Can museums and galleries assert copyright in digital reproductions of works in their collections?
• How is the use of images of artworks (including out-of-copyright works) regulated in the UK?
• Developments in the law – UK Court of Appeal copyright decision in THJ v Sheridan (November 2023).
• What does this decision (and the open access agenda more widely) mean for cultural organisations and their digital reproductions of collection works, including picture libraries?

Wellbeing is increasingly being discussed as a crucial element of sustainable work yet many registrars complain of overwork and overwhelm. This led Katie to attend a wellbeing session to understand what wellbeing can mean in a work context. Was Katie doing the right things for her wellbeing and her team’s wellbeing? What things can affect a Registrar’s wellbeing in work? Katie will share her personal reflections on her wellbeing as a registrar over the last two years in the hope that we can make time to discuss this important area in our busy working lives.

Nearly 50% of the core team of Art Handlers at the National Galleries Scotland are women, with a core team comprising 7Art Handlers, 3 of which are women. In this presentation, one of the three, Annabel Stogdon, will reflect on establishing a career as an Art Technician, her route to a full time permanent Technician role at National Galleries Scotland and offer thoughts on working within a mixed gender team. This will include considering perceptions surrounding gender in relation to the physicality of the role, allocation of tasks, use of equipment and the extent to which gender is a factor in interactions with other members of the team, colleagues in other departments and encounters outside of the organisation. Looking to the future, Annabel will also share information on the Art Technician training programme at the National Galleries Scotland, trialled last year and currently being developed into a formal programme within the organisation, and how this is supporting recruitment of women into the field.

Evolving societal attitudes towards museum collecting practices have necessitated museum professionals to re-evaluatethe way we manage and look after Human Remains collections. It is no longer justifiable to collect for collection’s sake andregistrars play a crucial role in caring for these collections, while ensuring adherence to ethical standards and legalrequirements. Collections must be interpreted, displayed, and used according to today’s ethical standards. With this inmind, the author aims to showcase how Human Remains are managed and used within the context of a teaching andresearch collection at University College London (UCL).
The focus will be placed on issues of consent, particularly within the context of the Human Tissue Act (2004), whichprovides the key legal framework for managing collections involving human remains in the UK. The presentation will alsodelve into the practical considerations essential for registrars and collections specialists to manage these collectionsresponsibly and ethically. Additionally, it will highlight the importance of ensuring consent for viewers encountering humanremains and UCL Museums approach on achieving this.
Furthermore, drawing from examples in the UCL's Science and Pathology collections, the author will discuss proceduralframeworks surrounding ancient DNA sampling and scientific destructive analysis, underscoring their pivotal role injustifying the retention of human remains collections at UCL, reinforcing the overarching theme of ethical and responsiblemanagement of human remains collections.

Reshaping Heritage: Law, Logistics, and Learning from the Ni'isjoohlMemorial Pole's Rematriation
In late 2023, National Museums Scotland and the Nisga’a Nation undertook the immense task of returning an 11-meter-high totem pole, weighing over 1 tonne, from Edinburgh to the Nass Valley in Northwest Canada. Now on display in the Nisga’a Museum, the Ni'isjoohl Memorial Pole is the first cultural belonging to be legally transferred out of Scotland’s National collections for the purposes of rematriation.
This presentation reflects on the application of UK law as well the practical considerations of returning collections to countries of origin. I will explore how National Museums Scotland worked with the context and restrictions of UK law, the logistical challenges of moving a totem pole of this size, as well as the cultural sensitivities that informed and changed our processes for the better.

In 2020, the Dutch Council of Culture released "Colonial Collection and Recognition of Injustice" offering clear guidelines for the ethical management of colonial artifacts. These guidelines became integral to the Dutch Minister of Education, Culture, and Science's Policy vision on colonial collections by January 2021, marking a significant stride towards addressing historical injustices. Central to this policy is the acknowledgment of source countries' rights to request the return of colonial objects. Restitution decisions concerning objects from the State Collection are delegated to the State Secretary, facilitated by the independent Colonial Collections Committee.
These state collections often form vital components of ethnographic museums in the Netherlands, underscoring museums' dedication to assisting in managing and addressing restitution claims.
Registrars of Dutch ethnographic museums play an important role in this process. They are tasked with documenting and tracking colonial objects within museum collections. Working closely with curators, provenance researchers, conservators, and relevant authorities, to ensure compliance with legal and ethical standards. The registrar contributes to the execution of restitution decisions, facilitating the transfer of objects back to their source countries.
The restitution process shares similarities with a loan procedure, but operates with unique dynamics that demand collaboration among all parties involved. It's important to note that the handling of restitution isn't one-sided or solely driven by the perspectives of former colonial powers. Instead, it relies equally on the viewpoints, desires, and expectations of source countries.
In this contribution, I will share my experiences with restitution, providing practical insights for registrars navigating similar terrain.