Arts on Film Archive launched

The Arts Council’s film collection, which chronicles over 50 years of British art, has been made available in digital form to the academic community following a three-year project by film researchers at the University of Westminster. It currently contains 460 documentary films drawn from the Arts Council England’s film collection, and there are plans to add more films in the future.

The Arts Council Film Collection features 20th Century British Art as well as important architecture, theatre, poetry and dance. Artists featured include Bacon, Spencer, Hockney, Moore and the Young British Artist (YBA) group. Some of the best filmmakers in the UK, including Anthony Minghella and Isaac Julien, were commissioned to make films for the collection.  As well as focusing on individual artists, architects, writers and poets, the films document particular art movements that have continued to influence contemporary British Art, such as Surrealism, Dadaism, Futurism and Kinetic art.

The archive is accessible online at www.artsonfilm.org.uk to anyone in the academic community, and provides high resolution and full-screen quality footage.

Please note: Due to copyright restrictions films can only be streamed to ac.uk domain addresses.