We are showing you behind the scenes at Archives+ in Manchester Central Library as part of Basement Tapes day which coincides with World Audio-Visual Heritage Day on 27th October. Our doors are open to visitors following a careful reopening from lockdown at the end of August. However rather than hosting an onsite activity, North West Sound Heritage will be releasing videos and audio clips through the day via our social media channels to give our work at the North West hub a wider audience.
The following video is a sneak preview of our tour video which we will be inviting twitter users to watch on Basement Tapes Day.
The video shows a journey thought the processes in sound archives, from bringing tapes into the collection, demystifying digitisation, cataloguing and rights checks to providing public access. The film opens by showing our base at Manchester Central Library where we have audio available in the search room and in the Archives+ exhibition. We also also have a Soundcloud stream where you can listen online. Watch out for more clips being released on 27th October.
I made the video using a VHS effect app on my smartphone. The soundtrack to the tour video was made from various snippets of audio blips, hisses and tape clunks that I have sampled through the digitisation project so far. It helps that I’m a filmmaker and musician outside of being the Digitisation Manager for the project, but I’m also pleased I could use these skills to make a decidedly non-corporate tour video! Very much hope you enjoy it.
Siân A. Williams
Digitisation Manager
Unlocking Our Sound Heritage – North West