In the 1930s, the Hon. Sec Treasurer of the BDDA*, Leslie Edwards, had a visionary idea. With Deaf people unable to communicate by telephone, or use the radio to obtain information, Edwards saw the potential of a burgeoning new medium, film, to strengthen and unite the Deaf community.

Armed with the equivalent of today's home video camera, Edwards set about capturing the activities of Deaf people all over the country - and even abroad - as well as making news announcements and appeals directly to the camera. These films were then loaned out to Deaf clubs nationwide, ensuring that in a time when inclusive methods of communication for Deaf people were rare, they remained aware and proud of events going on in the wider Deaf community.

This activity continued throughout the twentieth century. Even with the advent of television the BDA still produced training and instructional videos for Deaf people, as well as continuing to capture social activities, games, day trips, holidays, youth camps and sports.

The BDA Film Archive now contains 136 film reels and over 500 videotapes! Many of these films have not been viewed in over 50 years and require preservation due to their extreme fragility and vulnerability to decay. Unless the BDA’s valuable screen heritage is transferred to an accessible and endurable digital format this precious and unique material could be lost forever.

With your help the BDA can undertake this process and create an online resource that would finally provide a home for these films, a modern day museum and archive ensuring accessibility for years to come. We are very proud that the Heritage Lottery Fund has recognised the value of this project and has already agreed Development funding that has enabled us to begin the process of creating a project plan and establishing further funding in order to undertake the project itself.

Our new campaign film, featuring rare footage from the BDA Film Archive, can now be viewed in the Gallery or at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=03Me6cENWJE

Further details on the project can be found at www.bda.org.uk, or by emailing hlf.films@bda.org.uk.

 

*The BDA was originally known as the BDDA (The British Deaf and Dumb Association).