Grimwade Centre Students Launch Scroll Vol. 3
In December 2023, Student Conservators @ Melbourne (SC@M) hosted an intimate celebration at the Grimwade Centre’s nearby watering hole, The Clyde Hotel, to congratulate the new Master of Cultural Materials Conservation graduates and officially launch Scroll Vol. 3. The student-led journal celebrates its third successful release in three years.
Founded by the Grimwade Centre’s Master of Cultural Materials Conservation students Emma Dacey, Rachel Davis and Joshua Loke in 2020, Scroll is an online journal run by students, for students. Its vision — to provide “an avenue for emerging professionals from a variety of disciplines to share their ideas, projects and passions in the area of cultural materials conservation”. For three consecutive years, this student-led journal has done just that. In December 2023 Scroll’s editorial team, contributors and peers came together at a gathering hosted by SC@M to celebrate the official release of Scroll Vol. 3.
What Makes Scroll, Scroll?
Unlike journals with highly selective submission processes, Scroll places more importance on the potential of a piece and less on its perfection. The editorial team of student volunteers work closely with contributors throughout the writing and editing process, helping to build their skills and confidence as they produce something they can be proud of.
One of the key features of Scroll is our willingness to collaborate with authors regardless of their writing skill. It’s okay if a piece is not yet fully developed — as long as you have a great idea, Scroll will work with you toward a high-calibre outcome. We know that it takes courage to put yourself out there; that is why Scroll never takes any submissions for granted.
Joshua Loke, Scroll Editor and Co-Founder
While Scroll works to generate a quality publication for its readers and support its contributors, it also provides an invaluable experience for its editorial team. Editing and publishing, stakeholder and project management, design and administration — Scroll editors strengthen and expand their skillsets in these areas throughout the year, culminating in a high-quality manifestation of their hard work at the release of each publication.
As a first-year conservation student, I wanted to join the Scroll editorial team to enrich my university experience and connect with like-minded folks. Scroll provides the opportunity for editors and contributors alike to apply and develop their skills as emerging heritage professionals in a supportive and constructive way.
Lauren Wolfram
Scroll Vol. 3
Featuring submissions from past and present Grimwade Centre students, as well as established and emerging conservators from institutions across the globe, Scroll Vol. 3 presents a rich collection of stories and perspectives, carefully curated by its dedicated editors.
Among the pieces that make up the latest issue, you will find an essay by first-year student Vicki Car, ‘Welcome to the Lucky Country’. Shaped by her lived experience as the daughter of Croatian immigrants, her piece explores “the preservation of cultural heritage through the lens of immigrant, diasporic and refugee communities” and how conservators “must advocate for access to the conservation knowledge that will allow these communities to care for their heritage”.
Also inspired by her heritage, first-year student Melanie Melnychuk’s submission Golden Fields and Azure Skies: Dedications to a Faraway Homeland is a collection of paintings that showcase Ukrainian nature, traditions and symbolism — things she hopes to “keep alive and celebrate” despite being on the other side of the world.
Diving into the technical (and the dazzling), Sejal Goel highlights the difficulty in conserving glitter, a relatively new and often overlooked aspect of collections. Her piece ‘All That Glitters is a Nightmare: Conserving Pride at Missouri History Museum’ sheds light on the history of glitter, its treatment, and its importance in modern culture.
From conserving mummies to living heritage, tangible to the intangible, from understanding sexual heritage to rural challenges, ecofeminism and ethics, the diverse contributions in Scroll Vol. 3 provide just a taste of the infinitely interesting vastness that is found within the study and practice of cultural materials conservation. This newest generation of conservators are having their ideas, passions and stories heard and platformed thanks to the supportive vehicle that is Scroll.
Read these stories in Scroll Vol. 3
Participate in Scroll
The Scroll team welcomes anyone interested in contributing content to get in touch. You do not need to be a current University of Melbourne student — submissions are encouraged from professionals, graduates, and those with lived experience in the heritage and GLAM sectors. Scroll publishes essays, reviews, interviews, reports and creative pieces. Whether it be a re-work of an assignment, or an idea for something new, Scroll would love to hear about it. Please send all enquiries, pitches and submissions to the team via email.
If you are a current Grimwade Student and have skills in editing, administration or graphic design, consider becoming part of the Scroll editorial team. Send an email introducing yourself and your abilities under the subject line ‘Editorial Team EOI’.
For more information, head to the Participate section of the Scroll website.
Scroll is backed and supported by SC@M. Keep up to date with Scroll and SC@M on social media by following them on Instagram at and Facebook at Student Conservators at Melbourne.