Arts University Bournemouth (AUB) recently hosted PlastIC Symposium 2025: Heritage Plastics – Care, Curation, and Connections, bringing together leading voices across conservation, design and the arts to discuss how plastics are gaining renewed recognition as culturally significant materials.
The event, which took place on 2 July, showcased the important work of AUB’s Museum of Design in Plastics (MoDiP), the only accredited museum in the UK dedicated to plastics.
Through curated talks and a guided tour, attendees explored MoDiP’s unique collection and its pioneering role in understanding, conserving, and communicating the material and historical value of plastic artefacts within modern and contemporary heritage.
Attendees included researchers, conservators, curators, museum professionals, artists, and designers interested in the evolving narratives around plastic heritage.
Curated talks came from MoDiP Curator Dr Louise Dennis, sustainability expert Dr Cressida Bowyer and emerging researchers, all chaired by Dr Christian McLening, Director of PlastIC, an important new research centre for plastics innovation and curation at AUB.
“It was an exciting afternoon exploring the preservation, interpretation, and creative reuse of plastics in the context of cultural heritage," Dr McLening comments. "Our aim with events like these is to encourage interdisciplinary dialogue on the care and creative use of plastics.
“This is where material culture meets innovation, the past informs the future and where heritage and sustainability come together. At PlastIC, we’re exploring plastics in ways that matter, not just for today but for generations to come.”
