A wide ranging internal review of the British Film Institute (bfi) is set to take place following the publication of National Audit Office report criticising the extent to which the organisation has made its collection available to the public (see ArtsProfessional issue 48, April 21, p1).
The review will be conducted under the leadership of incoming Director Amanda Nevill, currently head of the National Museum of Photography, Film and Television. A key priority will be to consider the purpose of the bfi National Film and Television Archive which currently stands at seven million items. Substantial backlogs of material are waiting to be accepted into the collection and to be catalogued, and less than half of that currently catalogued is estimated to be in a readily viewable condition. Backlogs of preservation work have led to fears that some films are at risk of being lost as a result. Other areas of investigation to be pursued include a study of the expectations of new and existing bfi audiences, means for achieving the effective and efficient delivery of bfi services, and how improvements can be made to organisational structure, performance and value for money.
Published: 19-05-2003