Trainees of the Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee Commonwealth Heritage Skills Training Programme Complete Traineeship in Hyderabad

Trainees at the British Residency, Hyderabad [Credit: Commonwealth Heritage Forum]

6 Trainees of the Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee Commonwealth Heritage Skills Training Programme, a heritage skills training programme supported by £4.5m funding from the Hamish Ogston Foundation, recently completed an Architectural Conservation Traineeship in Hyderabad in what is the very first overseas project for the programme. 

The UK-based trainees travelled to Hyderabad, India, last month, to take part in the Architectural Conservation Traineeship, which provided them with a sound theoretical grasp of the heritage conservation work being carried out at the old British Residency in Hyderabad [now part of the Osmania Women’s College], as well as practical teaching, allowing trainees to apply classroom learning directly to a live conservation project.

A birds-eye view of the British Residency and its gardens [Credit: The Commonwealth Heritage Forum]

During their visit, tangible progress was made by the UK and Indian Trainees alongside skilled craftsmen and architects on the South Porch, where trainees learned to slake lime, and on the Lansdowne Gate, where they were able to participate in the constriction of the jack arch roof.

The Traineeship was coordinated by the World Monuments Fund and delivered by GN Heritage Matters, who are undertaking the repairs to the British Residency and building on its grounds. Alongside their theoretical and practical tuition, trainees enjoyed visits to heritage sites across Hyderabad, from grand palaces to funerary monuments, including Chowmahalla Palace, Qutb Shahi Tombs and the Golconda Fort.

All site visits were conducted by experts in the heritage sector, giving trainees the opportunity to better understand contemporary conservation practices in India and how these fit within the broader context of conservation management across the country. Having completed the traineeship, each of the trainees shared their thoughts on their experiences; some snippets can be found below.

 CARMEN BOWES,

Heritage Consultant from Herefordshire

 “It was great to not only get hands on and have a go with new techniques and materials as part of the Traineeship, but also be able to talk through conservation philosophy and reasoning behind decision making on-site. Talking through with practitioners was one of the real highlights of my experience.” 

“I am already planning on building model replicas of some of the construction details I witnessed and worked on within my workshop, to see how they can be transferred to the structures I work with, and our weather. Some of the mortar mixes and additives used were completely different to what I would look to work with, and I look forward to exploring their applications here too. The practical and theoretical knowledge gained on this trip will be transferable to my work for many years to come and will also give me the confidence to collaborate with others and pass on my knowledge. I already have a few lectures lined up to talk through what I learnt!”

MORGAN ELLIS-LEAH,

Conservation Assistant from Canterbury 

“My time as a Commonwealth Heritage Forum Architectural Conservation Trainee was equally surreal as it was informative. Before the Traineeship, I had a rough idea of the immediate ambitions I had hoped my time in India would benefit from. But, working with and learning from such exceptional architects, students and craftspeople, not only at the Former British Residency but from the plethora of sites we visited, I left India with a much clearer idea of where my place could be within architectural conservation.”

“I now know that going forward, I want to contribute more directly to architectural conservation. Much like the Aga Khan Trust's work, I want to use my research to implement conservation strategies and help guide that plan through to the conclusion, to see that those strategies are enacted with the same amount of sensitivity and care shown by the team at the Monuments Park.”

ALANNAH HAY,

Recent BA(Hons) Conservation of Stone, Wood and Decorative Surfaces Graduate

“The Hyderabad Traineeship was a fantastic learning experience, as well as an experience I will really treasure. The team in India took great care of us and the combination of lectures, practicals and site visits led by conservation professionals made for a really engaging and informative programme.”

“I’m already putting my new knowledge to use in my placement at a basilica in Venice, which is a rendered brick building, like the Hyderabad Residency. This project largely involves carrying out a condition report on a section, and so the architectural content of the Hyderabad Traineeship has been immensely helpful for developing how I would approach reporting on this scale, as my conservation degree training was more orientated to working on objects. I was also already able to ask my fellow Trainees for advice, I learnt a lot from their expertise in architectural conservation and their crafts and had a lot of fun exploring the city with them.” 

“I feel incredibly lucky to have been awarded this opportunity, it was a truly unique experience and I feel enriched by it both personally and professionally.”

ALEX KNOWLES,

Recent MArch Architecture Graduate

“I would like to thank the World Monuments Fund, Commonwealth Heritage Forum and The Hamish Ogston Foundation for offering me the opportunity to undertake the Architectural Traineeship in Hyderabad.” 

“It truly was a once in a life time experience and I can honestly say that we really made the most of it. For me there were several highlights; the site trips to the Qutb Shahi Tombs and the Chowmahalla Palace offered an incredible insight into both the local architecture of Hyderabad and the conservation principles used across India. The chance to see first-hand and behind the scenes the recording of our shared built heritage allowed me to draw parallels between practices in the UK and India; it also presented several new ways of recognising and recording the value of our built environment.” 

“I can’t speak highly enough of the Traineeship. The leadership from the UK side and on the ground was brilliant and the shared experience with the other trainers has formed friendships that will last a long time; bring on the reunion.”

DEAN SELLMAN,

Bricklayer from London

“Without doubt, attending the Architectural conservation Training Programme was a once in a lifetime experience and one I will always hold fond memories of.” 

“From the moment we arrived at The Former British Residency, Sarath Chandra and his team made us feel welcome, and with the help of some interesting lectures from some of India’s top conservators, I felt up to date with what the project had entailed, and also a greater understanding of Indian architecture.” 

“Coming from a practical background, I was unsure about how the theoretical lectures would benefit me, but they all helped to give me an insight as to how and why decisions are made within a project, how projects are managed, and how workloads and workforces are managed to achieve a successful project. Each and every lecture was both useful and interesting, and certainly enhanced my knowledge.”

“I cannot thank the Commonwealth Heritage Forum, World Monuments Fund and the Hamish Ogston Foundation enough for the opportunity to attend the Architectural Conservation Training Programme. It was a fantastic experience, and one I would recommend to anyone who is thinking about applying for it, I would do it all again in heartbeat.”

CHLOE TOMLINSON,

Recent MA Historic Conservation Graduate

“Coming from a niche craft background like scagliola, the broad range of people, skills and crafts and the depth of knowledge we encountered was a highlight for me.” 

“It was refreshing and encouraging to meet local conservation specialists, consultants and architects and to feel part of a global “effort” – this massive shared goal of caring about heritage and doing something to look after it, in a way I hadn’t really thought about before this trip, that feels like a very valuable thing to have experienced.”

“My favourite kind of historic building is one I can properly snoop around in so we were really lucky to have a great guide at the wonderful and impressive Chowmahalla Palace, but I think even luckier to get to see so much of the behind the scenes work at the Former British Residency, where we spent the majority of our time. Getting to see the effect of time and climate on the unrestored parts of the building really made clear the effort, patience and skill required to get the restored parts looking immaculate and underlined the huge scale of the project. I feel lucky to have visited at this stage and really look forward to seeing how it all unfolds.”

The Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee Commonwealth Heritage Skills Training Programme is the largest ever Commonwealth heritage programme, supported by £4.5milllion in funding from the Hamish Ogston Foundation over 5 years.  

Launched in May 2022 at the Commonwealth Secretariat, Marlborough House, the programme is designed to address the serious and longstanding skills shortage in heritage conservation, to not only preserve the Commonwealth’s irreplaceable historic architecture for the enjoyment of generations to come, but also afford young people, regardless of their socio-economic situation, with unique skills which provide them with lifelong employment opportunities.

Visit https://www.hamishogstonfoundation.org/heritage for more information on our heritage initiatives

 For further information on this Programme, see The Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee Commonwealth Heritage Skills Training Programme website: https://www.chstrainingprogramme.org/