News from the National Jazz ArchiveThe extensive resources of the National Jazz Archive havebeen opened up by a project funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund.The successful three-year project ‘The Story of BritishJazz’ has significantly improved public access to the National Jazz Archive’srich and diverse holdings and reinforced its position as the principal nationalresource for jazz heritage in the UK.The key achievements have been:• storing and conserving more than 40,000 archive items(journals, photos, posters and programmes)• cataloguing more than 4300 books• cataloguing more than 600 journals to series level alongwith 36 personal and seven photo collections• scanning and digitising numerous journals, photos, postersand programmes for direct access via the redesigned website, which includes atimeline of British jazz, over 360 interviews, and cross-curricular learningresources• organising more than 30 talks, open days, exhibitions,concerts, community events and family activities• training volunteers in storage, preservation andcataloguing skills.The principal funding for the project was a grant of£311,000 from the Heritage Lottery Fund, coupled with a match-fundingcontribution from the Archive of approximately £12,000, including donations, anon-cash contribution from Essex County Council of £15,527, and volunteer timecontribution of £6850.Lesley Walker, Project Monitor for the Heritage LotteryFund, said: “Over the past three years I have watched the National Jazz Archivedevelop into an active and lively organisation with properly catalogued andmanaged collections, reaching out to a much wider audience including theirlocal communities. There is now a greater awareness within and beyond the jazzcommunity of the Archive and its activities and ‘The Story of British Jazz’makes the collection accessible to people everywhere.”Project manager Angela Davies said: “The Story of BritishJazz project team successfully delivered a dynamic programme of activity, whichhas significantly raised the profile of the Archive, created an infrastructurefor the sustained management and preservation of its unique collection andencouraged greater interaction with the Archive. This could not have beenachieved without the enthusiastic support from the trustees, volunteers andpartner organisations.”Partnerships and collaborations were arranged throughout theproject with nearly 30 organisations, including the British Music Experience,Chelmsford Museum Service, Essex Heritage Education Group, Essex on Tour, EssexYouth Jazz Orchestra, Group for Education in Museums, Guildhall Music Library,Horniman Museum, Jazz FM, Loughton Festival, Loughton Library, Loughton YouthProject, Love Loughton, Restore Community Church, and West Dean College.The project team were: Angela Davies (project manager),Fiona Cormack (project archivist till 2013), Jo Blyghton (project archivistfrom 2013), and Sam Fieldhouse (learning and outreach officer).To support and manage the project, trustees with expertisein archives, conservation, finance, marketing, legal, and audience developmentwere recruited. A series of seven fundraising concerts was organised in 2014,featuring the Gresty-White Ragtimers, Kenny Ball Jazzmen led by Keith Ball,Paul Jones, Liane Carroll, John Altman, Digby Fairweather and Val Wiseman. The work of the Archive is continuing, and significantcollections of material have been donated during the course of the project,including hundreds of photos of musicians taken by Denis Williams, personalpapers from Ottilie Patterson, Don Lusher, Lew Stone and Nat Gonella. Further details of the Archive are available atwww.nationaljazzarchive.org.uk, 020 8502 4701 or [log in to unmask] media enquiries contact: Nick Clarke, 020 8502 4701 or07974 406013, [log in to unmask]• The National Jazz Archive is a registered charity based inLoughton Library in Essex. It holds the UK’s finest collection of written,printed and visual material on jazz, blues and related music, from the 1919 tothe present day. The Archive holds more than 4000 reference books, specialistperiodicals and bulletins spanning over 600 titles, archival material, artwork,ephemera and photographs. It is open on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Fridayfrom 10am to 1pm.• The Archive’s vision is to ensure that significant jazzmaterial is safeguarded for future generations of enthusiasts, professionalsand researchers.• The Archive is supported by Essex County Council, whichprovides rent-free accommodation and a part-time Research Archivist, whose roleinvolves helping visitors, providing an enquiry service, responding to researchrequests from students, writers, enthusiasts and journalists, and organisingthe NJA celebrity fundraising events.• Technical support partners for ‘The Story of British Jazz’project were: Inclusive Digital – website designers; Townsweb Archiving –scanning and digitisation; PastView – web-based search engine; and CALM –archival cataloguing software. • The Archive works in partnership with organisations aroundthe UK to disseminate its resources, including the Essex Record Office andhigher education institutions.
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