Yorkshire and North East Film Archive merger with York St John University to preserve moving image heritage.

York St John University and the Yorkshire and North East Film Archive have merged to form a partnership dedicated to saving and celebrating the regions' screen heritage for future research, learning, and public benefit. 

The Yorkshire and North East Film Archive is a unique resource of approximately 75,000 reels of film, video and digital content capturing life in Yorkshire and the North East over the past 135 years. The Archive has been based at York St John University’s Lord Mayor’s Walk campus since 2003 and also includes specialist preservation facilities at Teesside University. 

The merger will support the Archive’s core mission to collect, preserve, and create access to moving images made in or about Yorkshire and the North East of England. It also aims to strengthen links with academic research and learning opportunities in addition to income generation from licencing, specialist commissions, and grant funding.  

The partnership aims to extend established relationships with national and regional cultural and screen industry institutions.   

Co-Directors Megan McCooley and Graham Relton, Yorkshire and North East Film Archive, said: 

“We are delighted to develop our partnership with York St John University and unite our shared commitment to placemaking and cultural impact.   Establishing a permanent home, with increased stability, ensures our expert team can explore even more opportunities to unlock the Archive’s potential as we continue to deliver our vision to enable the widest possible access, connecting broad and diverse audiences to a Collection of enduring cultural and social significance”  

Professor Karen Bryan, Vice Chancellor at York St John University said: 

“This is a really positive step to enhance long-term partnerships that resonate with the University’s social mission and widens cultural and regional impact. I am very pleased to welcome colleagues from the Yorkshire and North East Film Archive, whose passion, expertise, and long-standing commitment will be integral to ensuring this extraordinary collection remains accessible to everyone.” 

Find out more about the Yorkshire and North East Film Archive About | Yorkshire Film Archive