Author Archives: Elspeth Millar

British Stand-Up Comedy Archive autumn events

The ‘Talking Comedy’ events at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe (hosted with Lakin McCarthy) are happening NOW, but we’re also excited to announce some fantastic events coming up at the University of Kent over the next few months.  First up, we will have Phill Jupitus in conversation with Oliver Double on Tuesday 29 September at 7:30pm.  The event is free, so just turn up!

'Phill Jupitus in conversation with Olly Double' poster

Following that we’re excited to have punk poet legend and University of Kent alumnus Attila the Stockbroker at the Gulbenkian Café on Monday 19 October in-conversation with Oliver Double. This will be followed by Attila performing poems and songs, plus readings from his new autobiography ‘Arguments Yard’. Tickets can be found on the gulb’s website.

 

'Attila the Stockbroker in conversation with Olly Double' poster

Spotlight on: Attila the Stockbroker Archive

I’m very pleased to announce that we have a new collection within the British Stand-Up Comedy Archive from Attila the Stockbroker. Attila is a performance poet, punk poet and musician (and also a University of Kent alumnus).

The Attila the Stockbroker Archive comprises material created and collected by Attila, including his work (such as first drafts of poems, and notebooks), press coverage, publicity and promotional material for performance poetry and music gigs (flyers and posters) including for Glastonwick and Barnstormer events, fanzines and zines he collected and contributed to, as well as his manifesto for election as Student President whilst at the University of Kent in the 1970s!

Poster for Attila the Stockbroker's performance at The Playhouse, Harlow, in May 1981. Courtesy Attila the Stockbroker.

Poster for Attila the Stockbroker’s performance at The Playhouse, Harlow, in May 1981. Courtesy Attila the Stockbroker.

Our main collecting focus is on alternative and stand-up comedy but we are really interested in the context surrounding the alternative comedy scene, including the alternative cabaret circuit. We want to ensure that we document these overlapping aspects and so we’re keen to represent the alternative cabaret circuit and those performing there; as other material in our collections show, these include performance and ranting poets (as well as magicians, circus acts and impressionists!)

I’m also pleased to announce that Attila will be doing an ‘in-conversation’ event with Olly Double followed by a performance of his work, in the Gulbenkian café on Monday 19 October – tickets available soon!

Poster for Barnstormer events at the Barn Theatre, Southwick, including comedian Mark Steel, and poet Linton Kwesi Johnson, with Attila the Stockbroker's band 'Barnstormer', 1995. Courtesy Attila the Stockbroker.

Poster for Barnstormer events at the Barn Theatre, Southwick, including comedian Mark Steel, and poet Linton Kwesi Johnson, with Attila the Stockbroker’s band ‘Barnstormer’, 1995. Courtesy Attila the Stockbroker.

On metadata and digital preservation tools

We’ve recently contributed to the Greatbear’s blog about some of our audiovisual material, and have discussed how we have prioritised digitization of audiovisual material, the digital preservation tools we’ve been using, metadata, and digital file formats. You can read our contributions on the Greatbear blog.

Audiovisual material from the Linda Smith Collection and Tony Allen Collection

Audiovisual material from the Linda Smith Collection and Tony Allen Collection

Its been a while since I’ve shared some links that I’ve found useful lately, so I thought I’d do that now too…

DigiPres Commons is a website providing links to various other resources (such as those provided by the Open Preservation Foundation, the Digital Curation Centre, and the Internet Archive), and includes links to digital preservation tools, information on file formats, digital preservation FAQs, and help when writing a business case for digital preservation.

 

Linda Smith's notes for her appearance on Room 101, broadcast 17 November 2003

Linda Smith’s notes for her appearance on Room 101, broadcast 17 November 2003

The BBC Genome website has proved incredibly useful when sorting, organising and listing material within the Stand-Up Comedy Archive. Many of our depositors have also worked in TV and radio, as well as within the stand-up/cabaret circuit, and when we have unlabeled audio-visual material, or notes scribbled down for a radio or tv programme, we’ve generally been able to find out the date and station of broadcast using the Genome website. The Genome project contains listings information printed in the Radio Times between 1923 and 2009, and allows you to search by contributor or programme name.  You can also get involved, and help provide additional information if there have been spelling or punctuation errors during the scanning process.  This is a really great resource!

 

Digital Archiving at the University of York is a blog from Jenny Mitcham at the University of York. Jenny provides lots of interesting insights into the work of a Digital Archivist, and the blog has proved really interesting reading, particularly with relation to her investigations into floppy disks and her own use of digital preservation tools.

Stewart Lee in conversation with Oliver Double

Matt Hoss, third year University of Kent Drama and Classics student, reviews our second British Stand-Up Comedy Archive in conversation event, Stewart Lee in conversation with Oliver Double, which took place on Wednesday 10 June 2015 at the Gulbenkian Cinema for University of Kent staff and students:

The second of the ‘in conversation’ events features the “41st Best Stand Up Ever”, Stewart Lee, where he assesses his comedic career on behalf of the British Stand-Up Comedy Archive. Dr Oliver Double hosts the discussion, taking place in The Gulbenkian Cinema, with a reflective demeanour supported by his articulate questions.

Stewart Lee in conversation with Oliver Double, Gulbenkian Cinema, 10 June 2015. Image © University of Kent / Matt Wilson

Stewart Lee in conversation with Oliver Double, Gulbenkian Cinema, 10 June 2015. Image © University of Kent / Matt Wilson

The conversation started by analysing Lee’s performance on the previous day at The Marlowe Theatre, looking at his abrasive techniques and poignant routines which he is mastering for the fourth season of his BBC Two series Stewart Lee’s Comedy Vehicle.

Lee discusses a lot about himself and his onstage “character”.   The viscerally volatile persona onstage is significantly differently to the humbly modest man offstage, which creates an impressive and fascinating duality.

The dialogue gradually shifted to talk about Alternative Comedy as a whole, focusing on the gig diary of Monika Bobinska who ran The Meccano Club in the late eighties. Lee gives insight into the background workings of his early years by displaying the hardships of trying to get gigs.

The foundation of the talk is rooted with hilarious anecdotes and concludes with questions asked by the audience.  Lee earnestly demonstrates why he is the most talented and innovative performer in Britain. 

Stewart Lee in conversation with Oliver Double, Gulbenkian Cinema, 10 June 2015. Image © University of Kent / Matt Wilson

Stewart Lee in conversation with Oliver Double, Gulbenkian Cinema, 10 June 2015. Image © University of Kent / Matt Wilson

The event was audio recorded and has been added to the British Stand-Up Comedy Archive collections (reference: BSUCA/Events/SL2015).

British Stand-Up Comedy Archive at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2015

We’re really pleased to announce that the British Stand-Up Comedy Archive will be at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2015.  Organised by Lakin McCarthy, Oliver Double will be hosting a number of in-conversation events (‘Talking Comedy’) with some fantastic comedians: Mark Thomas, Stephen K. Amos, Susan Calman, Jo Brand, Alexei Sayle and Nina Conti. The events are taking place at the Assembly Rooms, and tickets are bookable now from the Assembly Rooms website! Recordings of these interviews will be made for deposit in the British Stand-Up Comedy Archive.

British Stand-Up Comedy and Lakin McCarthy 'Talking Comedy' events, Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2015

British Stand-Up Comedy and Lakin McCarthy ‘Talking Comedy’ events, Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2015

 

Spotlight on: The Monika Bobinska Collection

Elspeth Millar writes:

I’m really excited to announce that we have a new collection deposited within the British Stand-Up Comedy Archive, The Monika Bobinska Collection, which was deposited in April by Monika Bobinska.

The majority of the collection contains records of, and documents relating to, the Meccano Club, a comedy club which was established in 1985 by James Miller (stage name James Macabre), Mark Bobinski and Lucinda Denning, initially at the Camden Head, Angel, and later at The Market Tavern, Islington. Monika Bobinska ran the club from 1986 (initially with James and later on her own) until 1995.  The  records of the Meccano Club include administrative records (such as bookings books, payment receipts, contact books, contracts), promotion and publicity (flyers, posters, event listings), press cuttings, photographs, and audio-visual recordings (of live events, and broadcast programmes in which the Meccano featured). There is also material from the exhibition staged at the Canal Gallery in February and March 2015 ‘ALT CAB or Where Did It Go Wrong?‘, including promotion and material collated for the exhibition.

The Monika Bobinska Collection also includes material collected by Monika relating to the comedy circuit in the 1980s and 1990s, although not specifically related to the Meccano Club. This material includes a series of magazine publications including numerous Time Out issues, press cuttings relating to Comedy in London and specifically in the Islington area, leaflets for comedy festivals, badges and books regarding the A-Z of comedy and women in comedy, her private collection of the Joan Collins Fan Club material and also records for the ‘Cave of Harmony’, a series of stand-up comedy nights for women comedians. Monika has also deposited photographs of live performances at the Meccano Club and of professional head-shot portraits of comedian’s such as Eddie Izzard, Phil Jupitus, Matt Lucas & Mark Thomas.

The collection is important as, although it documents part of the early careers of some well-known comedians today (such as Harry Hill, Jo Brand), it also demonstrates how a comedy club, in the early days of ‘alternative comedy/cabaret’ conducted business and negotiated with venues and comedians.

The collection is currently being listed and digitised and will be catalogued and made available for public access over the next few months.

Harry Hill and Al Murray at the last night of the Meccano Club at the Market Tavern, Islington

Harry Hill and Al Murray at the last night of the Meccano Club at the Market Tavern, Islington

Richard Herring in conversation with Olly Double

Matt Hoss, third year University of Kent Drama and Classics student, kindly reviews our first British Stand-Up Comedy Archive in conversation event:

On 8 April the Gulbenkian welcomed Richard Herring as he took part in the first interview of the University of Kent’s British Stand-Up Comedy Archive in-conversation events. Through laughter and cringe-worthy anecdotes, Herring signified why he is the one of the most influential comedians in the UK.

Richard Herring in the Gulbenkian Theatre in conversation with Olly Double

Richard Herring in the Gulbenkian Theatre in conversation with Olly Double.

Resident Doctor of Comedy, Oliver Double, humorously hosted the interview with Herring, showing a promising return to form despite his recent accident. The interview was relaxed, enjoyably paced and strikingly down-to-earth as Herring reveled in the details of his childhood and his working life, illustrating how much he has achieved. The discussion focused on Herring’s innovative work within the varied platforms of comedy, like his famed Sketch-show Fist of Fun, his thematic stand-up shows which dub him as the “King of Edinburgh” and his podcast series (which the cool kids call RHLSTP).

Nick Hiley (Head of Special Collections), Olly Double (Head of Drama) and Richard Herring

Nick Hiley (Head of Special Collections), Olly Double (Head of Drama) and Richard Herring

Herring contemplated upon his successes and failures through a certain chronology; starting with the early days of his radio comedy, through to the marathon run of his summer stand-up shows. He shined a light on the inner secrets of Stand-Up comedy, giving a glimpse into the nuts and bolts of the industry and how he formulates comedy, which accumulates to an endearing evening.

An audio recording of the event is available to subscribers of Richard’s RHLSTP podcast via Go Faster Stripe, and we will soon make some short extracts available via this blog.

 

British Stand-Up Comedy Archive spring update

Elspeth Millar writes:

It’s been quite a while since we blogged, so we thought we’d provide a quick update on how the project is progressing, and our other activities over these first few months of the British Stand-Up Comedy Archive Beacon project.

Collections
We’ve been in contact with a number of potential donors involved in comedy (from comedians to comedy promoters) regarding further deposits – we should be able to announce more details soon! In the meantime, we’ve been sorting, listing and beginning to catalogue our four main collections: Linda Smith, Mark Thomas, Tony Allen, and John Pidgeon.

We’ve also been working with the UK Web Archive to establish a ‘British Stand-Up Comedy Archive’ special collection, to capture websites relating to the material that we physically/digitally hold, but also (by capturing websites with comedy listings, news and reviews) to capture a snapshot of the UK comedy scene for future researchers.

 

Events
Unfortunately we had to cancel our first ‘in conversation’ event with Alexei Sayle in February as Oliver Double broke his hip! Olly will soon be back on campus and our (now) first ‘in conversation’ event is with Richard Herring on 8th April at the Gulbenkian. Further information can be found on The Gulbenkian’s website. The event will be filmed and added to the British Stand-Up Comedy Archive collections.

herring

Format explorations for digitisation
One aspect of the British Stand-Up Comedy Archive Beacon project, the one-year funded project as part of the University of Kent’s 50th anniversary celebrations, is to investigate the choice of formats for capturing material in a digital form for long-term preservation.  There are a number of factors to consider such as:

  • Sustainability (how ‘open’ is the format? What is the quality i.e. uncompressed, lossless compression, lossy compression? Does the format have good metadata support?),
  • Implementation (how hard technically is it to implement the format? Is there a wide availability of tools for implementation?)
  • And cost (what are the storage and network costs? What are the required software and hardware costs?)

I’ve been spending quite a bit of time researching our options and making decisions on which formats we will use.

We have begun our digitisation activities by digitising paper items (posters, flyers, scripts and notes) and photographs (prints and negatives).  We have chosen to capture these as uncompressed TIFF files, although we haven’t ruled out JPEG 2000 as an option for future digitisation. JPEG 2000 has a number of advantages, including smaller file sizes meaning lower storage and network costs, but disadvantages in that compression is used (either lossless or lossy) and there is less available, affordable, software for compression and decompression. Indeed, one of the reasons we haven’t started by using JPEG 2000 is due to this ‘implementation’ factor discussed above (at the moment we don’t have the right tools to create and view images as JPEG 2000 ).

Preview article for Linda Smith Stand-up in Bradford, 1987

Preview article for Linda Smith Stand-up in Bradford, 1987

Poster advertising Linda Smith Stand-Up Show at the Riverside Studios on March 25th as part of 'Shelter presents the Full House Club'.

Poster advertising Linda Smith Stand-Up Show at the Riverside Studios on March 25th as part of ‘Shelter presents the Full House Club’.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This week we will begin digitising audio-visual material, beginning with audio cassette tapes.  We will be capturing these as LPCM wav files, the format recommended as the archival master for reformatting audio, and provide access using mp3 files.

We are still deliberating over the format that we use for capture and storage of moving image material, primarily held on VHS in our current collections. Unlike with audio and images there is no agreed archival standard (nor one codec/wrapper combination that is being used by many archives); indeed many large archives around the world use different formats.  I’m grateful that we have been able to seek advice from colleagues at The National Archives, the British Library, and the Austrian Mediathek, on their choice of format, and we should make a decision on this (taking into consideration the issues discussed above) within the next month.

I’ve also been spending time investigating tools we could use as part of digital preservation and digital asset management, including tools for ensuring data integrity (checksum tools) and for embedding metadata into files, including BWF Metaedit, which was created by the Federal Agencies Digitization Guidelines Initiative (FADGI) and AV Preserve.

This is just an overview, and I aim to provide more detailed updates about our choices, and the tools we are using, over the coming months.  In the meantime, here are some of the links/reading that I’ve found useful between January and March!

Audio-visual

Images

Metadata

Copyright

Tools we’ve been trying:

  • BWF Metaedit – for embedding metadata into wave files
  • DROID – The National Archives’ tool for profiling file types and creating hash sums (checksums)
  • Blackbush – a checksum tool generating MD5 hash files developed for the British Library’s Sound Archive