It has been announced that 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.

Inherited by Brass Bands in England in 2021 and housed at the University of Huddersfield's Heritage Quay records management site, the extensive collection of brass band music, journals, publications and memorabilia continues to undergo ongoing appraisal, cataloguing and listing.

Further access

The funding will be focused on enabling further access to the Archive and its objects with a series of events and initiatives offering a range of ways for the banding community and the public to engage directly with it.

The first of the series will be part of the forthcoming BBE Brass Band Conference — itself based on the theme of 'Heritage and Innovation'. It will provide an opportunity for delegates to see the historic collection as well as attend presentations.

In addition, a future initiative will see young people able to engage with the collection via a new schools' programme, whilst new museum exhibitions will ensure it is understood in a broader social and cultural context. Digital content will also be produced to further increase access opportunities.

Fantastic news

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."

Wider value

In response, BBE's Membership Development Manager, Alex Parker told 4BR: "It is fantastic that The National Lottery Heritage Fund has given us this investment.

It is confirmation of the Archive's value to the brass band community and wider society, and we'll now be able to provide engaging ways for people to connect with our brass banding heritage."

He added: "It allows us to tell the collective story of brass bands and their music, the communities they represent in new and exciting ways to reach a much wider audience. This is a significant moment in the Archive's development, but we could only have reached this stage with the help of our outstanding volunteers."

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 musiciansThe National Lottery Heritage Fund

Archivist

It is understood that the funding will enable employment of a qualified archivist to enable the collection to grow via new donations. The project will also include a continuation of digitisation for the collection's most fragile items.

Find out more

To find out more about the Brass Band Archive, visit:
https://www.bbe.org.uk/what-we-do/the-brass-bands-archive

To access the Brass Band Archive and its collection please visit the Heritage Quay website:
https://heritagequay.org/archives/BBA/