This webinar explores how digital tools can be meaningfully integrated into established conservation processes. Using case studies, we will examine practical applications of digital techniques to address common challenges in the conservation of objects—particularly ceramics—and decorative surfaces.
The session will also consider the ethical and material implications of implementing digital methods, showing how they can complement, rather than replace, traditional skills. A combined methodology can expand a conservator’s toolkit, support more confident decision-making, and improve outcomes in both treatment and research. Designed as CPD for both trained and training conservators, this session requires no prior experience in digital heritage—only an interest in broadening practice with innovative yet grounded approaches.

About the speaker

Celeste Sturgeon is a Senior Technician and Conservator at Lincoln Conservation. She holds an MA in the Conservation of Historic Objects (2015) and has since worked across a wide range of projects involving historic objects, artworks, and interiors—both as a freelancer and in her current role. Her professional interests include the conservation of historic repairs and the innovative use of emerging technologies, such as 3D imaging and 3D printing, within conservation practice. Celeste combines hands-on expertise with research-led innovation, making her ideally placed to explore how digital and traditional methods can be effectively integrated into everyday conservation work.

A recording of the Heritage Horizon webinar given on 15th October 2025. The recording will be available to view until 15th November 2026.

This webinar discusses how as an approach to difficult heritage, the IBCC Digital Archive’s ethos of remembrance, recognition, and reconciliation led to the comprehensive way in which items are catalogued and described in the archive. In keeping with these values, the IBCC Digital Archive focuses on people’s stories of the bombing war in Europe (1939-1945), from multiple perspectives: on the ground and in the air, military and civilian, and on both sides of the conflict. The IBCC Digital Archive consists of more than 40,000 documents in 2,500 collections. Content includes interviews with eyewitnesses, personal papers, photographs, and memorabilia.

About the speaker

Dan Ellin is the archivist for the International Bomber Command Centre Digital Archive housed at the University of Lincoln. A Social and Cultural historian, he became interested in Bomber Command after working in a warehouse that used to be an aircraft hangar. His research examines the lives and emotions of the men and women who served in the RAF during the Second World War, and how the bombing war is remembered.

Historic interiors are more than just rooms filled with old furniture – they are rich, layered narratives of human life, culture, and identity. This webinar will explore how we can ‘read’ interiors as ‘material histories’, using them to interpret the lives, values, and experiences of those who inhabited them. Drawing on examples from a range of properties, we’ll examine how interiors were curated by their owners, how they evolve over time, and how they reflect broader social and historical contexts. We’ll also explore the different types of evidence that can help us reconstruct these stories, and how lenses for interpretation can deepen our understanding. By the end, you’ll see how walls really can talk – if you know how to listen.

About the speaker

Dr Leah Warriner-Wood is Senior Lecturer in the Conservation of Cultural Heritage and Programme Leader at the University of Lincoln. Her research explores the layered histories of interior spaces, combining conservation practice with the principles of material culture studies to uncover the stories embedded in historic environments and objects. She has worked with a range of sites, including Doddington Hall and Belton House, and regularly collaborates with Lincoln Conservation. Alongside her teaching, Leah is committed to public engagement, helping wider audiences connect with the past through the material traces of everyday life.

This webinar introduces the main digital techniques and methods that can be used in the heritage profession.

From laser scanning to 3D modelling, digital tools are transforming how we record, conserve, and share our historic environment. This session will introduce the main techniques and concepts in digital heritage, outlining their strengths, limitations, and practical applications. Understanding how to integrate these approaches effectively can add long-term value to heritage projects—supporting the care, conservation, and interpretation of historic objects and buildings, well beyond public engagement. In an age where technology moves fast, discover how digital heritage can help to ensure a future for our past. 

About the speaker:
Phillipa McDonnell has over 10 years’ experience in architectural paint research and the study of historic decorative schemes. Her expertise also spans digital heritage in the built environment, where she explores how new technologies—from 3D modelling to laser scanning—can add long-term value to heritage projects. Phillipa has spoken widely on her work, contributed to the development of EU standards for architectural paint research, and combines commercial practice with academic research through her role at Lincoln Conservation, University of Lincoln. She is also active in training and lecturing, sharing her knowledge with both professionals and students. Phillipa brings clarity to complex conservation challenges and insight into how digital tools can transform the way we record, conserve, and interpret historic places.

Working on historic sites brings unique risks and responsibilities. This webinar provides practical solutions for protecting heritage buildings, managing unexpected finds, and reducing both physical and reputational damage during construction.

Construction work on heritage properties comes with its own set of unique challenges and often conflicting demands. Undertaking site work in historic buildings can pose risks not only to the structure and its contents, but also to those working within them. This session will outline why and how heritage assets are protected, what to do when unexpected finds occur, and the main causes of damage on site. We’ll also look at effective strategies to mitigate both physical harm and reputational risk—ensuring work proceeds efficiently, safely, and in cooperation with all stakeholders.

About the speaker:
Phillipa McDonnell has more than 10 years’ experience in architectural paint research, decorative schemes, and conservation practice. She works across academic and commercial contexts at Lincoln Conservation, University of Lincoln, where she also lectures and provides training for emerging and established professionals. Phillipa has spoken widely, published on conservation topics, and contributed to the development of EU standards for architectural paint research. Her doctoral research focuses on nineteenth-century house paint, but her expertise extends across the risks and responsibilities of heritage practice on site. She brings both practical and research-driven insight into how conservation awareness can protect historic buildings, their contents, and those working with them.

This webinar demystifies the most common terminology used by UK conservators, with time for Q&A on any specific terms not covered. Conservators often use words and phrases that can feel ambiguous—or even misleading—to clients and collaborators. What does ‘facing’ mean? How is ‘wet cleaning’ different from ‘dry cleaning’? And what exactly distinguishes ‘conservation’ from ‘restoration’? This session will provide a clear run-through of the language most frequently used in UK conservation practice, helping you to navigate conversations with greater confidence and understanding.

About the speaker:

Phillipa McDonnell is a specialist in architectural paint research and historic decorative schemes, with more than a decade of experience in conservation practice. Her work bridges commercial consultancy and academic research, including the development of EU standards for architectural paint research and a doctorate on nineteenth-century house paint. She has spoken widely at conferences, published on heritage topics, and is active in training and lecturing for both students and professionals. Through her role at Lincoln Conservation, University of Lincoln, Phillipa brings expertise across a wide range of conservation issues, helping audiences demystify the sometimes ambiguous terminology of the field and make informed decisions about heritage care