Inside the Archive #69: Bringing national collections to new audiences

Over the past two weeks, the Screencraft team at the BFI National Archive has been working in the local community to run talks and material-viewing sessions, introducing the BFI to our neighbours in Hertfordshire, where the BFI Conservation Centre is based. Our goal was simple: to help the community learn about the BFI National Archive and its Screencraft collections, engage with local people to understand their interests, and strengthen our relationships as a good neighbour. 

The first session was held at The Denton, a retirement village in Berkhamsted, followed by a second session at Berkhamsted Town Hall for members of the Berkhamsted Rotary Club. For both sessions, we began with a presentation on the BFI National Archive, outlining our ongoing work to preserve and develop our collections and how we are making them more widely accessible for current and future audiences. This included screening a promotional advert for the archive and introducing the work of different BFI departments, before moving onto a more detailed discussion on Screencraft. 

Assistant curator Kay Eldridge led the audience through the journey of Screencraft collections, sharing insights and hidden stories behind a selection of materials, including posters, directors’ notes, costume designs, animation and photography. The audience had the opportunity to explore how film travels from paper to screen, how the archive cares for the work of creative film professionals and the value of preserving these materials for future audiences.

This was followed by a screening of Lotte Reiniger’s The Frog Prince (1954). To wrap up the session at The Denton, attendees could view facsimiles of items which we’d brought over from the BFI Conservation Centre. At the Rotary Club, we also delved into a more detailed discussion about our outreach goals and commitment to engaging more with the community, discussing our work to date and how we hope to continue this activity.

Items on display included a poster for The Wizard of Oz (1939), costume designs from Ann and John Bloomfield’s collection and photographic stills from much-loved British television shows like Worzel Gummidge (1979-1981) and Fawlty Towers (1975-1979). These items led to a great discussion about film crafts, recollections of beloved actors and personal stories about people’s connections to film and the film industry. The talks were a fantastic opportunity to learn more about current community activity and explore opportunities for the BFI to get more involved in what is happening locally. Both talks were a great way for us to become more embedded within Berkhamsted, and we hope to build on this work in the future.

A special thanks to Kay for delivering these talks, Berkhamsted Rotary Club and Denton Retirement village for welcoming us, and to the National Heritage Lottery fund for making these projects possible.

– Paola Martucci, Volunteer and Outreach Co-ordinator (Screencraft)

Last weekend, we took the Inside the Archive exhibition to Cardiff as the latest stop of a UK-wide tour. In partnership with Cardiff Animation Festival, we hosted a pop-up event at Chapter Arts Centre, offering the public an insight into the behind-the-scenes work of our collections. 

The exhibition is designed to open up the BFI National Archive, using interactive displays, films and activities to show how one of the world’s largest moving image collections is used and cared for. Over the course of the weekend, we met visitors of all ages who were able to explore our interactive displays, handle rare film formats and create their own 35mm film strips. The festival itself brought together screenings, workshops and talks and there was a definite buzz in the air as industry professionals and public audiences came together to enjoy the world of animation.

For me, the most valuable part of the weekend was the many conversations with members of the public. People are often surprised by how much care and detail goes into preserving national collections and seeing people’s curiosity for screen heritage is always a pleasure; particularly children and young people who may be less familiar with film on film. It was a busy few days, but a great chance to get out there and show that our collections are not just about the past, but are constantly being rediscovered.

– Molly Petter, Outreach and Engagement Coordinator (Our Screen Heritage) and Anisa Ali, Administrative Assistant (Our Screen Heritage).

Our Screen Heritage and the Inside the Archive blog is supported by the BFI Screen Heritage Fund, awarding National Lottery funding.