This session consists of 4 presentations and a joint Q&A with the presenters. The session contains:
➺ Benjamin Amakye-Boateng - The Impact of Political Insecurity on Archival Access and Preservation: A Case Study of Bokoor Studios. (Long presentation)
➺ Ana Masiello - Audio preservation strategies in Latin America: Sustainable approaches adapted to our reality. (Short presentation)
➺ Simon Rogers, Curtis Sassur - Own your own sound: Imagining a DIY post-custodial archival network (Short presentation)
➺ Nurul Huda Abdullah - Decoding Malaysia's Audiovisual Archives in Creating National Unity (Short presentation)
**Abstracts:**
➺ The Impact of Political Insecurity on Archival Access and Preservation: A Case Study of Bokoor Studios.
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Benjamin Amakye-Boateng (Long presentation)
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Archives and cultural heritage institutions frequently face a perilous landscape as a result of political instability. This research investigates the impact of such disruption on the activities of Bokoor Studios, Ghana's pioneering archive committed to the preservation of African music history. The study focuses on how political upheaval and changes in government have impacted access to and preservation of the unique treasures held within Bokoor Studios. Drawing on historical data, interviews with key stakeholders, and archival record analysis, this study reveals the challenges posed by political instability, such as funding disruptions, threats to physical infrastructure, and an increased risk of censorship or loss of culturally significant materials. The instance of Bokoor Studios exemplifies the several ways in which political unrest can hinder the archiving process, ranging from logistical challenges to the more sinister prospect of cultural oblivion. Furthermore, the study delves into the tactics used by Bokoor Studios to address these issues, emphasising the importance of resilience, adaptability, and worldwide solidarity. Finally, the purpose of this study is to contribute to the larger discussion on the preservation of cultural archives in politically vulnerable contexts, by providing insights and tactics that might be used by similar institutions around the world. Through the perspective of Bokoor Studios, we acquire a better appreciation of the essential role that archives play in preserving cultural continuity and memory during times of political change.
➺ Audio preservation strategies in Latin America: Sustainable approaches adapted to our reality.
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Ana Masiello (Short presentation)
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Those involved in audio preservation in countries like Argentina are accustomed to working in crisis contexts and developing preservation strategies that consider the complex social, political, and economic landscape of Latin America. Particularly, the economic factor often plays a significant role in our decision-making processes.
International standards typically recommend storage conditions and materials for enclosures that are beyond our financial means or not readily available locally. As a result, we must employ creativity and research to develop alternative strategies that involve "adapting" materials originally intended for other purposes for conservation enclosures, or reusing and readapting original enclosure systems. Additionally, it is crucial to prioritize preservation strategies that are feasible for the institutions responsible for them.
In this way, our "sustainability" stems from the necessity and the belief that it is possible to develop sound preservation practices in our unique realities, which differ from others and must be addressed accordingly, always with the aim of preserving our sound heritage. In this presentation, I will share some of our experiences, both successful and unsuccessful, in developing these "non-ideal alternative preservation practices" in sound preservation. These strategies are tailored to the realities of Latin America and may prove beneficial to colleagues and institutions in the region and worldwide.
➺ Own your own sound: Imagining a DIY post-custodial archival network
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Simon Rogers, Curtis Sassur (Short presentation)
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Founded in 2020, The Toronto Information Network for Independent [TINI] Music Co-op has been slowly building capacity to support DIY archival documentation of the Toronto independent music community. Following on the collaborative research experience of building an outreach initiative, working with prototype archival projects in four identified constituencies (artists, venues, fans and archivists), and supervising a user experience [UX] design student working group project at the Faculty of Information in the University of Toronto, TINI co-founder and archivist Simon Rogers will present a talk on community documentation and building supports for a post-custodial archival program in the nonprofit sector. The short paper will focus on early project initial steps and the power of harnessing existing resources to build cheap and slow effective capacity to support the long term organization of community records in conjunction with pre-existing communities of practice. He will argue that letting go of traditional ownership models, in particular, can stimulate social innovation. He will also outline an academic support role for harnessing the strength of traditional archival practices without threatening loss of artistic agency or engagement because of perceived threats to ownership or autonomy through institutionalized archival collecting practices. This paper will examine the utility of post-custodial, multi-institutional metadata creation in building a dispersed archival network, with a low-barrier to access, especially in the long term preservation of digitized content and fragmentary analog materials with multiple creators such as zines, merchandise and concert ephemera.
➺ Decoding Malaysia's Audiovisual Archives in Creating National Unity
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Nurul Huda Abdullah (Short presentation)
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“Decoding Malaysia's Audiovisual Archives in Creating National Unity” refers to the process of understanding and interpreting audiovisual archives to foster a sense of national unity. This involves preserving and making accessible historical and cultural materials that are significant to a nation’s identity. Audiovisual archives, such as those managed by the National Archives of Malaysia (NAM), play a crucial role in this process. They preserve valuable materials like documentaries, films, commercials, and corporate video animations that capture various national historical events. These archives are seen as a shared resource, encouraging co-ownership and donations to complete the collection for future generations. However, despite its importance, the field of audiovisual archives often goes unnoticed and is overlooked by certain communities. Therefore, efforts are made to improve preservation practices, engage the younger generation, and expand community involvement through outreach programs. In essence, decoding these archives involves understanding their content and significance, and leveraging them as tools to unite communities. They serve as information hubs for analysing cultural, historical, and educational aspects, developing common ground across communities, and aiding in the preservation of cultural heritage.
