FIAT/IFTA participated in the regional seminar “Advancing Audiovisual Heritage: Policy, Practice, and Cross-Border Partnerships” held on May 7, 2025, in Cape Town, South Africa. The event was designed and organised by the French National Audiovisual Institute (INA) and the French Institute of South Africa (IFAS), with the support of the Robben Island Museum (RIM) and the Agence française de développement (AFD).

The seminar took place in the context of the “Unboxing Mayibuye” capacity-building project, a collaborative initiative between INA and RIM aimed at strengthening the preservation and accessibility of the museum’s collections. It brought together key stakeholders from across Southern Africa to exchange on current challenges, opportunities, and regional cooperation in the field of audiovisual heritage.

To read the full programme including a description of the context, partners and presentations, visit the following link.

Photos courtesy of INA

FIAT/IFTA was represented in the session on Cross-Border Collaboration and International Associations, which addressed how international networks contribute to meeting the sector’s evolving challenges. Karen du Toit, Sectional Lead for Radio Archives at the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC), spoke on behalf of FIAT/IFTA. She was joined by representatives from other major networks, including FIAF, ICA, and IASA.

The session highlighted the role of international associations in facilitating knowledge exchange, professional training, cooperation projects, and access to funding. These networks are essential to support audiovisual archives professionals in the digital transition—from digitisation and digital archiving to the integration of artificial intelligence tools for collection preservation and management.

FIAT/IFTA’s participation underlined its ongoing commitment to supporting professionals and institutions in Southern Africa and beyond, and to fostering stronger cross-border partnerships in the audiovisual archives sector.