International Association of Libraries and Museums of the Performing Arts
Société Internationale des Bibliothèques et des Musées des Arts du Spectacle
Inaugural Address
Harald Zielske
The Theatre and Theatre Collections / Le théâtre et les collections de documents
International
Association of Libraries and Museums of the Performing
Arts
16th International Congress, London, 9-13 September 1985
Proceedings of the Congress
Société Internationale
des Bibliothèques et des Musées des arts du spectacle
16ème Congres Internationale, Londres, 9-13 september
1985
Procès-Verbal
London 1986, pp. 12-13
Sir Roy, dear colleagues and friends, ladies and gentlemen!
In the short, but now already more than 30 years' long history of SIBMAS, it is for the first time that we can hold our traditional Congress in the United Kingdom. It is with greatest pleasure and joy that I welcome you all to this XVIth International SIBMAS Congress, and at the same time I would like to express our sincere and deeply felt gratitude to the Victoria and Albert Museum for the readiness and the generosity to host this Conference, and especially to the Museum's Director, Sir Roy Strong, who has just offered us such a kind and warm welcome.
We thus come together in a country, where we have many members and friends, and in a city, where since a long time already our Membership Secretariat is located and where our General Secretary comes from, and where, above all, a long and impressive theatrical tradition, including a certain William Shakespeare, exists. We are happy to know that this important tradition of theatre arts of this country will soon adequately be presented to the public by a completely new and efficient Theatre Museum. We all had hoped to commonly inaugurate this institution during this Conference, an expectation that even made us postpone this meeting here for one year, from 1984 to 1985. Unfortunately, because of unforseeable circumstances, this inauguration will not yet be possible. The long awaited London Theatre Museum is under construction, but not yet ready for opening. But, of course, this deplorable delay is by no means an obstacle for us to come to London, now and to hold our XVIth International Congress here on a topic that proves to be of permanent urgency in the field of our special profession, the documentation of the performing arts.
For the general theme of this Conference: "The Theatre and Theatre Collections", a theme that sounds so plain and simple, actually points right into the centre of the problems, with which we continuously have to deal in our daily professional work. We all have experienced it many, many times: theatre people, the creative artist of the stage, is always in his mind a little bit already beyond his own presence; he is looking into the future, thinking of his next performance or production, in which, if he is a true artist, he will try to express his ideas and feelings in an even better and more perfect way than he has done so far. He does so in the very sense of a word that I heard from a great man of the German theatre, the stage director Ludwig Berger, many years ago: a true artist, he said, and not only the artist of the theatre but any artist, if he really is one, is always somehow in advance, is an avantgardist, and therefore, there is consequently no real need to call an artistic movement an avantgarde. True art always is avantgarde.
And as all artistic activity is thus strongly orientated towards its own future, the artist, and especially the artist of the theatre with his obligation for permanent production, very often shows a surprising negligence of the past, of what his artistic achievements have been so far; and he again very often simply forgets that his creativity is deeply rooted in and firmly based on the tradition of his art. And here exactly is the point, where we come in.
It is our noble task, as theatre librarians and theatre archivists, as specialists for theatre collections and museums, to work for the preservation of such traditions in the performing arts, to take care of them and to keep them alive. And we have to do this not as a self-sufficient business, but our work is done to the benefit of the education and the training of the younger generation of artists, for their creative work in the future, and for a better, deeper understanding of theatre arts in general. No real progress of an art can ever be achieved without keeping its tradition alive. I am convinced that this Congress with the lectures and the discussions of its delegates, with the work to be done in the various Committees will help to come a little bit closer to this aim. We all should feel obliged to invest all our personal endeavour and efforts to go a little step forward into this direction.
Let me turn to a more personal point. For me, as the acting President of SIBMAS only since the end of the last Congress, it is for the first time that I have to preside over such a great event as this Congress is, and to hold the supreme responsibility for its success. I must honestly admit that to succeed in this difficult task, I will absolutely need the goodwill and the active help of each single one of you, which I hereby humbly request.
But above all, there is one person, of which I would have liked most to have the help and the experience in my difficult presidential task, and which sadly no longer can be had. Our much respected and admired, and I even dare say: beloved colleague and friend, my predecessor in the presidency of SIBMAS until 1982, Eva Steinaa, has left us for ever on December 27, 1983, after suffering for a long time from a malicious illness. I think, the moment of the opening of this Congress, of which Eva Steinaa still watched the preparations with great interest and emotion, very well knowing that she would not be able any more to take part in this event, I think, this moment is the adequate place to commemorate this outstanding, warm-hearted personality, and to pay tribute to what she has done for SIBMAS in the years of her presidency. However, I would like to recall only one thing.
Whoever remembers Eva Steinaa as she still presided over the last SIBMAS Congress in New York three years ago, already then struggling courageously against pain and exhaustion through her ever agravating disease, can estimate what an enormous personal sacrifice she made for the sake of our international association, and whoever has this in mind will never forget this great example of a brave, gentleminded and admirable woman. And if you remember her modest and unselfish character well, you will also know that she would have totally rejected it that many words were said about her and her tragical fate. It is quite significant of Eva Steinaa's active, self-sacrificing nature that her last wish towards SIBMAS and its members was not to plunge into deep mourning about her deplorable death, but that we all should unite and join the many others who already try to fight against this treacherous disease that has taken her away from us so prematurely. To comply with this, Eva Steinaa's wish, a money-collection will be held during this Congress to the benefit of the Danish Cancer Research Fund. And I would be very happy if as many of you as possible would donate whatever you can afford to this fund collection. Eva Steinaa deserves it, and what, I think, is also our appropriate duty in the solemn moment of the inauguration of another International SIBMAS Congress is that we show our deep respect and estimation for Eva Steinaa in keeping a moment of silence in her commemoration. May I ask you to stand up in honour of the late Ex-President of SIBMAS, Eva Steinaa.
Thank you.
There is still another way, by which we can pay tribute to the memory of the great personality of Eva Steinaa. I mean, by working hard and by developing a strong personal engagement in the success of this Congress.
But what is the best way to achieve this aim, which way is there to go, which line to follow? Let me try to answer this question by referring to a formula that describes the purpose in the work of the members of another big international association, to which SIBMAS is closely linked and affiliated.
A couple of years ago, ICOM, the International Council of Museums, tried to give a comprehensive definition of what a museum quite in general is, and what its purposes are. And there it says that a museum, and of course also a theatre museum, has to be considered as an institution that "provides opportunities for study, education and enjoyment". I think, these are three essential functions that are not only valid for the museum as a public institution in general. The terms study, education and enjoyment clearly can set guidelines for such a museological event as this Congress will be within the next few days.
So let us then study thoroughly the problems that are involved in the general theme of this Congress. Let us do it for the sake of education in the broadest sense of the word: self-education in respect to our own professionality, as well as the education of the general public that is served by our profession. But above all that, don't let us forget the enjoyment that such studies and education ean bring.
Let us start right away
with a whole week of serious, intensive, but also
enjoyable work. The XVIth International Congress of
SIBMAS is open.
URL: http://www.theatrelibrary.org/sibmas/congresses/sibmas85/london85_02.html
Last updated: 27.11.2002
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