By Siyanda Mapekula

The World Day of Audio-visual Heritage is celebrated annually on the 27th of October. This date was chosen by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) back in 2005. This commemorative day aims to raise awareness about the significance and preservation risks linked to recorded sound and audio-visual documents, such as films, sound and video recordings, radio, and television programmes. The Annual World Audio-visual Heritage Day celebrations were hosted by the Provincial Archives and Records Service at the Archives Building of the Department of Sports, Recreation, Arts, and Culture.

Schools from the Buffalo City Metro Municipality (BCMM) Ward 43, namely Peelton, Philip Mtywaku High School, and Masihlangane High School, were invited to attend the event on the 27th of October 2023. The celebration, themed “Your Window of the World”, aimed to deepen understanding about the importance of Audio-visual documents. Both the National and Provincial Archives are committed to preserving and raising awareness among all South Africans, particularly the young people of the Eastern Cape on how the world’s audio-visual heritage has provided an opportunity to learn about historical and present-day events that individuals did not personally attend or that occurred before their time. It has also allowed people to listen to the voices of the past and create narratives for informative and entertaining purposes.

Mrs. Lungiswa Mtiki, Provincial Archivist, emphasized the importance of archives, their functions, and the preservation and accessibility of audio-visual materials. She stated that events such as these are crucial tools for raising awareness about the need for preserving audio-visuals. Additionally, they provide opportunities to celebrate specific local, national, and international aspects of heritage while drawing media attention to heritage-related issues. She further highlighted the importance of accessing the archive records and pointed out that they were not far removed from communities. The Eastern Cape province boasts three archive centers located in Mthatha, Gqeberha, and Qonce.

“The celebration held significant importance for UNESCO and the Coordinating Council of the Audio-visual Archives Associations (CCAAA) as it reflected a time to honour audio-visual preservation professionals and institutions that safeguarded our heritage for future generations.”