Special collections digital archivist
Grace Johnston is the BFI’s first Special Collections Digital Archivist. Her work focuses on the development of the BFI’s digital document archival practice as part of the Our Screen Heritage project. Her role involves co-designing the workflows and policies needed to acquire, catalogue, and make accessible the born-digital document archives of contemporary filmmakers, supporting the BFI’s transition into the digital era. Grace works with a range of digital material, including but not limited to documents, ephemera, scripts, and stills.
Grace has previously worked in various roles at the British Library’s Sound Archive. She contributed to the National Heritage Lottery-funded project ‘Unlocking Our Sound Heritage’, where she catalogued audio recordings with a particular focus on jazz and radio. Additionally, she worked as cataloguer of the Tony Benn Audio Visual Archive, the largest multi-format collection ever acquired by the British Library. Grace’s special interests include audio in film and the work of female film practitioners.