The Brass Bands Archive (BBA) is to receive £99,800 of funding from The National Lottery Heritage Fund to support its ongoing development and access to its collection.
The BBA is a huge collection of brass band music, journals, books and memorabilia, which has been undergoing a process of appraisal and listing since 2021, after it was inherited by Brass Bands England. The collection is currently housed at the University of Huddersfield’s Heritage Quay records management site.
Now that much of the BBA's collection has been catalogued, this funding made possible by National Lottery players will be focused on enabling public access to the Archive and its objects. A series of events and initiatives will offer a range of ways for the banding community and the wider general public to engage with our country’s rich brass banding heritage in ways that are relevant to our own bands and communities.
Engage with the Archive
The first of a series of events to open up access to the Archive will be The Brass Band Conference, which has the theme of ‘Heritage and Innovation’. The event will provide an opportunity for the brass band community to see the historic collection as well attend presentations and network with other bands.
An outreach initiative will also see young people able to engage with the collection via a brand new schools programme, and new museum exhibitions will ensure brass bands are seen alongside other cultural themes in society. Digital content will also be produced to enable the wider general public to explore our banding heritage virtually.
BBE’s Membership Development Manager, Alex Parker, said: “It is fantastic that The National Lottery Heritage Fund has given us this investment. In addition to the finance, it is confirmation of the BBA’s value to the brass band community and a much wider section of society, and we’ll now be in a position to provide engaging ways for a variety of people to connect with our brass banding heritage.”
Alex Continued “This funding will allow us to continue to develop how we tell our collective story of brass bands music, the communities they represent and the individuals involved in new and exciting ways to reach a much wider audience. This is a really significant moment in the BBA’s history, but we could only have reached this stage with the help of our tireless volunteers and we would like to thank them for all their brilliant work so far!”
Helen Featherstone, Director, England, North at The National Lottery Heritage Fund said: “Brass bands hold a special place in the hearts of many communities in the North of England, so it is fantastic news, that thanks to National Lottery players, we have been able to support the Brass Bands Archive to ensure that its collection is preserved for years to come. This investment will mean local people and visitors from further afield can learn more about this part of our rich musical heritage and inspire future musicians.”
What next
Crucially, funding will enable employment of a qualified Archivist to enable the continued acquiring of items into the collection via new donations after reopening to the public in 2023. The project will also include a continuation of digitisation for the collection's most fragile items to preserve them for the future.
To find out more about the Archive please visit the Brass Bands Archive webpage. To access the Archive and its collection please visit the Heritage Quay website.
