The World Day for Audiovisual Heritage takes place every 27 October. This commemorative day was chosen by UNESCO (the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) in 2005 to raise awareness of the significance and preservation risks of recorded sound and audiovisual documents (films, sound and video recordings, radio and television programmes). Events are held in many countries, organised by national and regional sound and film archives, broadcasters, museums and libraries, and major audiovisual associations including the Association of Moving Image Archivists (AMIA), International Council on Archives (ICA), International Association of Sound and Audiovisual Archives (IASA), and the International Federation of Film Archives (FIAF).
The main objectives of designating the date of 27 October were listed by UNESCO:
- raising public awareness of the need for preservation.
- providing opportunities to celebrate specific local, national or international aspects of the heritage.
- highlighting the accessibility of archives.
- attracting media attention to heritage issues.
- raising the cultural status of audiovisual heritage.
- highlighting audiovisual heritage in danger, especially in developing countries.
The 2023 World Day for Audiovisual Heritage will be celebrated on 27 October under the theme “Your Window to the World”. The celebration is key initiative for UNESCO and the Coordinating Council of Audiovisual Archives Associations (CCAAA) to honour audiovisual preservation professionals and institutions that safeguard our heritage for future generations. As a window to the world, audiovisual heritage enables us to witness events we do not attend, listen to voices of the past, and create narratives that inform and entertain. Through the exploration of recorded sounds and visual imagery captured on film and video, we not only gain an appreciation for the cultural wealth but also extract valuable lessons from it.
As its activity and contribution towards the UNESCO’s World Day for Audiovisual Heritage celebrations, the National Archives and Records Service of South Africa (NARSSA) will be hosting a workshop on Indigenous History and collection of Indigenous Knowledge System. Key to the guests invited to attend are officials from Eswatini National Archives Higher Education, Science and Technology from Zimbabwe.
As per the theme, NARSSA will be inviting Audio-visual Archivists and other relevant stakeholders to the event to honour the work they are doing in the preservation of our nation’s documentary heritage.
VENUE: Hybrid – National Archives Auditorium (on invitation) and on Microsoft Teams
DATE: 27 OCTOBER 2023
TIME: 09H00-13H00
Enquiries:
Adv. Dennis Maake, Head: National Film, Video and Sound Archives
Cell: 082 804 0848
Email: DennisM@dsac.gov.za
Ms. Zimasa Velaphi, Head of Communications
Cell 072 172 8925
Email: zimasav@dac.gov.za
