Jaine Holford and Helen Warburton - Exhibition Managers

Jaine Holford and Helen Warburton - Exhibition Managers

Helen and Jaine are Exhibitions Managers, working as part of BAFTA's wider Archive, Heritage and Exhibitions team and overseeing what will be exhibited in the new building. They share a few hints as to what we can expect when 195 reopens.

How long have you both been at BAFTA?  
Helen: I came on board in 2016
Jaine: 10 years

How are you involved in the BAFTA 195 Piccadilly redevelopment project? And at what stage are you at?
We’re working with the wider exhibition project team to curate the permanent displays throughout the building, from digital installation to framed photographs and showcases. We’re in the design phase, working with framers and designers to decide on fabrication and finishes.

Can you give some insight into the themes of the exhibitions which will be on display at BAFTA 195 Piccadilly?
We don’t want to give too much away (!) but spaces will have different themes, some contemporary and some historical. One of the largest collections BAFTA has is of ceremony photography dating back to 1949, and so our new space offers a great opportunity to visually chart our history through the talented artists and craftspeople whose work has been recognised by BAFTA. Some spaces have been curated to encourage visitors to learn about the range of initiatives BAFTA runs and some of the many hundreds of talented individuals we support.

How will the new space help expand/support BAFTA's archive?
The exhibits will draw on BAFTA’s unique collection of over 200,000 photographs, as well as objects, papers, and moving image. Our collection provides a unique insight in to the Academy’s role in the development of the screen arts in Britain since 1947.

We are particularly excited as, for the first time, we will be able to display objects and ephemera from our collection in a purpose-built museum showcase. This really opens up the range of exclusive material we can show to visitors, and will bring new stories from our archive to life in ways we’ve never been able to do before. Visitors to 195 Piccadilly will be able to get to know what the archive holds and to understand how important it is to BAFTA’s history.

What element of the new building you are most excited about?
Helen: For me, it is the restoration and revealing of the original rooflights. I love how this will always remind us of the 195 Piccadilly’s history as the former galleries of the Royal Institute of Painters in Water Colours.
Jaine: I’m excited as the new building will allow visitors to have a greater understanding of all the work that BAFTA does behind the awards, and to see what we, as an arts charity, are all about.

What’s one of your favourite BAFTA Archive/ Heritage moments?   
Recently our research has focussed on BAFTA’s award designs, from the Henry Moore statuette presented at our very first ceremony, to the iconic mask we know today designed by Mitzi Cunliffe. So, the adoption of Cunliffe’s mask for all awards in 1976 would be my favourite, as she is still underrepresented in the history of British art, despite having made many significant and wonderful public sculptures, relief murals, ceramics and other designs. https://heritage.bafta.org/moment/1976/a-new-face-the-bafta-mask/68

What is your favourite film?
Helen: My degree was in Documentary Photography, so the form in film has interested me for a long time - Cameraperson (2016) and Searching for the Wrong-Eyed Jesus (2003) are both astounding.
Jaine: Some Like it Hot

What is your favourite TV show?
Helen: I’m Alan Partridge
Jaine: Call The Midwife

What is your favourite video game?
Helen: I once worked on a playable exhibit of The Path (2009) by Tale of Tales, and have admired their ethos and approach to game design ever since.
Jaine: Whilst I don’t play a lot of games at the moment, I always used to like Donkey Kong!