Host organisation: The Ballast Trust
Project title: Setting the Stage: building resilience for Scottish film and theatre archive collections through collaboration
Project description

Setting the Stage is a project led by the Ballast Trust which is home to the business archives council of Scotland and the business archives surveying officer. Both these bodies are concerned with the active preservation of the records of Scottish business and industry and are aware that the records of creative industries are under-represented in Scotland’s collections.

Setting the Stage aims to improve the resilience of record keeping practices within Scotland’s Creative Industries and Heritage sectors. Through collaboration across these sectors the project will deliver a record-keeping toolkit, mapping of archive collections and workshops to engage those in the creative industries (particularly film and theatre) with the importance of good record-keeping.

Outputs

Working collaboratively the project's researcher will deliver:

  • A record-keeping toolkit for the creative industries focused on the film and theatre sectors that addresses records retention, digital record-keeping challenges, and industry specific detail on intellectual property and copyright. This will be based on existing resources and new research.
  • Mapping of film and theatre collections in Scotland and creation of case studies to showcase good practice in the preservation and use of creative industry archives.
  • Selective record surveys of creative organisations where appropriate under supervision of the business archives surveying officer.
  • Engagement workshops and other content to publicise the project (eg article text, social media content)
Location

This internship will by hybrid and involve working in the offices of the Ballast Trust which is the administrative home to the Business Archives Council of Scotland where our Deputy Convenor is based and also Scotland's business archives surveying officer.

The intern will be able to work from home when required and some travel may be necessary for survey visits and workshops.

It would work best as a part-time role over 6-9 months to allow time for development and engagement with the toolkit and workshops.

Benefits to the researcher

This project will develop skills around working across different sectors and disciplines as it focuses on archival and record-keeping practices and how they can work for creative industries (in particular film and theatre).

The internship role will strengthen and develop the following skills:

  • Engagement with record-keeping theory and practices
  • Researching and mapping collections held by public repositories
  • Surveying skills, ie listing of records under supervision of the Surveying Officer
  • Public engagement work through the workshops
  • Relationship building - through working with archivists and record creators in the creative industries to understand their needs
Key relationships

A steering group will be set up to advise the researcher as part of this project. Members will use their existing contacts and networks to drive engagement with project and also participate in the workshops and help to suggest speakers and topics.

Steering Group members include:

  • Karl Magee, University of Stirling Archives
  • Kay Foubister, NLS Moving Image Archive
  • Kiara King, BACS and Ballast Trust representative
  • Moira Rankin, University of Glasgow Archives & Special Collections

A stakeholders group will be established to ensure wide engagement with project and channels for knowledge sharing during and after the project. Stakeholders will receive project updates issued by the researcher. Potential stakeholders include:

  • Business Archives Surveying Officer
  • Association of Performing Arts Collections (APAC)
  • Centre for Regulation of the Creative Economy (CREATe), University of Glasgow
  • Film industry representatives
  • Theatre sector representatives and associations (eg Federation of Scottish Theatre)
  • Freelance creatives
  • Researchers and academics from creative industries
Timescale

Flexible

Subject areas

This opportunity would be relevant to the following subject areas:

Drama & Theatre Studies; Curating; Policy, Arts Management and Creative Industries; Information and Knowledge Management; Archives; Records Management; Information and Knowledge Management; Media and Communication Studies.

Person specification

A1. Knowledge Base
  • Essential: Research methods – Practical application; Information seeking; Information literacy and management.
  • Desirable: Subject Knowledge.
A2. Cognitive Abilities
  • Essential: Analysing; Evaluating.
A3. Creativity
  • Desirable: Inquiring minds; Innovation.
B1. Personal qualities
  • Essential: Enthusiasm.
B2. Self management
  • Essential: Preparation and prioritisation.
B3. Professional & career development
  • Desirable: Networking.
C1. Professional conduct
  • Desirable: Health and Safety; IPR and copyright. 
C2. Research management
  • Essential: Research Strategy; Project planning and delivery.
D1. Working with others
  • Essential: Team working.
  • Desirable: Collaboration.
D3. Engagement & impact
  • Desirable: Public engagement.

First published: 9 October 2025

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