Volunteering at the archive: Bringing the local community closer to us!
Through the Audit to Access project we are finding new ways of increasing public and local community access to our collections.
What is Audit to Access, you may ask? Great question! The audit’s focus is around helping us discover more about our collections, develop collections management strategies, further understand these collections care needs, and improve public access to the national collection (this is where I come in!)
As volunteer and outreach coordinator with the Special Collections team at the BFI National Archive, my work revolves around the following questions: what does greater access to the collections look like? How can we as the BFI be a good neighbour in our local community? And how do we connect with members of the public we have never interacted with before?
In order to get these questions answered, my goal is to reach out to the local Berkhamsted community and, as much as possible, allow them to have their chance to interact with parts of our collections, craft their thoughts and opinions, and valuably contribute to the BFI’s screen culture 10-year strategy.
The first way this is being done is through volunteering. We have connected with the community through local volunteering organisation Go Volunteering Hertfordshire, as well as the Mental Health Matters employment services to get the word out about volunteering with the archive.
Our first volunteer role will see the volunteers supporting an inventory check of our film poster storeroom and allow them to contribute their knowledge and time to uncovering and highlighting the extent of posters in our collection. This is fantastic new way of accessing our collections, reaching out to the local community and having the public come aboard the inner workings of the Special Collections Team. Volunteers will get the chance to view hundreds of historical film posters, learn about audit skills and contribute to the uncovering of hidden histories our items may have to offer.
Its great being able to connect with the public and reach out to our neighbours so they can learn more about us and take part in the work we do. Going forward I can’t wait to get the volunteers set up and in place and continue to connect with other local groups about further potential collaborations!
The Audit to Access project is supported by The National Lottery Heritage Fund as part of their Dynamic Collections campaign.
– Paola Martucci, Volunteer and Outreach Coordinator (Special Collections)
Rarities of British cinema
We recently launched a brand new editorial series on the BFI’s website entitled Rarities of British cinema.
Written by curator Josephine Botting, the articles revisit titles that have been programmed as part of BFI Southbank’s long-running strand Projecting the Archive, which showcases prints from the BFI National Archive that deserve rediscovery.
Each month we delve into the history of a rare British film, exploring its production history and how, via the unique holdings of the Archive, light can be shed on these overlooked titles. We also highlight how the public can engage with materials from our collections, including via the BFI’s research viewing services.
So far, the series has explored Limelight (Dir. Herbert Wilcox, 1936), It Started in Paradise (Dir. Compton Bennett, 1952), and The Lost People (Dir. Muriel Box & Bernard Knowles, 1949). Keep your eyes peeled on the website for further editions.
– Alex Prideaux, Marketing Manager (Our Screen Heritage)
The Inside the Archive blog is supported by the BFI Screen Heritage Fund, awarding National Lottery funding.
