In its work to preserve our cultural legacy and keep our history alive, in 2015-16 the Conservation Office carried out conservation treatment on 773 cultural objects, including paintings, historical documents, textiles, photographs, metal objects, sculptures, organic objects, and archaeological finds. The office is also constantly at work on developing and running educational activities and extension workshops that will inform and inspire participants. A total of 44 education and extension programmes were delivered for the general public and school students over the year. These included behind-the-scenes laboratory visits and hands-on workshops, organised for the School Culture Day Scheme and for International Museum Day. More than 1 000 participants, including 488 students from 20 school groups, attended the programmes, where they were able to expand their horizons in heritage conservation.
For the first time ever, in July 2015 the office offered free specialist consultations to members of the public who brought in objects of personal value. This took place as party of the Conservation Clinic, a programme run under Transcend - Muse Fest HK 2015. Under the guidance of conservators, members of the public were able to experience the pleasures and the challenges of the conservation profession.
As part of a dynamic programme connecting members of the public with local heritage and conservation projects in the community, our 2015 Conservation Volunteers Programme recruited a total of 152 conservation volunteers. The volunteers contributed a total of 8 733 service hours in an array of conservation work that included the installation of exhibits, collection preservation, workshop demonstrations, and practical conservation treatment. The office was awarded the Gold Award for Volunteer Service (Organisation) by the Volunteer Movement of the Social Welfare Department for the third consecutive year.
The office presented papers at three international seminars, namely TechArt 2015 held in Italy in April, the 25th CIPA International Symposium on Heritage Documentation held in Taiwan in September, and a conference on the Future of Museum and Gallery Design held in Hong Kong in November.
