Theme: Digital Dawn: AV Archiving in Transition
Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei Darussalam
The Ninth Conference and General Assembly of the South East Asia-Pacific Audio Visual Archive Association (SEAPAVAA) was held in Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei Darussalam on 2-6 May 2005. The conference theme was “Digital Dawn: AV Archiving in Transition”. The conference tackled problems and issues of audiovisual archives in the region and other countries with regards to period of transition from analogue to digital archiving.
The Opening Ceremony was held at the Goldstone Ballroom of the Centrepoint Hotel on 2 May 2005. The Honorable Pehin Dato Paduka Awang Hj. Hazair bin Hj. Abdullah, Permanent Secretary, Prime Minister’s Office, was the Guest-of-Honor at the Opening Ceremony. Pengiran Dato Paduka Hj. Ismail, Director of Radio Television Brunei, on his welcoming message expressed his gratitude to SEAPAVAA for finally holding its conference previously scheduled in 2003. SEAPAVAA President, Ms. Belina Capul, thanked the Radio Television Brunei (RTB) and the Government of Brunei Darussalam for its warm welcome and all the support it has extended to SEAPAVAA since the early history of the association. Pehin Dato Paduka Awang Hj. Hazair welcomed all the delegates to the symposium and to Brunei Darussalam.
The Symposium was divided into three sessions. The first session focused on experiences by member institutions in digital archiving and identifying possible solutions to the problems face in the region. It further discussed the advantages and disadvantages of digital media and file based management systems in preparing the av heritage for the future. The second session discussed potentials and practical steps to take in preparing, preserving, restoring and accessing of the heritage in digital formats. Possibilities of advocacy, sharing skills and resources, practical guides, hands-on help, joint projects and other initiatives were discussed. The third session focused on strategic issues regarding management, policy dimension and priorities in digitization of audiovisual archiving.
The conference was attended by delegates representing audiovisual archiving in Australia, Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Cook Islands, France, Germany, Hong Kong (China), Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Netherlands, New Zealand, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States of America and Vietnam. The Conference consisted of a symposium, a first ever SEAPAVAA screenings evening, a showcase of members archival gems, institutional visits, sightseeing excursion, dinners and other social events.