As sound and audio-visual archives globally face increasing challenges—from degrading magnetic media and digital obsolescence to funding shortfalls and climate risks—the upcoming BMA Webinar seeks to unite archivists, preservation experts, and institutional leaders to tackle a pressing question: How can collaboration and partnerships enhance the capabilities of archives to effectively identify, manage, and mitigate these risks?
Scheduled for Tuesday, June 9, 2026, the webinar, titled “Identifying, Safeguarding & Managing Risks to Sound & Audio-Visual Archives & Collections,” will include a focused segment on the transformative potential of inter-institutional cooperation, cross-sector partnerships, and community engagement in developing strong risk management frameworks for archives.
Sound and audio-visual archives hold a uniquely fragile place within the realm of cultural heritage. Many institutions operate alone, facing limited funding, specialised technical needs, and an urgent need to preserve material on ageing media such as magnetic tapes, lacquer discs, and early digital formats. Given the scale and complexity of these challenges, no single institution can adequately tackle them in isolation.
The webinar aims to showcase collaborative models involving national and international organisations, academic institutions, broadcasters, indigenous communities, and technology partners, and to illustrate how these alliances are essential for bridging the risk management gap. Participants will review tangible examples where pooled expertise, shared resources, and combined advocacy have enabled institutions to accomplish goals unattainable on their own.
The need for audio-visual preservation has reached a critical stage. Estimates indicate that a significant portion of the world’s recorded sound heritage has already been lost due to physical deterioration, disasters, and neglect. For many archives—especially those located in low- and middle-income countries or those preserving minority and indigenous languages—the opportunity for action is limited to years rather than decades.
In this context, the issue of collaboration transcends administrative concerns and becomes a matter of survival. When institutions operate separately, risk management efforts remain fragmented, unevenly allocated, and severely underfunded. Conversely, when they collaborate, they can establish the shared infrastructure, political clout, and technical know-how necessary to safeguard invaluable cultural memories for generations to come.
“The strongest risk mitigation strategy available to any archive is not merely a disaster recovery plan tucked away in a drawer; it is a network of reliable partners who can provide expertise, resources, and support when it matters most.”
