Nonprofit Preserves Cultural Events

A San Francisco nonprofit is working to preserve LGBT and other cultural events and has developed a new funding stream to help it accomplish that task.

Archive Productions Inc. preserves and archives original music, dance, and theater events that otherwise would be lost forever.

The organization started about 10 years ago when film students from San Francisco City College contacted several Bay Area seniors to videotape interviews with them for a class project in film-video. Some of the seniors started going along with the students to local clubs, where they taped music. The videos were submitted to Access SF TV (channel 29) to be shown on Sundays. More and more students and seniors became involved in these projects, which led to the production of their own TV program called "New Hot Bands," which aired on Sundays.

A registered nonprofit since 2009, Archive Productions videotapes interviews, events, performances, and social issues. The material isn't kept on site by Archive Productions rather, it is handed over to whichever organization Archive filmed it for. There are some videos on the group's website, www.archiveproductins.org.

Scott Peterson, executive director of Archive Productions, believes that the LGBT community needs to preserve its history.

"There is a vast number of original music, dance and theater which may only be performed a few times and never recorded or written down," Peterson said. "It would be lost if not recorded and preserved."

Peterson said the material is available to various organizations.

"We make our videos available to libraries, colleges, museums, and historical societies, according to the nature and subjects of the videos," Peterson said, adding that for example, "LGBT issues could go to the GLBT Historical Society. Nonprofits receive copies of their events for their archives. The Internet Archive (www.archive.org) is interested in obtaining our entire archive of over 3,000 hours - although some information is not appropriate for public display."

The organization archives a lot of drag shows, and also preserves non-LGBT events. Peterson said that he is in the process of interviewing older adults, including Jewish seniors, for their historical perspectives.

In an effort to remain sustainable, Archive Productions now has a commercial track to serve the community in a different way. By using its low-cost services for weddings, parties, depositions, business events, and commercial testimonials, people help cover the expenses for the no-cost track. For example, weddings cost $100, Peterson said.

"You win with good service and low prices, and the community benefits by being able to access free promotional services," said volunteer Vivian Imperiale.

Although Archive Productions doesn't have a regular staff it does have between 50 and 100 student volunteers. Its budget was $5,000 last year, Peterson said.

"Our organization is made up entirely of volunteers and has no paid directors, executives or employees," Peterson said. "The number of volunteers varies depending upon availability. We work with the Bay Area colleges: San Francisco State University, Academy of Art, the Art Institute, UC Berkeley, Berkeley City College, and others. Some students receive college credits for working on projects with us."

Imperiale specializes in proofreading, writing, editing, and interviewing and has a background in psychology, with a master's in special education. She has been working at Archive Productions for under two years.

"Archive believes in giving people a voice," Imperiale said. "It provides the opportunity for people to tell their stories in a format that can be shared and passed on to future generations. The LGBT community has so many stories to tell - stories of sadness, of loss, of rejection, stories of finding camaraderie, of how they told the world who they were, of joy at being themselves, of acceptance, of celebration."

Archive films community events like concerts and plays and fundraisers so that the culture can be shared beyond the day of the performance.

"I was surprised that Archive provides their services to nonprofits and artists at no cost. The finished product represents hours of filming and precise editing," Imperiale said.

Ehrin Davis, a volunteer producer for Archive Productions, graduated with honors from UC Santa Barbara with a global studies degree. He works on film productions.

"I wanted to gain more experience doing video production. I heard about it through working at the film collective," Davis said. "Archive serves to develop greater awareness for causes within the LGBT community by providing free coverage and promotion of community events."

Davis was excited to film interviews with comedians after the Big Gay Comedy Show at the Marines' Memorial Theater earlier this year.

"People are surprised to learn that we have filmed thousands of hours of interviews, music, theater, comedy, social gatherings, galas, and fundraisers, he said. Davis would like to see more people volunteer and donate to support all the great resources that Archive provides.