UEA Appoints New Director

The University of East Anglia (UEA) has appointed a new Director of the East Anglian Film Archive. Richard Taylor, who has worked in the UK film and television industry for thirty years, succeeds the Archive’s founding director, David Cleveland, who has retired.

Formerly Chief Executive of the Northern Ireland Film and Television Commission, Richard Taylor is also the author of a recent report for the Department of Culture, Media and Sport on the development of the eight English regional film archives.

Professor David Eastwood, UEA Vice-Chancellor, said: “Richard brings a wealth of relevant experience to the Archive, including work as a film editor and producer as well as a decade in developing public sector funding for the film and television industry in Northern Ireland.

“Of particular relevance is Richard’s experience of developing a digital film archive, enabling wider access to collections. He brings to the post a clear-sighted vision of the ways in which film archives can develop as a 21 st century resource. We are delighted to have secured his services.”

The East Anglian Film Archive, the oldest of its kind in the UK, is housed with the Norfolk Record Office in a £6.7m purpose-built archive centre incorporating optimum conditions for the conservation of old film and video. It contains over 70,000 items of film and video of East Anglian life since 1896. It is owned and operated by UEA, which runs an internationally acclaimed MA in film archiving.

Richard Taylor said one of his main priorities in his new role would be to widen access to this important collection.

“This is an exciting time for me to be joining the Archive,” he said. “It is the oldest regional film archive in England and one of the biggest. I look forward to bringing a fresh approach to unlock the massive potential of EAFA to be a world class film archive.”

Screen East Chief Executive Laurie Hayward, of the Regional Agency for Film in the region concurred: "The Archive is fortunate in securing Richard’s talents to complement the considerable expertise in place at the Archive. We look forward to continuing to invest in EAFA and in working with Richard in developing a new vision for bringing regional film heritage to more people across the region and the UK. "

Notes to Editors:

For further information or to arrange interviews or pictures, please contact Annie Ogden, UEA Press Office, on 01603 592764.
The East Anglian Film Archive was founded by David Cleveland in 1976 and contains over 70,000 film and video items, including 20,000 items from Anglia TV, dating from 1959. It receives funding from UEA and Screen East, the regional film and television development agency.
EAFA also generates half its income from providing technical services and footage sales to broadcasters and other film archives. It has an outstanding outreach programme, offering some 250 film shows a year.
UEA’s School of Film and Television Studies has an international reputation for the quality of its research and teaching. It offers the UK’s only MA in Film Archiving, taught in part by EAFA colleagues. The course was the first in the world when it began in 1990 and its graduates work all over the world, including Hollywood.
The £6.7 million Archive Centre is Western Europe’s most advanced archive facility and houses more than 12 million historical documents, sound and film archives. It is home to the Norfolk Record Office, the East Anglian Film Archive and the Norfolk Sound Archive and represents a partnership between Norfolk County Council, UEA and the Heritage Lottery Fund.
Richard Taylor (52) started in 1972 as an assistant film editor, working on TV commercials for directors including Alan Parker and Hugh Hudson. He worked on numerous TV documentaries and feature films including Midnight Express. He has a degree in film and photographic arts from the Polytechnic of Central London. He produced two feature length films for Channel Four and was a consultant for the Brent Walker Group, including a stint as Director of Elstree Studios in 1991. In 1994 he became the first Director of the Northern Ireland Film Council, developing it into the Northern Ireland Film and Television Commission (NIFTC) in 1997. The Commission promotes Northern Ireland as an important film location and develops all aspects of the film and TV industry and film culture. Some 30 feature films have since been shot in Northern Ireland and, before he left, Richard secured an additional £10m from government for further development of the sector. Since 2004 he has been a media consultant specialising in English Regional Film Archives.

UEA Press and PR Office, Norwich, NR4 7TJ ● http://comm.uea.ac.uk/press

Contact: Annie Ogden ● 01603 592764 ● [email protected]