PlastIC Symposium 2026, What Plastics Leave Behind: Practice, Curation and Innovation.

Hosted by the PlastIC Research Centre PlastIC Research Centre, AUB - Plastics innovation and curation
This symposium examines plastics as both a cultural legacy and a material challenge. Plastics are often discussed as pollutants or environmental hazards, yet they are also among the defining materials of modern life. Taking museum collections as a starting point, the symposium explores what plastic objects reveal through their material histories: marks of use, manufacturing traces, deterioration, repairs, failures, and transformations.

Full Programme

10:30–11:30 Workshop Led by PhD Researchers Shannon Carr and Penny Tristram

12:00–13:00 Registration & Lunch

13:00–13:15 Welcome & Opening Remarks Lisa Mann (Vice Chancellor and CEO, Arts University Bournemouth) and Professor Christian McLening (Director, PlastIC Research Centre)

13:15–14:15 Panel Presentations:
1. Dr Erato Kartaki (PlastIC Research Centre, AUB) From Plastic Degradation to Material Selection: Researching Long Term Stability for Cultural Heritage
2. Dr Fabiana Portoni (Natural History Museum; Co Chair ICON Modern Materials Group) Interrogating Our Use of Plastics in the Storage of Collections
3. Dr Francesca Rosi (SCITEC, National Research Council of Italy) Decoding Polymer Degradation: A Multimodal Mechanochemical Approach to Plastic Heritage Conservation
4. Dr Katherine Curran (UCL Institute for Sustainable Heritage) Using Mathematical Models to Understand Degrading Plastics
5. Dr Brenda Keneghan (Independent Consultant; formerly V&A) Time to Come Clean

14:15–14:45 Moderated Discussion & Audience Q&A Chair: Professor Steve Fletcher (Revolution Plastics Institute, University of Portsmouth)

14:45–15:10 Coffee Break

15:10–15:20 Director’s Briefing PlastIC Innovation + Curation Research Centre Professor Christian McLening

15:20–16:00 Keynote Lecture Research Professor Yvonne Shashoua (National Museum of Denmark) Protect our planet, rethink plastic

16:00–16:15 Closing Remarks Professor Christian McLening

16:15–16:30 Networking

The event is free to attend, both in person and online, but registration is required:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/plastic-symposium-2026-what-plastics-leave-behind-tickets-1989608123456