Theme: AV Archives: Why They Matter
Vientianne, Laos
The Eighteenth SEAPAVAA Conference and General Assembly is hosted by the Lao Department of Cinema in Vientianne, Laos on May 26 -30, 2014. The theme “AV Archives: Why They Matter” aimed to explore on the query on the very core of archives: Do Archives actually matter? This query was eventually answered with one outstanding Yes.
Held in the Lao Plaza Hotel, the Conference proper was warmly addressed by Keynote Speaker, Joie Springer, Former Senior Programme Specialist, Knowledge Societies Division, Communication and Information Sector, UNESCO. Her inspiring speech prompted awareness to the undying value of the Archives; of preserving the supporting historical information, defending and understanding the past. She reinforce the correlating importance of raising archive awareness by remembering Memory of the World Programme and UNESCO’s World Day for Audiovisual Heritage. The Conference was attended by professionals and passionate individuals in the archiving field from all over the world and also with a strong participation from the Lao community.
The General Assembly was also hosted by the Lao Department of Cinema. It was a closed and important event for the SEAPAVAA members where the Associations’s yearly report is presented, concerns within the community are raised and decisions are made. For this year, new Executive Council officers were elected for the three year term positions. The Executive Council members were voted and abide accordingly to the Constitution for their respective roles and responsibilities.
The Symposium sessions had been an engaging platform for discussions in which concluded that AV archives and AV documents embrace so many aspects of life, not just entertainment. If we do not invest in AV archiving we are immeasurably poorer. We strive to recreate the original experience and context for users of our collections, but there is a difference between authentic re-creation and authentic idealised re-creation.
In the end, whether or not it suits our personal preference, we have no choice but to be advocates.