SIR GRAHAM HALL, chairman of Yorkshire Forward, tells why his regional development agency is backing the prospect of the county's film heritage moving to York

Yorkshire Forward's remit is extensive, diverse and complex, but now we have been in operation for almost four years, many people have a reasonable perception of what we do, why we are doing it, and how we operate.

I'll confess we have set great store by publicising our many initiatives as much as possible, sometimes to a warm reception, other times to a more controversial response. Either way, all of our decisions to fund those projects have only been made after a great deal of research and consultation before they have been approved.

There is one project in particular that can solicit only support and appreciation.

Although quite different from our usual initiatives, we made the decision to sponsor, along with the Heritage Lottery Fund, the relocation from Ripon to York of the Yorkshire Film Archive, not just because it will provide a fantastic educational, promotional and media resource, but also because of what it represents in itself - a fascinating insight into our region's heritage.

First established in 1988, the archive contains a growing collection of more than 3,500 items from the early pioneering filmmakers of the late nineteenth century through to more recent footage of the changing landscapes and cityscapes of the region.

The collections include real treasures, ranging from early film footage of Queen Victoria when she visited Sheffield in 1897 to open the new Town Hall, to poignant footage of a sports day on Ripon Racecourse in 1916 for troops based at the Army Camp during the first World War, through to rare footage of our industrial heritage in the blanket mills in Dewsbury in the early 1930s.

Other favourites include "Dale Days" - colour footage shot in the 1940s documenting the rural life in the region and the work of St George's Church in Leeds in the late 1940s.

These collections are a unique resource for the region, and are in constant use by audiences ranging from regional festivals though to libraries and museums, schools, specialist researchers, filmmakers and the broadcast and cultural industries sectors.

The new £1 million premises, which will add to York St John College's new Learning Centre, is being built close to York's historic city walls and is due to open this September. The Yorkshire Film Archive will occupy a prominent ground-floor location, which will be physically accessible with full specialist facilities for film storage, preservation and conservation and viewing facilities.

Plans for the new premises have been prepared on the basis of more staff which will allow the Archive to undertake a much more active regional profile, covering educational programmes, museum and cultural services delivery, and increased access to broadcasters and film makers.

It is also important to remember that the Archive isn't simply "about the past"; by the time it re-opens in September its catalogues will be available on line, and it is about to embark on a pilot scheme to digitise parts of the collection, again with a view to providing on line access to moving image.

The images in the Film Archive provide a unique insight into more than 100 years of Yorkshire life - a century of film which records momentous changes - the industry, landscape, culture and traditions, how people lived and worked and went about their everyday lives, just as we do now.

Throughout all these changes Yorkshire shows itself time and again as a truly vibrant and diverse region, a record that should be acknowledged and preserved.

With the move to purpose built premises and growth in staff, the archive will, for the first time, be able to provide the region with access to a unique collection of moving images - the filmed history of Yorkshire - for all of us and our families to enjoy now, and in the future.

Updated: 09:12 Tuesday, March 25, 2003