The following is extracted from the lead front page story in Friday's
Canberra Times (12 December)
"SACKINGS AT SCREENSOUND
Six of the leading staff at Screensound Australia, the National Film and
Sound Archive, were made redundant yesterday in a move which has stunned the
film and archival industries.
It is not yet clear how many other jobs will be lost from Canberra, but in a
paper dealing with the Australian Film Commission's integration with
ScreenSound it is clear more positions will go under the new arrangements.
Those to be made redundant include ScreenSound's acting director Mary
Durkin, deputy director Pam Saunders, senior manager of the collections
branch and secretary-general to FIAF (the International Federation of Film
Archives) Meg Labrum, sound and music expert Jeff Brownrigg and archivists
Ann Baylis and Elizabeth Jamieson.
In addition, ScreenSound's Melbourne managers Ken Berryman and Helen Tully
and Sydney manager David Noakes have been told their positions are now
"surplus to requirements".
...The move was consistent with the Government's downgrading of the arts,
seen this year in job losses of 24 at the National Library and 12 at the
National Gallery."
By Helen Musa, Arts Editor
Ray Edmondson, my colleague on the Coordinating Council of Audiovisual
Archive Associations, adds:
"The Australian Film Commission's intentions for the Archive are set out in
a lengthy 'directions' paper which you can download from www.afc.gov.au .
Public comment is sought, with a deadline of 23 January 2003. I suggest you
read the paper in conjunction with the Canberra Times editorial,
"Screensound belongs here", on www.canberratimes.com.au"
WHAT CAN YOU DO?
1 Write or send an email to the Australian Arts Minister, Senator
Rod Kemp, at [log in to unmask] - and copy it to Shadow Arts
Minister Kate Lundy at [log in to unmask]
2 Print out the petition at
www.cpsu.org.au/campaigns/ScreenSound/index.html, gather signatures and fax
it to Senator Lundy at the fax number shown on the petition form.
3 Add your name to the mailing list on the above web site.
4 Spread the word. This matters for the profession - not just for
one archive.
Thanks for your support. I'll send out further news soon.
Ray Edmondson
[log in to unmask]
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