I was fortunate to receive a bursary from CIfA to attend the 2019 Annual Conference, which was held in the Royal Armouries Museum in Leeds from 24 to 26 April 2019. While I have been to other conferences in the past, this was my first time attending a CIfA conference, despite having been a member since 2017, and suffice to say it will not be the last.
The conference programme was full of interesting sessions and CPD opportunities, providing a great variety of topics to choose from. I mainly focused on sessions discussing public archaeology and public participation, as these topics are very relevant to my current PhD research. The different papers and discussions, both during sessions as well as over lunch or coffee with colleagues, were very informative and thought-provoking. I learned a lot and am convinced that my PhD as well as my work related to other research interests will benefit greatly from it.
In addition, the conference provided a great opportunity to network with colleagues from the UK and beyond as well as from different archaeological sectors. I had many interesting conversations, some of which lead to potential opportunities for collaboration in the future.
I feel I have benefited immensely from attending the conference and am very grateful for the opportunity CIfA provided me with by awarding me a bursary. I am looking forward to attending other CIfA conferences in the future.
