Forward to the Past

PRESENTATION SESSION

Wednesday, October 12, 9:30 am – 11:00 am

Organized by Frances Phillips, program director, arts and The Creative Work Fund; Walter and Elise Haas Fund; Shelley Trott, arts program officer, Kenneth Rainin Foundation.

Presented by Austin Forbord, executive artistic director, Rapt Productions; Moriah Ulinskas, director of preservation, Bay Area Video Coalition.

New digital formats make it possible to preserve and share eroding documentation of artworks. Artists are using these formats to sustain repertoire, conduct research, and involve the public; but evolving technologies challenge us to make choices among an array of options. Artists across all disciplines are struggling with how to record and share work, manage archives stored on obsolete formats, curate growing deposits of digital media, and brace for further advancements. This session addresses the continuum of performing arts preservation, from documentation to archiving to using digital media to engage the public. What are current best practices? How are organizations collaborating to protect archives and increase public access? What do grantmakers need to know about this rapidly evolving arena?