Major BFI Screen Heritage Fund investment secures future of nationally significant film archive in Norwich
By: Communications
One of the East of England’s most important cultural assets has received a major funding boost that will help secure its future in Norwich for generations to come.
The University of East Anglia (UEA) and the East Anglian Film Archive (EAFA) have been supported with £374,697 by the British Film Institute (BFI) Screen Heritage Fund awarding National Lottery Good Cause funding to deliver a major programme of work preparing the archive for relocation to a new home on the UEA campus.
The funding will help safeguard one of the UK’s most significant regional film collections, preserving moving image heritage that documents more than 130 years of life across the East of England.
Marta Berto, BFI Screen Heritage Fund Manager, said: "We are pleased to be able to support EAFA’s team efforts to secure the long-term sustainability of their operations and to establish itself as a model of accessible, inclusive and forward-looking archival practice, fully integrating EAFA into the vibrant teaching and research community on UEA campus. The plans for 2026-29 are robust and spotlight the university’s impressive commitment to accessibility and to achieving a ‘net zero’ status by 2045.”
At the Heart of UEA’s Cultural Strategy
The East Anglian Film Archive, the UK's first regional film archive, offers a unique record of the East of England's social and cultural history. As part of the University of East Anglia, we continue to lead moving image heritage research and inspire audience participation through community projects and events. Our collections represent a broad range of amateur and professional creativity, from 1896 to the present day.
The relocation represents a landmark moment in UEA’s Cultural Strategy, strengthening the archive’s position within the University’s wider cultural and research ecosystem and creating new opportunities for collaboration, learning and public engagement.
Professor Catherine Richardson, PVC of Arts and Humanities at UEA, said: “We are thrilled to have received this support from the British Film Institute’s Screen Heritage Fund. Thanks to National Lottery players we will be able to open up these incredible collections to wider audiences -there are some real hidden gems in there-, celebrating the rich regional cultures they show, and working with our communities to understand the impact film has had, and will have in the future, in our region.”
Preparing for a New Home at UEA
The award comes at a crucial moment for the archive as it prepares to relocate from The Archive Centre at County Hall, Norwich.
The project, Groundwork for Relocation Initiative: Building Capacity, Strengthening Collections, and Enhancing Workflows for Sustainable Growth, will establish a dedicated relocation team responsible for preparing, auditing, packaging and tracking almost four kilometres of archive collections.
Funding will also support the digitisation of vulnerable videotape materials, improvements to collections management systems and specialist design work for a future state-of-the-art archive facility on the UEA campus.
Dr Nick Warr, Director of EAFA, said: "At its heart, the East Anglian Film Archive is an archive of creativity, and this support from the BFI for our move back to UEA campus will help us continue to develop creative and innovative ways of making the archive more accessible and opening up participation in our work."
Creating a Cultural Hub for the Region
Bringing EAFA into closer proximity with the University's flagship cultural collections, including the Sainsbury Centre and the British Archive for Contemporary Writing, will create new opportunities for teaching, research, exhibitions, screenings and public programmes.
The move is expected to strengthen EAFA's role as the accredited film archive for the East of England while increasing access to the region's rich screen heritage for students, researchers, communities and partners, including our 1.3m annual visitors through events and screenings, exhibitions and skills sharing. EAFA’s location on campus will be determined through a feasibility study and options appraisal. No timetable has yet been agreed for the move, although it is expected to take place within the next few years.
Building for Long-Term Sustainability
Alongside the practical work of relocation, the project will support plans for a sustainable archive facility designed to meet evolving preservation standards while contributing to UEA's net zero ambitions.
The initiative will also generate training opportunities, develop specialist skills and share knowledge across the UK's screen heritage and archives sectors.
No timetable has yet been agreed for the move, although it is expected to take place within the next few years.
Georgette Ward, Director of Development, Alumni and Campaigns said: “The East Anglian Film Archive is a powerful example of how cultural collections can inspire learning, strengthen communities and preserve our shared heritage. This funding provides a strong foundation for the archive's future and creates momentum for further investment and partnership. We look forward to working with alumni, supporters and organisations who share our ambition to protect and celebrate the screen heritage of the East of England."
Expanding Access to East Anglia's Screen Heritage
By fully embedding the archive within the University’s programme of cultural events and co-locating with our other world-renowned collections that are also housed on campus at the Sainsbury Centre and the British Archive for Contemporary Writing, the project aims to broaden access to the region's screen heritage and engage new and more diverse audiences.
For Norwich and Norfolk, the investment secures the future of a nationally significant collection within the city while reinforcing UEA's position as a leading cultural and research institution.
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