Safeguarding Future History: Meeting the Challenge of Records at Risk

Tue Nov 04 2025 at 10:00 am to 04:30 pm UTC+00:00

The Gallery | London

The British Records Association (BRA)
Publisher/HostThe British Records Association (BRA)
Safeguarding Future History: Meeting the Challenge of Records at Risk
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Join the BRA as we examine past, present and future risk to UK archives and discuss preservation strategies for the 21st century
About this Event

The British Records Association has had records preservation at its core since its establishment in 1932, and this year our annual conference will focus on Records at Risk. What does risk look like for archives in the 21st century? What practical measures can we take to ensure the continued preservation of records in a context of financial pressure and fast-moving technological change? How can funders and our wider communities help?

Our programme includes insights from academics, funders, and representatives from The National Archives and British Council. There will be practical advice to take away from recent projects to save significant collections of records at risk, and an opportunity for informal conversation with funders over tea and coffee.


PROGRAMME:

9.45 Registration and morning refreshments

10.10 Welcome from the BRA

10.15 Victoria Northwood, BRA Vice-Chair: ‘A Great National Task’: the origins of records preservation

10.25 Georgina Brewis, Professor of Social History, University College London: Why records matter to historians and how we can help preserve collections

11.00 Philip Gale, Head of the Collections and Cultural Property Team, Archives Sector Leadership, The National Archives: Pandemic Lessons: Evolving Anatomy and Mitigation of Archival Risks


Panel Session: Finding Solutions for Records at Risk (chaired by Philip Gale)

11.45 Richard Wiltshire, Trustee, Business Archives Council and Gillian Staples, Archives & Collections Lead, Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea and the City of Westminster: The Crisis Management Team in Action: Saving the Debenhams Archives for the Nation

12.10 Tim Brunsden, Independent Filmmaker, on behalf of the Re-Dock artist collective: Saving Homotopia's video archive

12.30 Dr Zoe Hendon, Design Historian, Curator and Lecturer, previously Head of Collections at the Museum of Domestic Design and Architecture and Jackie Bishop, Project Archivist (Penguin Random House) University of Reading: What happens when the archive closes? Rehoming the Charles Hasler collection


13.00 Lunch and British Records Association AGM


14.15 Stephanie Grant, Director, Cultural Protection Fund, The British Council: International Perspective: the work of the Cultural Protection Fund


Panel Session: Meet the Funders (chaired by Victoria Northwood)

14.50 James Hodgson, Head of Archive Sector Funding, The National Archives

15.05 Nell Hoare, Secretary, Friends of the Nations' Libraries and The National Manuscripts Conservation Trust

15.25 Leanne Manfredi, V&A National Programmes Lead (Arts Council England/V&A Purchase Grant Fund)

15.50 Afternoon refreshments and opportunity to network

16.30 Conference closes


Conference fees include full catering for the day

For accessibility requirements please email: [email protected]

We look forward to seeing you in November!


Banner image:

Bringing in salvage for COG Scheme in Thurston, 1939-1945. Ministry of Information Crown Copyright. Image provided courtesy the Royal Voluntary Service Heritage Collection.

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Event Venue & Nearby Stays

The Gallery, 77 Cowcross Street, London, United Kingdom

Tickets

GBP 35.00 to GBP 55.00

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