The Yorkshire and North East Film Archive at York St John University has secured £348,000 for an ambitious three-year project entitled Vision, Value, and Viability, with the support of the BFI Screen Heritage Fund, awarding National Lottery Good Cause funding. The investment will support our organisation as we plan our archive of the future, ensuring the screen heritage across Yorkshire and the North East remains accessible, protected, and celebrated for generations to come.

 The Archive will use the funding to drive a programme of activity focused on long-term sustainability, increased public access, partnerships and collaboration, environmental responsibility, and organisational development. Co-Directors Megan McCooley and Graham Relton will lead the project, working alongside the Archive's specialist team to strengthen the organisation's resilience while championing the value of regional screen heritage.

 Megan McCooley, Co-Director | Head of Collections, said:

 "This project will help us tackle some of the most pressing challenges facing archives today, from digital preservation and ageing technology to improving accessibility and planning for the long-term care of our Collection. It will also enable us to unlock previously inaccessible film and video material so the Collection will be more relevant, better reflecting the diverse communities that we serve across Yorkshire and the North East."

 Key areas of activity include:

•  Making significant strides forward in securing the long-term care and storage of our collections, both analogue and digital, with environmental sustainability at its core.
• Catalogue and publish previously inaccessible video collections, particularly material from the 1980s through to the 2000s, providing a springboard for future outreach and audience engagement programmes, prime for co-curation with local communities.
• Increasing public access through enhanced online services, including subtitling digital content and improving accessibility across the Archive's catalogue.
• Auditing skills, equipment, and policies to prepare for future technological developments, including the challenges and opportunities presented by emerging new technologies and AI.
• Expanding partnerships with a commitment to knowledge sharing and collaboration, developing new income streams, and raising the profile of the Archive regionally, nationally, and internationally.

 Graham Relton, Co-Director | Head of Access, said:

 "Archive film helps us understand who we are, where we've come from, and how our communities have changed over time. Thanks to support from the BFI Screen Heritage Fund, we're not simply safeguarding our collections; we're creating a clear vision for the future, improving access, strengthening the Archive's resilience, and ensuring these stories continue to inform, inspire, and engage people across Yorkshire, the North East, and beyond."

 By the end of the three-year project, the Yorkshire and North East Film Archive will be a more viable and sustainable organisation, better equipped to fulfil our vision: to enable the widest possible access, connecting broad and diverse audiences to a collection of enduring cultural and social significance.

Alongside this regional impact, the Archive will contribute to the development of a National Strategy for the UK's Screen Heritage, working with partners across the UK to help shape a collective vision for the long-term preservation, accessibility, and value of the nation's moving image heritage.