Listening to the Past, Speaking to the Future

4Developing Archives and AudiencesArchives are asource of creativityfor writers, designers,architects, filmmakersand schoolchildren. Theysupport the creativeeconomy byproviding a sourceof inspiration.34 However sophisticated the Archives Gateway is inattracting people to use and explore our archival heritage,it will only ever be as good as the various services,organisations, groups and individuals providing the rawmaterial and the professional support. That fact is certainlytrue in the presentation of material for those searching forinformation remotely, where they will need trusted andskilled help to gain confidence and long-term benefit, but itis just as true of the physical collections of archives.The Archives Gateway is a user-friendly means of enteringthe world of the archive, but the enthusiast may want tovisit the collections at some stage. Moreover, if we are tobuild a network that is able to capture the present for thefuture, we believe it is essential that the network embracecollections of all types and, where necessary, positiveaction is taken to encourage the creation of centres wherenew media can be preserved safely and made accessibleto potential users.This chapter will address these issues by looking atawareness raising, highlight the economic value ofarchives and records management activity (includingcommercial activities), analyse how archives can besupported to stimulate learning opportunities, and identifya number of particular collection-types that will requirespecific positive support actions.Advocacy for Archivesand Profile RaisingA review of the position of archives in the UK mustemphasise the issue of their perception within the politicaland wider public profile. Despite the issues of citizens’rights, community identity and the potential for educationand life-long learning they contain, archives have so farlargely failed to win the attention of politicians and policymakers. For example, a comparison of political and policyprofile demonstrates that archives are the least well-knowndomain within the sector supported by MLA and similarresults are found in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.While profile-raising work has been carried out by bodiessuch as the National Council on Archives, and in England,