24 Hour Museum - official guide to UK museums, galleries, exhibitions and heritage
Gateway to Over 3,000 UK museums, galleries and heritage attractions
Skip to navigation
National Museum Wales Reveals Bold 10 Year Strategy For Improvement
By 24 Hour Museum Staff
04/08/2008
Image: a photo of large museum with a flower bed in the foreground
National Museum Cardiff is about to completely redevelop and refurbish its art galleries.
National Museum Wales has revealed a major development initiative that promises to improve the nation’s history, art and science collections.
Details of the plans will be revealed by the new Heritage Minister, Alun Ffred Jones at 3pm on August 5 2008, when he launches the Museum’s new publication,100 + celebrating the centenary: planning for the future at the National Eisteddfod in Cardiff.
Changes to the way objects are displayed, innovative storytelling techniques and enhanced collections are at the heart of the redevelopment initiative, which comes following a series of consultations with visitors who shared their views and ideas with Amgueddfa Cymru - National Museum Wales.
Included in the proposals is a ten-year strategy to redevelop St Fagans, the country’s most popular visitor attraction as a National History Museum for Wales. The aim is to put the buildings and collections into the wider context and national history of Wales, by moving archaeology from National Museum Cardiff to St Fagans.
At the National Museum Cardiff measures to improve the collection and establish a National Art Gallery for Wales are already underway. Work began in May 2006 on a complete redevelopment and refurbishment of the art galleries and by 2009 the full range of the museum’s art collection will be shown as a brand new display in one continuous series of galleries.
Image: a photo of a man and woman dancing in tradtional Welsh costume
Dawnswyr Caerdydd Folk Dancers - a traditional side of Welshness at St Fagans National History Museum. Courtesy National Museums Wales
Promoting science in Wales, and Welsh science to the World has also been flagged as a priority. There will be improvements to the science displays at National Museum Cardiff, Cathays Park to give the museum a better platform from which to contribute to contemporary debates about climate change and to help people understand today’s environmental crisis.
The museum will also continue to conduct further research to monitor the changes to the natural world.
“I love museums and galleries - they make us consider why the present is at it is, and what the future might hold,” said Michael Houlihan, Director General, Amgueddfa Cymru – National Museum Wales. “We want to continue to enthuse our visitors, offering the opportunity to learn through collection items, be inspired and feel connected to the Museums as iconic symbols of what Wales is all about.”
Visitors to the Eisteddfod will also have the opportunity to feedback their thoughts on the future of Museums in Wales via a series of talks that will be held at Amgueddfa Cymru – National Museum Wales’ stand at the National Eisteddfod.
Hefin Jones from Cardiff University will be focusing on science (Wednesday August 6, 2pm); and Keeper of Social & Cultural History, Beth Thomas will lead a debate on the past and future of St Fagans: National History Museum (Saturday August 9, 3pm).
Amgueddfa Cymru operates seven national museums across Wales. These are National Museum Cardiff, St Fagans: National History Museum, National Roman Legion Museum, Caerleon, Big Pit: National Coal Museum, Blaenafon, National Wool Museum, Dre-fach Felindre, National Slate Museum, Llanberis and the National Waterfront Museum, Swansea.
National Museum Cardiff
National Museum Cardiff, Cathays Park, Cardiff, CF10 3NP, Cardiff, Wales
Open: Tues-Sun 10.00-17.00
Open Bank holidays
St Fagans: National History Museum
St Fagans, Cardiff, CF5 6XB, Wales
Open: Daily 10.00-17.00
Closed: 24-26 December, 1 January
Related Articles
National Museum Wales Creates New Space For Unseen Art Collection
News In Brief - Week Ending October 19 2008
News In Brief - Week Endinig August 3 2008
News In Brief - Week Ending July 2008
National Museum Cardiff Adds Two Metre Swordfish To Its Collection
National Museum Wales Puts Out Call For 'Urdd Memories' For 2009 Exhibition
News In Brief - Week Ending June 8 2008
E-news registration
E-mail story to a friend
Tell us what you think
Mark Leckey Scoops £25,000 And The 2008 Turner Prize
Library Thief Update: Sentencing Adjourned Until January 16, 2009
Fund Aims To Realise Long Campaign For Cardiff Museum
Britglyph Art Campaign Uses Web To Make Mass Geoglyph
Inaugural Awards Ceremony Honours UK Arts Philanthropists
Rare Silver Cup Commemorating Coronation Of Charles II Is Saved For The Nation
London Fire Brigade Museum Escapes Closure - For Now
Another Busy Year For Archaeology On Orkney In 2008
Severndroog Castle To Be Restored Thanks To Lottery Grant
Campaign To Save Captain Scott's Hut Needs Another £65,000
Open Air Lab Project Launches At The Natural History Museum
Gravity Defying Vertical Racer Drives Kids Up the Wall At MOSI
DCMS And English Heritage List Seven London Bridges
Railway Museums Launch Joint WWII Railway Worker Project
Bowes Museum Famous Mechanical Swan Goes Back On Show In December
Free Admission To Historic Scotland Sites For St Andrew's Day
Fund Raising Scheme Is Backing Great North Museum: Hancock
Tyneside Gallery Plots New Display After Funding Victory
Search this site
Home Page
News Page
Exhibition Page
What's On
Trails Page
Website of the Week
Letters Page
Welsh Home
Graphical Version
Copyright © 24 Hour Museum
Information published here was believed to be correct at the time it was prepared. Welsh language pages developed with CYMAL: Museums Archives and Libraries Wales, funded by the Welsh Assembly Government.