National Film and Sound Archive Pacific Engagement Project
Australia prioritises capacity development in the Indo-Pacific through programs such as the NFSA’s Pacific Engagement Project. The aims of the Pacific Engagement Project are to assess the preservation needs of audio-visual collections across the Pacific region and provide basic training to audio-visual technicians in the Pacific region.
The National Film and Sound Archive (NFSA) has a strong regional interest exemplified by its involvement with the South East Asia-Pacific AudioVisual Archive Association (SEAPAVAA).
In 2015 the NFSA completed a UNESCO funded project to assess the preservation needs of audiovisual collections across the Pacific region. The survey was conducted by an NFSA staff member who travelled to as many places with known collections as possible, visiting collection stewards and completing written surveys on needs for preservation and assessing the greatest risks and training needs.
Places visited were:
- Fiji:National Archives, Ministry of Itaukei Affairs (Indigenous Affairs) Fiji Museum, Ministry of Information
- Samoa: National Archives and Records Authority of Samoa, Department of Health, Secretariat of the Pacific
- Tonga: Tonga Broadcasting Commission
- New Caledonia: Bernheim Library, Archives of New Caledonia, Tjibaou Cultural Centre
- Vanuatu: National Archives of Vanuatu
- Pacific Region audio-visual collections are identified for preservation
- Risk and training gaps identified
In 2015 NFSA was awarded a grant of A$10,000 by the Australian National Commission for UNESCO to conduct the National Film and Sound Archive Pacific Engagement Project.