Before It Is Too Late: Protecting and Preserving Arab Audiovisual Heritage

The United Nations has designated 27 October as the World Day for Audiovisual Heritage aimed at building global awareness of the urgency and importance of preserving audiovisual materials such as sound recordings and moving images. These are among the most vulnerable types of heritage materials, due to the use of rapidly deteriorating materials in the construction of carriers and the impending obsolescence of playback machines, particularly for materials recorded on magnetic tape. A great deal of effort and care is required in order to preserve the marvelous 20th-century accomplishments of Arab cinema, television, radio and music industries for future generations. 

Dedicated to the safeguarding of cultural heritage, and in cooperation with UCL – Qatar and the British Library-Qatar Foundation Partnership, the Library cordially invites you to an evening to celebrate the unique audiovisual heritage of Qatar and the Middle East. We will discuss the importance and urgency of audiovisual preservation on a large scale in the hope of finding collaborative solutions by building on shared experience and expertise.