London’s Screen Archives (LSA), the pan-London organisation that collects, preserves and champions the UK capital’s screen heritage, is set to expand and enhance its efforts thanks to a major injection of £375,000 from BFI Screen Heritage Fund awarding National Lottery Good Cause funding, as well as in-kind contributions.

Managed by Film London, LSA is a unique network of 70+ organisations that encompasses local archives and community groups through to major museums, galleries and charities. Comprising some 23,000 titles that include everything from home movies to public service films, the Archive provides an uniquely rich survey of London life over the past century, capturing moments that shaped individual families and communities, as well as those that shaped the nation itself.

The £375k BFI Screen Heritage Fund support will be bolstered by an additional £175k of in-kind contribution from Film London. Over the course of the next three years, this funding will be used to boost skills, train staff, bring digitisation capabilities in-house, safeguard the collections and help LSA share knowledge and expertise with other archives across the UK. The funding from BFI will also help bolster LSA’s work to license the collections strategically, thus ensuring the Archives’ long-term sustainability.

Recent LSA highlights include:

• Accessioning 600 film reels for the Scout Association's LSA collection, including original Scout Film Unit footage and Lord Baden Powell home movies.
• Digitising incredible amateur footage from Pamela Tatham, a female doctor based in Malaysia through the 50s and 60s, including her solo travels through India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq and Palestine.
• Working with the British Deaf Association to digitise and license their footage, which helped highlight the rich history and evolution of British Sign Language.
• Licensing archive footage to major Beatles and Billy Idol documentaries.

Adrian Wootton OBE, Chief Executive of Film London, said:

“London’s Screen Archives is a truly unique resource for the capital and its people. The films that the team have collected, restored and digitised over the past 20 years capture everything from intimate family moments to occasions of national celebration, often from perspectives outside those recognised by the traditional broadcasters and documentarians of the day.

“This National Lottery funding means the LSA team can not only continue to build upon their extraordinary achievements, but also share their skills and expertise more widely while ensuring future generations get the opportunity to explore and enjoy these rare snapshots of vanished London life.”

Marta Berto, BFI Screen Heritage Fund Manager, said:

“Film London made a very strong case for our support, showing increasing strength and professionalisation of London Screen Archives activity that should be bolstered further by continued BFI Screen Heritage Fund Resilience funding. We’re delighted to support a programme designed to strengthen organisational capacity, modernise digital and physical infrastructure, diversify income streams, enhance sector leadership, and improve representation and access to London’s screen heritage. We are inspired by the UK-wide relevance of LSA's collections, the collaborative nature of LSA and their desire to support members and their collections”