A curator led insight into the conservation and care of our collections, at 'Southend Museums Collections Centre' at Beecroft Art Gallery.

A behind the scenes look into the conservation and care of our historic collections, at 'Southend Museums Collections Centre' at Beecroft Art Gallery.

Join our Collections and Conservation Manager for a fascinating glimpse into the world of conservation and collections care in this specialist guided tour of Southend Museums Collections Centre.

From insights into the prevention and monitoring measures we employ, to careful conservation techniques and treatments carried out on a wide range of materials, discover how we maintain and preserve the tens of thousands of objects in our stores that make up our extensive collections. The tour will also include a unique opportunity to examine, up close, pieces from our collections of social history, archaeology and natural history in an interactive session.

The tour will last for approximately 1 hour total, and will commence from the new SMCC reception area on the 2nd floor of the Beecroft Art Gallery.

Southend Museums Collections Centre (SMCC) officially opened on March 7th 2026. Located on the 2nd floor of the Beecroft Art Gallery building, SMCC offers the community special, previously impossible access to the entire archaeology and social history collections, and a behind-the-scenes look into museum curation, conservation and research work. For researcher access, enquiries and private bookings please contact us at museums@southend.gov.uk.

Description supplied by the event organiser.