Bloomsbury Publishing : Acquires Artfilms Digital Video Business and Assets

Bloomsbury Publishing Plc, the leading independent publisher, today announces that it has completed the acquisition of certain assets of Artfilms, the video streaming service of Contemporary Arts Media. Artfilms offers more than 2000 films from top artists and independent filmmakers, mainly aimed at arts education and arts practitioners. The unique collection, which showcases the global diversity and breadth of the arts, is truly international, with content that originates from Australia, the UK, the USA, Germany, Denmark, France, Hungary, Canada, Switzerland, Pakistan, Indonesia, Africa, and Japan and covers such subject areas as Visual & Applied Arts, Film Studies, Media Studies, Music & Dance, History, Philosophy, and more. Artfilms includes masterclasses, documentaries, interviews -- content that entertains, educates, and informs. This acquisition aligns with the overall mission of Bloomsbury Digital Resources to serve a global community of students, scholars, instructors, and librarians by providing creative online research and learning environments that deliver excellence and originality.

Kathryn Earle, Managing Director, Bloomsbury Digital Resources commented:

"We are absolutely delighted to welcome Artfilms to our product portfolio. The content aligns beautifully with our existing strengths - most notably in the visual and performing arts -- and significantly expands our video offering. Streaming has been gaining considerable institutional traction and, as a logical outcome of our success with our Drama Online platform, it represents a core strand in our strategic growth plans. We look forward to working with Artfilms' content providers and customers to grow the product offering and expand its educational impact globally, as we have done with streaming partners for Drama Online, such as the National Theatre, the Royal Shakespeare Company and the Globe Theatre."

Kriszta Doczy, Founder and Co-director, Contemporary Arts Media commented:

"Artfilms was born out of passion for the beauty and complexity of arts. Our aspiration was to create a curriculum without borders by introducing artist visionaries who inspired the world through decades and centuries. The Artfilms collection was always for the open minded and for the curious as it was reflected in our slogan: Artfilms - educating imagination. For continuing to grow and to be part of the global conversation that is art and culture we couldn't have found a better partner for Artfilms than Bloomsbury. We are humbled and honoured by the trust and appreciation when we pass on our precious collection to this inspirational Company."

NOTES TO EDITORS

Bloomsbury Publishing Plc
Bloomsbury Publishing Plc is a leading independent publishing house, established in 1986, with authors who have won the Nobel, Pulitzer, and Booker Prizes, and is the originating publisher and custodian of the Harry Potter series. Bloomsbury has offices in London, New York, New Delhi, Oxford, and Sydney. Bloomsbury Digital Resources was established in 2016 and is committed to enhancing the research experience with innovative, engaging, and dynamic digital resources of the highest quality.

Artfilms
Founded in 2000 and based in Melbourne, Australia, Artfilms is a distributor and producer of videos for arts education. The largely international collection featuring cutting edge work of contemporary artists, art history and films with significant social impact has found homes in academic libraries around the world: from Australia to Europe, UK, the Americas, Southeast Asia, Middle East, and Africa.

Contact
Michelle Kelly
Bloomsbury Publishing
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