , 27th July, the Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust (IGMT) will be joining museums, archaeology, and heritage organisations across the country to host a special day-long event as part of the national Festival of Archaeology. The festival is run by the Council for British Archaeology (CBA), the leading UK charity for archaeology, one of the first promotors of industrial archaoelogy. To find out more about the CBA and the festival, who celebrate their 80th birthday this year, follow this link https://www.archaeologyuk.org/festival.html

As in 2023, the IGMT day is sponsored by the Association for Industrial Archaoelogy. If you fancy joining IGMT staff and volunteers on the 27th July, here’s what’s happening:

  • The Coalbrookdale Museum of Iron will be free for all visitors for the entire day, thanks to sponsorship from the Association for Industrial Archaeology (AIA).
  • Fourteen local historical and archaeological societies and groups will be in the museum talking to the public about their work. There will also be a series of free one-hour walks and tours around Coalbrookdale and the local area.
  • The Association for Industrial Archaeology (AIA) will host a mini archaeological dig where visitors will be able to sift through spoils left over from recent conservation work at Broseley Pipeworks, funded by the National Heritage Memorial Fund, to level out the floor. While practising their archaeological skills they might find parts of pipes, other clay items, or pieces of bone.

Find out more: https://bit.ly/3L6QHes

Museum of Iron, IGMT, Coalbrookdale. Image copyright Dr Michael Nevell.
AIA Annual Conference for 2024 Now Booking

AIA Annual Conference for 2024 Now Booking

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This year’s AIA Conference will be taking place in Cardiff from the 4th to 6th October 2024. On the Saturday there will be sessions by four nationally recognised specialists, with the first three exploring elements of Welsh industrial heritage and the fourth sharing results of a wider survey of 600 publicly accessible industrial sites. There will alos be tours of South Wales’ impressive industrial archaeology and heritage remains on the Friday and Sunday.

The speakers for the Saturday of the conference are: Steph Mastoris, former Head of Museums, National Museum Wales; Dr Peter Wakelin, former Secretary of the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales and now a heritage consultant; Dr David Gwyn, former editor of Industrial Archaeology Review and lead of the Govannon Consultancy; and Dr Paul Belford, CEO of Heritage Innovation.

Their one-hour sessions and the short AGM of the AIA will be streamed live, separated by a 30-minute lunch break, and the afternoon will end with presentations by this year’s Award winners ahead of the Conference Dinner and prize giving.

Conference Tours

On the Friday afternoon and Sunday there are optional tours.

Friday afternoon 4th October

Optional tours – choose either TOUR A: National Waterfront Museum, Swansea or TOUR B: Industrial tour of the Lower Swansea Valley

Sunday 6th October

Optional tours – choose either TOUR C: Big Pit, the National Coal Museum of Wales Or, TOUR D: Blaenavon Ironworks

The venue is the Radisson Blu Hotel, Meridian Gate, Bute Terrace, Cardiff CF10 2FL. To book follow this link: https://industrial-archaeology.org/conferences/service001/

AIA 6th East-West Seminar 11 May 2024

AIA 6th East-West Seminar 11 May 2024

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The 6th East-West Workshop on Industrial Archaeology, sponsored by the Association for Industrial Archaeology, brings together historians and archaeologists from the UK, China, and Brazil to examine the ruins of industry as sources of information (archaeological evidence), inspiration and aesthetic experiences. The workshop delves into the ancient and modern ruins of industry as particular archaeological sites that allow, and demand, different explorations. It will take place online on 11 May 2024, 10.00-12.00 GMT.

The East-West series of workshops aims to exchange ideas and knowledge among Western and Eastern colleagues to build a more international and diverse industrial archaeology. The activity is organised jointly by the Institute for Cultural Heritage and History of Science & Technology (USTB, China), the UK Association for Industrial Archaeology, and its Young Members Board. The speakers will be:

  • Hilary ORANGE (Swansea University, Wales): “Stuff Kicked Underfoot – The Surfaces of Industrial Ruination”
  • Xianping GAO (University of Science and Technology Beijing, China): “Excavating the Ruins of the Chinese Porcelain Industry: The Luomachiao Kiln Site in Jingdezhen”
  • Guilherme POZZER (University of Sheffield, England): “Words in Ruins: Sensorial, Affective and Creative Approaches to the Ruins of Industry”

More info & free registration here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/6th-east-west-workshop-on-industrial-archaeology-industrial-ruins-tickets-888220470337?aff=oddtdtcreator

Ironbridge Gorge Museum & AIA to Take Part in 2024 Festival of Archaeology

Ironbridge Gorge Museum & AIA to Take Part in 2024 Festival of Archaeology

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The Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust will once more be taking part in the Council for British Archaeology (CBA) Festival of Archaeology. The 2024 event will run from the 13-28 July across the UK. The CBA is celebrating its 80th anniversary in 2024 – the perfect opportunity for us all to celebrate the incredible grassroots groups, societies, and individuals that share a passion for archaeology across the UK.  So this year’s Festival theme is Archaeology and Community.

Following on from the success of last year’s Festival of Archaeology at Coalbrookdale, the Association for Industrial Archaeology (AIA) will again be partnering with the Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust to sponsor free entry to the Coalbrookdale Museum of Iron for all visitors on Saturday 27th July 2024. This is a great opportunity to chat with history and heritage organisations from the region and find out more about the brilliant community work happening every day. Lectures, walking tours and family activities will be hosted throughout the day. For further details follow this link:

https://www.archaeologyuk.org/festival/festival-event-listing/festival-of-archaeology-at-coalbrookdale-sponsored-by-the-association-for-industrial-archaeology.html

Furthermore, you can visit the Festival area of the CBA website to browse all the event listings which are now available. Find out what is happening in your local area and see which other industrial sites are taking part: https://www.archaeologyuk.org/festival.html. Or, if you can’t wait until July why not visit the CBA resources area where you’ll find talks, craft activities, self-guided walks, and much more available on-demand.  

If you would like to host your own Festival event visit the CBA event organiser area to find out more. 

Association for Industrial Archaeology New ‘Online-Only’ Membership Category for 2024

Association for Industrial Archaeology New ‘Online-Only’ Membership Category for 2024

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As part of the Association for Industrial Archaeology’s refreshment of its membership and events offering, the AIA are creating a new ‘online-only’, membership category. From January 2024 the AIA are offering this new ‘online-only’ option for all categories of membership (except Affiliated Society).

The ‘online-only’ option gives all the great benefits of being a member except you will no longer receive printed copies of Industrial Archaeology Review, IA News, and other member correspondence (such as the AGM papers). All members will continue to receive online access to Industrial Archaeology Review via Taylor & Francis Online and access to electronic editions of IA News and other important documents via the AIA website. Membership is open to individuals (sole, joint or student) and to societies. It will be backdated to the beginning of the year in which you join and all publications for that year will be sent either in paper or electronically, depending on the membership category.

The support AIA members give enables the Association to continue its work in supporting and encouraging all aspects relating to our industrial heritage and archaeology. The AIA cannot do all they do, promoting IA at all levels (national and local), encouraging research, recording, conservation, and preservation, without their members’ help and support.

For more details see: https://industrial-archaeology.org/membership/

AIA Revamp Their Events Programme for 2024

AIA Revamp Their Events Programme for 2024

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Following the Autumn 2023 Council meeting of the Association for Industrial Archaeology (AIA) at Ironbridge, the AIA are pleased to announce their events programme for 2024. There are some changes to their Conference provision compared with previous years, which the AIA hope will make it much more affordable and accessible to their members.

The revamped programme includes moving the conference and AGM to early October, which will be as Cardiff. This will avoid clashes with regional industrial archaeology events and Heritage Open Days in September, as well as the European Archaeology Association (EAA) and The International Committee for the Conservation of the Industrial Heritage (TICCIH) conferences. Importantly, the shorter, hybrid, AGM and conference will be more affordable for members.

There are also lots of exciting new online and in-person events on offer throughout the year including the AIA’s inaugural CPD workshop on ironwork conservation in January, a CBA Festival of Archaeology event with IGMT at Ironbridge in July, and a brand new offer of summer tours in partnership with Heritage of Industry which will take you behind the scenes at some of the best industrial sites in Newcastle and the North East.

The AIA is the leading UK and European specialist society on industrial archaeology and heritage. For more information about the Association, and details on how to join and secure your member’s discounts for 2024’s events, visit https://industrial-archaeology.org

SS Britannia Receives AIA Restoration Grant Support

SS Britannia Receives AIA Restoration Grant Support

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The Britannia Sailing Trust are thrilled to announce a recent generous donation from the Association for Industrial Archaeology of £6,600. This is the second time the AIA have funded restoration work on Britannia. The first time was in fact the first grant the Trust ever received and helped to kick-start the monumental restoration project.

Britannia Sailing Trust cares for the last remaining Class 1 East Coast Smack. Britannia was built in 1914 in Kings Lynn, Norfolk, by a well-known and respected family of shipwrights, the Worfolk brothers. She is a Gaff Cutter, 58 feet long on the deck, with a 13 foot six inch beam and drawing eight feet. She has a beautiful hollow bow, making her a very fast vessel and giving her beautiful lines. Having discovered her in a state of severe disrepair, the Britannia Sailing Trust was formed in 2014 and has succeeded in saving her from destruction.

Vicki Samuels of the Trust said that ‘We are so grateful for the Association’s continued support. The money will go towards the completion of the restoration, helping us get Britannia back in the water on the 24th September this year!’