Digital Preservation for Media Art Conservation: the same but different

A Training Action from Digital Preservation Coalition under the auspices of the EMBARK Network.

Introduction

Digital preservation has emerged in recent years as a community of practice and body of expertise to address the challenge of long term access to ‘born vulnerable’ digital materials. It provides a framework to deliver the series of actions necessary to ensure continued access to digital materials beyond the limits of media degradation, technical obsolescence and organizational change. With roots in research data management, the digital preservation community has grown rapidly, with standards and acknowledged models of good practice. These have been adopted across a wide and diverse range of contexts including museums, records offices, libraries, archives and in all manner of contexts where content creation or digital asset management interacts with digital materials of lasting value. However this diversity creates risks of miscommunication and misunderstanding, where similar but subtly different requirements create confusion or tension.

This training event is designed to provide a practical overview and key skills in digital preservation for the preservation of media art. At the end of the course participants will:

• Have a shared understanding of core skills in digital preservation

• Have a shared insight into the emerging challenges in digital preservation

• Develop their own digital preservation capability through exercise and self-directed study

• Recognize the differences and similarities between generic digital preservation skills and the preservation needs of media art

• Convene and network with colleagues and practitioners across the EMBARK network

Where and When?

It will be delivered in three parts:

• Online presentation, group discussion and orientation (June 18^th 1200-1500 UTC) (click for your local time)

• Self-directed online curriculum with the DPC’s ‘Novice to Know How’ learning pathway (June 18^th- July 2^nd)

• Reconvene, Recap and Review (July 2^nd, 1200-1500 UTC) (click for your local time)

Participants are strongly encouraged to block out time between 18th June and 2nd July to complete relevant elements of the Novice to Know-How training.

Who should come?

The course will appeal to:

• Established practitioners in media art preservation seeking to update digital preservation skills

• Specialists in related preservation fields seeking to understand media art and digital preservation

• Recently qualified archivists and curators seeking to develop practical digital preservation skills

• Managers in cultural heritage agencies seeking to understand and staff digital preservation role

• Creators of digital content seeking to understand requirements and methods of preservation

• Content managers seeking to add preservation capabilities to existing services and tools

Draft Agenda (Times in UTC)

Plenary Day One, 18^th June 2026

Program

1200: Welcome and introductions

1210: Digital Preservation – what the books say and what we’re really worrying about

1240: Q&A 

1250: Comfort Break

1300: Panel – Digital preservation and media art: what I wish I knew before I started

1400: Break

1415: Introducing ‘Novice to Know How’

1445: Q&A

1500: Thanks and close

Plenary Day Two, 2^nd July 2026

Program

1200: Welcome and introductions

1210: Recap: The Novice to Know How Learning Pathway

1230: Putting Theory into Practice

1300: Q&A

1310: Comfort Break

1315: Breakout exercise: What we learned; what we still need to learn

1345: Feedback from breakout groups and priorities

1400: Break

1415: Next steps: discussion session

1500: Thanks and close

Registration

It is offered free of charge. Members of the EMBARK network and members of the DPC will be given priority access on a first come, first-served basis, and remaining spaces will be available on general release on the 28th of May. Registration is required and places are capped. DPC Members, please log in to register during the priority access period. EMBARK members, please use the EMBARK platform to register or email eleanor.oleary@dpconline.org

A detailed program of times and speakers will be confirmed. A certificate of completion will be available.