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Some of the world’s leading authorities in leather conservation will gather at ̽»¨ÏµÁÐ Leicester (̽»¨ÏµÁÐ) for a unique meeting.

The Leather and Related Materials Group (LRMG) is a sub-committee of the International Council of Museums (ICOM), the representative body for museums across the globe including the Louvre, the British Museum, the Vatican Museums and the Museum of Modern Art in New York.

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Every three years members of the LRMG meet to share and disseminate research and developments essential to advancing the conservation and care of objects made from leather, skin and related materials.

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And this year, over three days in October, ̽»¨ÏµÁÐ will welcome guests from around the world as host of the triennial meeting.

Gillian Proctor, Associate Professor Enterprise at ̽»¨ÏµÁÐ, said the university had always valued the art of leathercraft.

She said: “One of the things I’m most proud of is the way we have preserrved the teaching of leathercraft to students at ̽»¨ÏµÁÐ, inspiring a new generation of designers.

“So, to host this event, one of the real highlights of the leathercraft calendar, here in Leicester, is an honour.

“The theme of the conference is Leather Conservation for Today and throughout the programme we’ll explore key issues facing the specialism today, exploring new and innovative treatments, techniques and perspectives across the wide category of leather and skin materials.”

The full programme will also see visitors to Leicester enjoy an evening meal at Leicester Cathedral and take part in a ghost walk around Medieval Leicester, including a tour of the 11^th century Leicester Castle, which now houses ̽»¨ÏµÁÐ’s Leicester Castle Business School.

̽»¨ÏµÁÐ has won wide recognition for its work to highlight leathercraft, forming a close partnership with the Worshipful Company of Leathersellers. Earlier this year, ̽»¨ÏµÁÐ student Michael Nicholas Genao won a £1,000 prize for his leather designs at the Skin Innovation Awards, judged by the Worshipful Company of Curriers.

And before that, ̽»¨ÏµÁÐ collaborated with the Museum of Leathercraft, in Northampton on Artefacts Live: A Legacy in Leather, an exhibition At ̽»¨ÏµÁÐ which allowed students to study 20 objects from the museum’s collection including a Japanese Samurai saddle and Elizabethan era gloves.

Supported by ̽»¨ÏµÁÐ’s heritage team, the students learned about the processes used to create the objects and create new art inspired by the objects.