Purpose

Sound archives on analogue formats (such as
audio reels and CDs) are at high risk of decay but they can be
preserved by digitising their contents.
From 2018-2022, Bristol Archives was the south-west hub for
Unlocking Our Sound Heritage project, which was led by the British
Library and funded by the National Heritage Lottery Fund. This
project digitised thousands of sound recordings from across the
region in a new sound studio at B Bond Warehouse.
Bristol Archives, as part of the Archives South West consortium,
has developed Sounds of the South West, a new project to continue
this legacy. This consortium project, led by Bristol Archives as
the applicant and primary grant recipient, on behalf of Archives
South West, a network of local authority archives across the
region.
Our goal is to secure new funding from the National Lottery
Heritage Fund to digitise sound collections at high risk of loss in
the region over the next decade.

Content

To apply for and, if successful, discharge
grant funding of £188,762 awarded by National Lottery
Heritage Fund for a one-year development project for the
digitisation of heritage audio archive collections. (Grant request
of £169,885.80 / 90% and £18,876.20 / 10% of secured
cash match funding from partner Archive services across the South
West region.
The one-year development grant may from inform a future three-year
delivery project. The development grant is independent and there is
no presumption from the National Lottery or of the project of
future funding or liabilities arising from the development
grant.
The project has been developed and coordinated by Archives South
West and Bristol Archives is the lead and applicant for the grant
funding and delivery of the development project.