From: "Alison Kirwan" <Alison.Kirwan@bfi.org.uk>

Date: 8 January 2008 15:06:41 GMT

To: "Alison Kirwan" <Alison.Kirwan@bfi.org.uk>

Subject: Strategy for UK Screen Heritage Consultation Response - Message from Heather Stewart

The public is entitled to access, learn about and enjoy its rich screen heritage wherever they live and wherever the materials are held.

Dear colleague

Strategy for UK Screen Heritage

I am writing to thank you for your contribution during the consultation on the Strategy for UK Screen Heritage.

The range and quality of responses was impressive, and is testament to the high level of professionalism in the sector. The UK Film Heritage Group (UKFHG) has been greatly encouraged by the thought and energy that has been invested by so many people.

Following the Government's Comprehensive Spending Review, we are delighted to announce that a grant of ?25 million in support of the Strategy has been announced.

Although this falls short of the outline budget in the strategy, it is nevertheless a very significant investment in the future of our Screen Heritage.

The consultation has given us a wide range of views, which will inform decisions as the phase one moves towards implementation.

I enclose a document that describes briefly the process of consultation and summarises the key points raised, followed in each case by the response of the UKFHG, and a separate document listing frequently asked questions and answers.

Delivery of Phase One will be managed in accordance with standards set by the Office for Government Commerce (OGC), which requires the Screen Heritage Steering Group (SHSG) to be formally constituted as a Programme Board, accountable to Ministers, HM Treasury and Parliament.

Details of the governance structure which sits below the Board are currently being worked out, but we anticipate the need for a working group and secretariat, and a network of expert committees drawn from across the sector to draw up the business plans. We expect there to be representation from across the sector and the regions at all levels of the project.

Further details, starting with membership pf the SHSG, will be announced by the end of January 2008.

We very much look forward to working together to deliver the vision.

Yours sincerely

Heather Stewart
Chair, UK Film Heritage Group

Alison Kirwan
PA to Heather Stewart, Cultural Programme Director, UK-Wide
BFI
21 Stephen Street
London
W1T 1LN
tel: +44 (0)20 7957 4786
fax: +44 (0)20 7580 7503
email: alison.kirwan@bfi.org.uk
www.bfi.org.uk

Strategy for UK Screen Heritage

Phase one consultation response

The public is entitled to access, learn about and enjoy its rich screen heritage wherever they live and wherever the materials are held.

Introduction

This document describes the consultation process for phase one of the Strategy, and then summarises contributions made, structured in accordance with the consultation questionnaire. A list of respondents is included at appendix one.

The Strategy for UK Screen Heritage was prepared by the UK Film Heritage Group (UKFHG). Membership of the UKFHG is listed at appendix two.

Consultation process

The consultation was launched on 13^th June with an event at the BFI Southbank to which around 50 people attended. The Strategy was posted on the BFI website for comment and emailed to a wide network of contacts. The Strategy and consultation was promoted in FOCAL Archive Zones magazine and via the websites of all members of the UK Film Heritage Group (UKFHG).

Thereafter, over a period of 12 weeks, members from the UKFHG facilitated a number of national and regional consultation meetings, including which ranged from meetings with one organisation to consortia meetings with up to 30 attendees.

The Regional Screen Agencies each facilitated a consultation meeting for their regional stakeholders, which included attendance from Regional Development Agencies, Regional MLAs, Local Authorities, Regional Film Archives, Higher Education Institutions, County Councils, Record Offices and Broadcast partners. Presentations were also made to various national organisations and representatives, including the British Screen Advisory Council, the National Council for Archives and the Film Archive Forum.

A total of some 200 individuals were involved in these face-to-face consultations.

In due course we received a total of 114 written responses, many representing consortia of more than one organisation. Responses were received from members of the public, professionals from the archive sector, producers, trade associations, national and regional archives, museums and heritage organisations and Government bodies.

The range and quality of responses was impressive, and is testament to the interest and professionalism of the sector. The UKFHG has been hugely encouraged by the thought and energy that has been invested by so many people in responding to this consultation and would like to thank everyone for their input.

Summary of written contributions

What is your understanding of Screen Heritage?

There was broad support for the concept of Screen Heritage as described in the consultation document. Comments, concerns and issues included:

A desire to draw the definition as widely as possible, including (for example) computer games, digital animation and websites, contextual material, production and viewing technologies and cinemas;

The need to make clear that we include film made for non-commercial purposes, that we value of film as an archival source as well as for its artistic and social content, and that the difference between the two is understood;

Recognition of the value of material not just as a source of information about our history and culture but also as a source of inspiration for new creative work;

A desire to integrate with sound archives and consider the vast national heritage of broadcast radio;

Concerns about the use of the word "screen" and "heritage" - especially that the latter conveyed a sense that the material was old and not up-to-date.

Whilst we recognize that "screen heritage" can be interpreted very broadly indeed, some limits must be drawn in the first phases of the strategy, in order to make best use of the resources available. Indeed, attempting to formulate a perfect definition may prove to be a serious distraction. So for the purposes of this strategy it should be considered to be:

All moving image media, from traditional film and television to artist's film & video, animation (both traditional and digital), digital material distributed via the Web and some computer games;

Contextual material including scripts, designs, marketing and publicity material and documents relating to production, distribution and consumption.

A debate about the inclusion of radio and sound archives would be interesting at a later point, but not at this stage - and must not be allowed to distract from the aim of securing the moving image archive and related contextual material for which the funding for Phase One has been secured.

We also agree that the term "heritage" has certain connotations. Indeed, the term "archive" is similarly burdened. But it does not seem inappropriate: "heritage" can include contemporary material and also carries the idea of inheritance - that the material we champion is worth caring for and passing on to future generations.

Would the strategy make a difference?

Enthusiasm for the strategy was expressed by a wide variety of stakeholders, from Government and funders to National bodies, regional archives, service providers and consumers of various kinds. Key positive points included:

Preserving material for the future;

Making material available to the public, researchers, students and for creative re-use - in both digital and traditional formats, individually and through collective experience;

Achieving sustainable national and regional archive provision;

Enabling better partnerships;

Unlocking resources for further work.

The key concerns expressed in this part of the response nearly all turned on the overall scope of the strategy, the adequacy and distribution of the funding.

We recognise very well that the funding proposal is modest, in comparison with the scale of the task (especially if defined in the broadest sense). The UKFC has now received a ?25M allocation of capital as a result of the Government's Comprehensive Spending Review settlement, which in addition to the UKFC ?3m Lottery Digital Archive Fund, will facilitate a major step forward.

Comments on the relative value of each of the five initiatives

a. Revitalising the Regions

Unsurprisingly, there was tremendous support for this initiative, which was seen to be very good value, and vital to partnership, UK-wide reach and the provision of a robust nationwide infrastructure. Concerns included:

The level of regional funding versus other elements of the strategy;

Inclusion of more collections through Nominated Archives spreading the available funding too thinly;

Lack of detail about how the nominated archives will be chosen;

The need to provide specialised storage facilities for the regions as well as the National Collection;

The need to recognise Regional Archive Councils and Regional MLAs;

Ensuring that RSAs have the necessary competence;

Provision of a single high-profile public access point.

There was also widespread support for empowering the RSAs and for the Nominated Archive concept, a desire that the strategy should be as inclusive as possible, as well as recognition of the RFAs as centres of professional expertise. It was also suggested that the strategy and plan for the National Collection should help drive the policy for the regions, and that economies of scale could and should be explored, including the idea of providing some services (such as specialised storage) on a centralised basis.

The budget for the strategy was based upon research and consultation in the regions, and reflects the views expressed. Detailed implementation plans are now being drawn up in light of the capital allocation that has been made.

The need to ensure that RSAs are fully competent is recognised in the strategy through the idea of Screen Heritage Development Managers, who we certainly expect to work closely with BFI, UKFC, Regional Archive Councils and MLAs. Drawing up criteria for selection of Nominated Archives will be the task of a working group, which will likely include representatives from all of these groups.

We agree that there should be a high-profile public access point, with a national and international focus. Plans for a National Film Centre are now well advanced - and the idea of an archive festival is worth exploring. We also believe that mediatheques created in partnership and collocated with major cultural venues across the regions will also help raise the profile of film archives, as well as providing a step-change in access.

b. Securing the National Collection

Many respondents saw the task of stabilising and preserving the National Collection as a key priority, although there was some confusion as to its definition.

Although there is, of course, material of importance to the nation preserved in collections UK Wide, the term "national collection" is used here in the same way as it is used in relation to national museums and galleries: they are collections held on behalf of the nation and directly funded from the state, such that they are included within the Government Accounting Net.

There was real concern that the budget sums identified in the strategy would not be sufficient for the task, whilst others expressed the view that the collection should not be preserved at the expense of regional collections and activities. There were also questions about the location of storage facilities, and a desire to increase access.

Detailed plans for providing optimum storage conditions for the national collection are well under way, based on upgrades to existing facilities in Hertfordshire and Warwickshire. We will certainly look at the possibility of building extra capacity to provide facilities for regional collections, where optimum storage is not available locally.

In light of the capital allocation announced, the Screen Heritage Steering Group will be constituted as a formal Programme Board (see paragraph 3(e) below) and will be looking at the distribution of funds between the different elements of the strategy.

c. Developing Digital Access

Again, there was widespread support for using digital technology to reach wide audiences via the web and in formal learning, augmented by regional viewing centres.

Key matters of concern expressed here included:

Realistic provision for ongoing costs;

Adoption of international cataloguing and metadata standards, and open standards for technology;

Conformability to the European Digital Library initiative;

Ensuring that digital distribution does not supplant exhibition in public and communal spaces where the collective experience is key;

Recognition of other forms of "digital access" including DVD, the DSN, etc.

Taking the last point first, we recognise that DVD publishing and releasing material via the digital screen network is all "digital access" in some sense. However, for the purposes of the strategy, the term is being used as shorthand for networked access of various kinds: to the public via the web, where rights allow, to schools, libraries and HE institutions, and via mediatheques.

Formation of a technology working group to address these issues and provide support for collections joining the network will be a key priority. In particular we would like to see some quick wins by opening regional mediatheques and through rapid prototyping of a public access portal and digitising key rights-free material from across the UK, making these accessible as soon as possible in the first year.

d. Supporting Education and Media Literacy

There was an enthusiastic response from many contributors, some of whom expressed the desire to be included in the pilot project.

A cautionary note was sounded on the limitations of film, which can be an excellent primary source about the society that made them, but is often a secondary source about its subject. Others saw an important opportunity to engage young people with archival materials and to develop their understanding of the context of moving image and media in their lives.

It was also pointed out that the pilot project should, of course, be aligned with existing projects including Film Club, for example, and suggested that the plan should encompass HE and FE and that we should work with the post-compulsory sector to establish what kinds of materials would be useful.

We recognise that this proposal needs further development. The specific intention, however, is to develop the use of screen heritage material as part of teaching the National Curriculum in schools - enriching the experience of formal education, promoting media literacy and developing a key audience group. We fully expect to engage with HE Institutions on this, not as an audience but as key facilitators.

As with other parts of the strategy, we will be forming a working group at the earliest opportunity to develop the plan in more detail and address these issues.

e. Steering the Strategy

There was good support for the Screen Heritage Steering Group (SHSG), with a clear recognition of the need to prioritise, monitor and evaluate the delivery of the strategy. Many offers and requests were made to be included on the Steering Group.

The main concerns expressed by respondents surrounded independence and effectiveness as an advocate, beyond the initiatives laid out in the strategy.

Delivery of Phase One will be managed in accordance with standards set by the Office for Government Commerce, which will carry out periodic "Gateway Reviews" of progress to provide independent assurance to DCMS that the programme is on course.

The SHSG will therefore be constituted as a Programme Board accountable to Ministers, HM Treasury and Parliament for delivery of Phase One.

Beneath this will be a working group, led by the BFI but working in close association with the UKFC, which will coordinate the development of individual business plans for the different elements of the strategy.

Expert committees drawn from across the sector, as appropriate, will draw up the business plans. The plans will be submitted to the SHSG for approval, via the Working Group.

The Regions will have representatives at all levels of the project: on the SHSG, the BFI-led working group and the expert committees.

Details of the SHSG, Working Group and Expert Groups will be announced by the end of January 2008, and will formally come into effect from 1 April 2008.

Further comments

Most of the views expressed under this part of the consultation have been covered above. There were, however, a number of additional points, including:

The benefits of commercial exploitation;

Insufficient attention in the strategy to skills and curatorial development;

The pursuit of Statutory Deposit for film and the extension of 'fair dealing' to film and broadcasts;

The desire to see the strategy looking beyond the immediate focus of the British Film Institute, the Regional Screen Agencies and the Regional Film Archives;

Whilst we recognise the potential benefits of commercial exploitation, we feel that the level of risk involved is not well suited to sustained development. Indeed, the Regional Film Archives specifically raised this point as a key problem, requesting an uplift in core revenue funding to allow them to stabilise and contribute to the national strategy. Nonetheless, we will look to include commercial expertise on the SHSG.

We certainly expect to work closely with the relevant sector skills councils and HE Institutions, and we are particularly concerned that the strategy should promote good research, scholarship and curatorship.

The issues surrounding Statutory Deposit for film and the extension of 'fair dealing' are important and will be discussed with Government when appropriate, but are outside the scope of the strategy at this point.

We very much agree that the strategy needs to look beyond the BFI, UKFC and RSAs, and will begin to do so in phase two. Indeed, there are a number of key issues facing the sector as a whole, including (for example) Collecting Policies, standards for documentation and conservation, interoperability of databases and intellectual property rights, which will form part of the phase two agenda, on which we intend to start consultation before the New Year.

What role do you see yourself/your organisation having?

Many respondents were, of course, likely to be directly affected by the strategy, and all looked forward to working on implementation and further development.

We would like to thank everyone for their contribution, and for offers of help and support for many aspects of the strategy, including especially the provision of regional access points, engagement with the educational pilot and joining the Steering Group, Working Group and Expert Groups.

Next Steps

A Programme Plan is being prepared now, for discussion by key stakeholders, and will become operational as soon as possible in the New Year, ready to go live from April 2008.

The UKFHG will meet in December to discuss the plan and prepare to hand over to the new Programme Board, the Screen Heritage Steering Group (SHSG).

A dedicated web site will be set up to communicate to all stakeholders.

Ruth Kelly
UK Film Heritage Group

Appendix one: respondents