International Association of Libraries and Museums of the Performing Arts

Société Internationale des Bibliothèques et des Musées des Arts du Spectacle

Assemblée Générale - General Assembly

Minutes of the General Assembly of SIBMAS, Friday 11 September
1992 at 9.30 a.m. in the Gulbenkian Foundation, Lisbon.

Documentation des Arts du Spectacle dans une Société en Mutation / Documentation of Performing Arts in a Changing Society

Société Internationale des Bibliothèques et des Musées des Arts du Spectacle / International Association of Libraries and Museums of the Performing Arts
19ème Congrès International, Lisbonne 7-11 septembre 1991 / 19th International Congress, Lisbon 7-11 September 1992
Ed.: José Carlos Alvarez. Lisboa : 1994, p. 71-75

1.

Minutes of the General Assembly in Stockholm 1990, published in the proceedings of the 18th International SIBMAS Congress (Göteborg/1992) were approved as a correct record with the exception of one error on page 150, Appendix B, Proposal for changing the rules of SIBMAS. Under Article 11, Council and Executive Committee, stands thirteen, it should be eleven.

2.

Reports.

a) President's report

The President made his report under three headings:

1. International activities on behalf of SIBMAS

2. New activities within SIBMAS

3. Activities in favour of members

1. Martin Dreier represented the President as SIBMAS delegate in the FIRT EXCOM meeting in Prague from 25th to 26th of September 91. The main purpose was to open negotiations about future joint congresses. (See under 6 and 8)
   
   The President then brought up
   the still pending problem whether SIBMAS should or should not be an affiliated organization of ICOM. He referred to earlier reports on the matter and added that his second meeting in December (1991) with Mr. Vinos Sofka, ICOM's chairman of museology, had been without result.
   
   From April 26th to 29th, the Standing Committee of NGOs took place in Berlin. The topic was the critical situation of cultural establishments in the post-totalitarian states. This was the first liaison meeting after the opening of the Iron Curtain.
   The President emphasized the fact that the meeting had been very harmonious. On the occasion, Don Rubin, executive editor of WECT, gave optimistic prospects. The Encyclopaedia will come out well before the end of next year, the main problem being writing articles on the former USSR.
   

2. In Vienna, September 1990, the President headed a meeting of colleagues from Hungary, Czechoslovakia, Slovenia and Austria. It was agreed to continue with annual Central European conferences under the umbrella of SIBMAS.
   The first gathering, organized by Mrs. Dana Sliukova, took place in Bratislava in May 1991. This year's meeting was held in Ljubljana with participants also from Switzerland, Germany, and Croatia. The rules of the Nordic Center were thoroughly studied and in respect to the actual political situation, it was decided that the Central European Centre should be as open as possible and that any Central European professional is welcome to join in. The Ljubljana meeting discussed questions concerning documentation and exhibitions.
   Mr. Ulrichs' "regional Blue Book" (German speaking countries) was brought up as a model for small countries and regions. Czechoslovakia will present a publication of that kind by the end of the year. As to exhibitions, several themes were discussed, i.e. The Danube in Stage Design, Stage Studios in Central Europe etc. A bilateral undertaking between Vienna and Bratislava devoted to the famous stage designer Vlastislav Hofman will open in December in the National Gallery of Slovakia.
   

3. Due to radical changes in the former Eastern countries, great difficulties have occurred, in particular in former East Berlin.
   The President wrote letters in favour of the following Berlin institutions: Märkisches Museum, Theatre Library "Die Möwe", The performing arts archives in the "Zentrum für Theaterdokumentation".
   A petition was also sent to the Flemish cultural minister in favour of the Flemish Centre of SIBMAS. Similar supports were given for the Museo Biblioteca dell'Attore in Genova and the Puppet Museum in Lubeck. A last letter went to the State Secretary for Culture of Portugal in favour of Lisbon's closed theatres.
   
   This being his final report as President, Oskar Pausch wanted to add some more personal words and did so by making a paraphrase of a legend from the Portuguese Algarve coast: A farmer asked his sons, what profession they would like to take up. The first said: I'd like to fleece people - so you will become lawyer. The second: I'd like to kill without committing a crime - so you will become surgeon. the third: I'd like to eat and sing without working - so you will become priest. The fourth: I'd like to do unfinished work - so you will be SIBMAS President between 1988 and 1992.
   
   As an excuse for his "unfinished symphonies" (a systematical correspondence with Third World institutions, SIBMAS' relations towards ICOM, and the development of SIBMAS publications) the President pointed to the fact that in October 1991 the Austrian Theatre Museum opened which of course to him, being the one responsible, meant a great professional pressure.
   
   The President ended by thanking all for cooperation and joint activities on behalf of SIBMAS. In his opinion this very Congress had shown an organization in prosperous change.

b) Membership Secretary's Report

The Membership Secretary, Mrs. Eszter György, reported on the renewals of subscriptions for 1990. There are now 201 members among which 123 are members of National Centers. This means that the amount of members have increased by 70. A new country - Estonia - is now represented.
Memberships, especially from Belgium and Sweden, have augmented. Concerning Sweden, the question of establishing a National Center can now be brought up. There are eight National Centers and among them the British Center is the largest counting 62 members.
As a future very important task, the Membership Secretary pointed to the recruitment of members from countries in the former Soviet Union and from Eastern Europe. Their absence is due to financial difficulties. In any way, it is important to maintain contact with countries not yet represented in SIBMAS.

Finally, Mrs. György put forward the importance of cooperation with the editors of the SIBMAS FIRT Bulletin.

c) Treasurer's Report

The treasurer, Mr. Martin Dreier, gave information on the financial development of SIBMAS since the Stockholm Congress of 1990. He presented the financial report of 1990 and 1991 together with audit reports and the budgets concerning the years 1993, 1994 and 1995. These reports were approved unanimously and are attached at Annex A.

It was also agreed upon to increase the amount for the Bulletin from 1,500 Swiss francs to 2,000.

Martin Dreier commented on his retirement after ten years as treasurer of SIBMAS; thanks to the support and aid given by the presidents, Harald Zielske and Oskar Pausch, the work had been a great pleasure.
Mr. Dreier also expressed his thanks to Jack Reading and André Veinstein for their help in supervising the English and French before printing the SIBMAS folder and the Statutes, edited by Dreier. He also thanked the members of the Excom and Council for their cooperation and ended by recommending Georg Geldner, Vienna, as his successor.

Oskar Pausch expressed his gratitude to Martin Dreier for his dedicated work throughout the past decade; besides being the perfect treasurer Mr. Dreier also brought his know-how into other fields of activity in SIBMAS.

3.

Budgets 1993 and 1994

See Appendix A

4.

Biennial programme of activities

Eric Alexander reported on behalf of the editors of the Bulletin FIRT/IFTR - SIBMAS and said that the bulletin in general does fairly well. Number 1, 1992, English version, is published and the French version will be sent in due course. Number 2, 1992 is in preparation and the sixteenth volume will be completed by the end of this year.
At present 220 copies are sent to SIBMAS members [350 to FIRT members] and associate members all over the world. Of these 180 [FIRT 270] are English and 40 [FIRT 50] are in French. There are some libraries, which are both member of FIRT and of SIBMAS, so it could be stated that there are 27 double members.

Mr Alexander gave the following rough calculation in Swiss francs:

The two copies in English cost 7 plus 10 Swfrs= 17 Swfrs a year
The two copies in French cost 12 plus 19 Swfrs= 31 Swfrs

The cost for FIRT:

English version 270 x 17 Swfrs     =     4590 Swfrs
French version 50 x 31 Swfrs       =     1550 Swfrs
total     6140 Swfrs

The cost for SIBMAS:

English, the two copies 17 Swfrs x 180 = 3060 Swfrs
French, the two copies 31 Swfrs x 40   = 1240 Swfrs
total     4300 Swfrs

contribution

1992 SIBMAS                              2000 Swfrs

Last year, in the wave of moral support, helping to close the information gap in Eastern Europe, a small grant from the Dutch Government enabled the editors to send the bulletin to approx. 50 addressees in countries in Eastern Europe.
This could be done in 1991 and it will also be possible to send the two numbers of volume 16 to those interested in the publication.
In the second number of 1992 the leaflet of SIBMAS and FIRT will be enclosed. However, the financial situation has not improved in such a way that libraries and private persons will spend their money on the information bulletin and it is doubtful whether many members will join either SIBMAS or FIRT.

The editors wish to see more information for the bulletin; items on exhibitions and catalogues, on congresses and symposia are always welcome. It is also important to report changes of address or change of the person to whom the bulletin should be addressed. It proves to be much better to send the bulletin to a named person in a library or an institute.

On behalf of Liliana Alexandrescu, Mr. Alexander thanked the delegates for their help, support, patience and interest.

Eric Alexander also gave information on the next Prague Quadrennial that will take place in June 1995. Changes are foreseen to make the exhibition still more interesting and to broaden the scope of this event. Within the function there will be four sections; one national, one on scenography with a given theme, one on theatre architecture and one on scenography schools.

The PQ also welcomes moral support from international organizations like SIBMAS.

Dorothy Swerdlove reported on behalf of the Blue Book Commission. The General Assembly accepted the minutes as presented. The report is attached at Annex B.

Cécile Giteau reported on the SANDAS Commission. She made a summing-up of the history of the commission since the foundation in 1972. SANDAS, that corresponds to the expression of "Système d'automatisation et de normalisation des données relatives aux arts du spectacle", will from now on change its name to PADOC (Performing Arts Documentation). The report of the SANDAS/PADOC Commission is attached at Annex C.

Per Edström reported on behalf of the Circus Commission. The report is attached at Annex D.

It was agreed with Mr Pavão dos Santos to have the proceeding of the Lisbon Congress printed.

5.

Elections

According to the new rules of SIBMAS, approved by the General Assembly in Stockholm 1990, the following proposed slate was accepted since no other nominations to fill vacancies had been submitted to the Secretary General in time, i.e. at the latest twenty-four hours before the date and time of the General Assembly:
Margaret Benton, London (President)
Dorothy Swerdlove, New York (Vice-President)
Cécile Giteau, Paris (Vice-President)
Barbro Stribolt, Stockholm (Secretary General)
Georg Geldner, Vienna (Treasurer)
Richard M. Buck, New York (Council and Xcom)
Roswitha Flatz, Cologne (Council and Xcom)
Vitor Paväo dos Santos, Lisbon (Council and Xcom)
Roger Rennenberg, Antwerp (Council)
Monserrat Alvarez-Massó, Barcelona (Council)
Pirkko Koski, Helsinki (Council)
Dana Sliukova, Bratislava (Council)
Lisdet Grandjean, Copenhagen (Council)

6.

Congress 1994

The possibilities of SIBMAS FIRT joint congresses was brought up to discussion by FIRT President Willmar Sauter who invited SIBMAS to join in 94 with FIRT in Moscow. Another option for the 94 SIBMAS Congress, however, is Antwerp. After discussion on for or against the alternatives, the delegates agreed on Antwerp.
Roger Rennenberg reported that he is waiting to obtain the basic agreement from the Belgian State before making the final invitation.

However, the next Council Meeting will be held in Antwerp (Sept 1993) and it will be a joint meeting with the FIRT Council. As to the 1994 Congress, Oskar Pausch presented a proposal by Margaret Benton suggesting the theme to be "Collecting and Recording the Performing Arts - Why ?" and, within the theme the following workshops or sessions:

1. Policy - Why do we collect - what should we collect.

2. Interpreting the Performing Arts - an Irrelevance.

3. Who are our users.

4. Documentation - an update.

5. Our educational role - Should we have one.

6. Video Recording Performance - How.

7. What do we want from SIBMAS - Can it be improved.

Mrs Bergljot Bucht objected to the wording and wanted "and how" to be added to the sentence expressing the theme. It was agreed that the formulation schould be Collecting and Recording the Performing Arts - Why and How?

7.

Date of next meeting was agreed to be in September 1994 at the end of the 20th International Congress.

8.

FIRT President Willmar Sauter presented some ideas on possible SIBMAS FIRT joint activities; he suggested that the organizations in the future might arrange different kinds of joint conferences in connection with each other's meetings. In 1996, for instance, there will be a FIRT conference in Tel Aviv and on that occasion it would be possible to invite SIBMAS members to take active part.
Further, Sauter wished a joint committee on iconography to be established and proposed Martine de Rougemont, FIRT, and Cécile Giteau, SIBMAS, as conveyers. Oskar Pausch welcomed the propositions and said that great opportunities to discuss those matters will occur already in September 1993 during the agreed joint Council Meeting in Antwerp.

Oskar Pausch closed the Congress by expressing his gratitude, also on behalf of the assembled members, to the host Vitor Pavão dos Santos and his graceful helpers for all their hard and successful work before and during the Congress.

Jane Pritchard then thanked the leaving President Oskar Pausch for his very devoted work and his concern for SIBMAS. Mrs. Pritchard made her speech as deputy for the succeeding President, Margaret Benton, who was unable to attend the General Assembly Meeting.

19th Congress

URL: http://www.sibmas.org/congresses/sibmas92/LisbAssembly.htm