Connecting the Past with Code Week’s Future on World Day for Audiovisual Heritage

Publication date: October 27, 2023

World Day for Audiovisual Heritage (WDAH), observed on 27 October, is an annual event dedicated to preserving and celebrating the invaluable audiovisual archives that tell stories about people’s lives and cultures from all over the world. This heritage serves as a vital source of knowledge, reflecting our cultural diversity and collective memory. In 2023, WDAH’s theme, “Your Window to the World,” highlights the importance of audiovisual archives in allowing us to witness events, listen to voices of the past, and craft narratives that inform and entertain.  

Firstly, the goal of World Day for Audiovisual Heritage is to safeguard and preserve moving images, making them accessible to the public and future generations. Certainly, this mission aligns closely with the spirit of EU Code Week, which aims to promote digital literacy and coding skills among people of all ages. Both initiatives share a common objective: to ensure that future generations have the tools and knowledge needed to access, understand, and contribute to the evolving world of digital content. 

Coding as a Tool for Preservation 

In the digital age, preserving audiovisual heritage often involves digitising analogue materials, creating databases, and implementing advanced technologies to protect these assets. This is where the synergy between WDAH and EU Code Week becomes evident. Learning to code and developing digital skills empowers individuals to contribute to the preservation of audiovisual heritage. Coders and developers play a crucial role in building and maintaining digital archives, making history more accessible and interactive. 

For example, coding empowers people to create tools, apps, and platforms that make it easier for everyone to explore and interact with audiovisual archives. This includes developing user-friendly interfaces, transcription tools, and search algorithms that facilitate navigation and understanding. 

Equipping students to preserve audiovisual heritage 

By integrating coding and technology into educational curricula, we can equip students with the skills to understand, preserve, and share audiovisual heritage. This not only enhances their digital literacy but also fosters an appreciation for our shared history and culture. 

World Day for Audiovisual Heritage is a celebration of our collective memory, promoting the safeguarding and accessibility of audiovisual materials, while EU Code Week empowers people to engage with the digital world. When these two movements converge, they create a powerful synergy. By learning to code and developing digital skills, we can not only preserve our audiovisual heritage but also ensure that it remains accessible and meaningful for generations to come.