Jointly funded by A Foundation and The Arts Council, A Database was created in 2006 to investigate new methods of digitising and archiving contemporary art and visual culture for an online environment.

A Database is dedicated to providing an industry-leading service, using a range of expert knowledge that is unique in the marketplace, with the security and authority of being part of a respected arts charity.

A Database – Our Vision
A Database aims to be a standard preservation repository for information about works of art and artists, underpinned by a wider desire to represent contemporary art within its true cultural context, all the while maintaining museum quality cataloguing standards.

We believe that by illustrating the roles of the people, exhibitions and events that surround and support artists and their work, a fuller understanding of the cultural landscape in which the works exist can be achieved.

In this way we hope to save contemporary art and culture, now and before it is lost, for the enjoyment and inspiration of the artists and art lovers of tomorrow.

Our Unique Proposition
The ability to dynamically create and control these paths and links between works, people, exhibitions, locations and events is a powerful tool and the unique proposition that A Database brings to the art world – we simply don’t know of another archiving system on the market able to do what we do…

The use of robust data protocols, specifically designed for contemporary visual material, means we can handle data from the latest technology and the newest forms of creativity.

Being stored on the internet - everywhere and nowhere - data is held safe and secure, but not held hostage. The information is stored in standard formats and accessed through open-source software that functions across all platforms, thus helping democratise access to art.

Where We Started
To test and embed our programming, the pilot project set about archiving the New Contemporaries exhibitions, an annual selection of the best work from recently graduated arts students, all the way back to 1989.
See http://newcontemporaries.adatabase.org

Next we set about meeting the challenges of cataloguing photography, with the Bruce Bernard Collection of One Hundred Photographs, and the John Deakin archive. Stand by for the online launch of these fascinating images and historical records.

In July 2007, A Database successfully launched the FACT (Foundation for Art and Creative Technology) archive of the six seminal Video Positive events 1989 – 2000. This involved the introduction of whole new areas of functionality - adding video streaming for video works, installations and interviews; and a user registration system that aims to draw in the public and stimulate debate, by enabling users to leave comments and save favourites in their own virtual galleries.
See the results at http://archive.fact.co.uk/.

Click on the Current Affaires link for further information about A Database.

Need Help?
A Database recognizes that the whole process of archiving is fraught with challenges: although digitising images to the highest quality before cataloguing them is commonly accepted practice, the additional workload and lack of specific skills in this area may put many off starting.

Part of our role in furthering the aims of the A Foundation, A Database is committed to offering key services to clients who need additional support in meeting the challenges of archiving and digitisation.

Industry-leading expertise means that A Database can take you or your organisation smoothly through the process of digitisation, using experience built up through a thorough knowledge of the processes, and working with clients such as The Tate, The British Library, The Courtauld Institute of Art and The House of Commons Library and Parliamentary Archives, as well as individual artists and commercial galleries.

We can help with

• all aspects of the digital process, including systems architecture, data standards and formats, backup and long-term storage
• guidance on the handling of all types of cultural materials and their digital conservation
• all aspects of digital photography, archiving, retouching, cataloguing, and analogue and file conversion are our speciality
• on-location and studio-based photography, using the latest technology and equipment, all guaranteed to meet the highest standards of colour accuracy and high quality print reproduction
• high resolution format printing for exhibitions, limited edition reproductions, through to managing small to large scale print-runs.

A Database is dedicated to providing an industry-leading service, using a range of expert knowledge that is unique in the marketplace, with the security and authority of being part of a respected arts charity.

See this link for more information.