About Backstage

Backstage provides a single point of entry for finding and searching performing arts collections in the UK. It is aimed at the research community, plus anyone with an interest in the performing arts.

This has been achieved by:

• converting the catalogues of existing specialist performing arts collections into electronic format, in order to develop a national performing arts clump allowing cross-searching at item level
  
  
• working closely with the Theatre Museum to create a national database of Collection Level Descriptions for all performing arts collections in the UK
  
  
• working closely with the Theatre Museum and the Society of Theatre Research to produce an online version of the Directory of Performing Arts Resources as an integral part of the gateway
  
  
• developing a Web to Z39.50 gateway as a single point of entry for searching both item and collection databases
  
  
• developing a national structure using recognised standards to form the basis of future work
  
  
• Backstage has been funded as part of the Research Support Libraries Programme.

The following institutions were funded for retrospective conversion of existing records not currently in electronic format:

• Bodleian Library
• Royal Holloway, University of London
• University College, Northampton
• University of Birmingham
• University of Bristol
• University of Exeter
• University of Hull
• University of Kent at Canterbury

They were joined in a commitment to provide Collection Level Descriptions by the following institutions:

• British Library
• City of Westminster Archive
• Llyfrgell Genedlaethol Cymru - National Library of Wales
• National Library of Scotland
• Theatre Museum
• University of East Anglia
• University of Glasgow
• University of Leeds
• University of Manchester
• University of Sheffield

Collection Level Descriptions are also being created by, or for, the several hundred further institutions with relevant performing arts materials listed in the printed version of the Theatre Museum's "Directory of Performing Arts Resources" which this gateway replaces.

The Databases

The Backstage databases contain both Collection Level Descriptions of the various performing arts collections covered (one record per collection based on the RSLP Collection Level Descripton Schema) and also an Item Level Catalogue for selected Higher Education collections with descriptions of each of the items (posters, playbills, costumes etc.) within that collection. The Item Level Catalogue will be based on the ISAD(G) archival standard.