Next year is a big one in our long history: our 150th anniversary.
Founded by William Morris, the SPAB established a philosophy of conservation grounded in repair, honesty, and respect for the accumulated fabric of historic buildings.
A century and a half later, these principles are widely embedded across the heritage sector. But what do they mean in practice today?
This one-day conference, hosted by SPAB Scotland at the beautiful and historic Playfair Library in Edinburgh, invites papers that explore the relevance, application, and influence of the SPAB Approach in contemporary conservation.
We welcome contributions from practitioners, researchers, and students. Topics may include:
- The SPAB Approach in current practice: successes, tensions and limitations
- The influence of SPAB on policy, organisations and everyday conservation decisions
- Repair as a sustainable approach: environmental, cultural, and economic perspectives
- Reinterpreting SPAB principles in new contexts
We particularly encourage papers that test, question, or critically engage with these ideas, as well as those that demonstrate them in action.
Submission guidelines
- Abstract of 300 words
- Short speaker biography (100 words)
Formats
- 20-minute papers
- 10-minute case studies
When
Deadline for submissions: 31 August 2026
Notification of acceptance: 31 October 2026
Please submit entries with the subject header ‘Call for Papers [Title]’ to scotland@spab.org.uk
Any questions? Email lucy.stewart@spab.org.uk