South West Screen, the development agency for the creative and media industries in the region, is appealing to film makers, organisations and individual collectors for information on film collections so that, for the first time, it can help create an England-wide map showing over one hundred years of our moving image heritage.

As part of the Strategy for UK Screen Heritage, South West Screen is working with the UK Film Council, the BFI and other screen agencies across England to canvass holders of moving image collections of cultural, artistic and historical significance, encouraging them to take part in the Survey of Moving Image Collections held in the Regions.

Tim Cagney, Head of UK Partnerships at the UK Film Council which is funding this work, says: “Film brings the nation’s history of culture and society alive like no other medium can, and over recent years we’ve seen a real increase in the public appetite for archives of film from the last century. We want to find out what’s out there so that we can find ways for the public to enjoy greater access to these collections, regardless of where they live, and at the same time secure the long term preservation of these rare gems.”

The Strategy for UK Screen Heritage will ensure that there is greater access to national and regional archive collections, and it will support the organisations that create this access. The Survey will kick start this process by gathering information about the type of moving image collections that exist across England, where and how they are being kept, and how people can currently see them. Where possible, new investment will not only secure the future of these collections for future generations, but also break down any barriers, such as equipment or facilities, that may be preventing the people from seeing and enjoying the collections.

Many collections of early film have been shown on television and in cinemas across the UK in recent years and this has ignited public demand for seeing their heritage so clearly revealed on film. People always want to see footage of where they live, how their communities have changed, where people grew up, where they worked, or went on holiday – a moving image of Britain over the past one hundred years. This footage mapping initiative will lead to greater understanding of what heritage film is out there and make it easier for the public to access it.

The Survey of Moving Image Collections held in the Regions can be found at www.shcsurvey.org.uk. The deadline for responses is 11 September 2008.