We take a look at one of Wales’ most important assets, in our national museums. There are plenty of them dotted all around the country, from here at Big Pit in Torfaen all the way up to the slate museum in Gwynedd, but the government have said that their future is uncertain.
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00:00Big Pit, the National Museum in Cardiff, the Waterfront Museum in Swansea, the National
00:06Wall Museum, National Slate Museum and the Roman Legion Museum all play a massive role
00:11in Wales' cultural landscape and give us an insight into Wales' past.
00:16They're popular for tourists and for locals and teach us about how diverse and dynamic
00:20Wales' history has been, from the Romans in Cilean to the miners here in Blenavon, but
00:25there are concerns that these museums may not be here in the future.
00:29The Welsh Government have said that they fully support the museums, but that funding
00:33from Westminster is as much as £700 million less in real terms than last period, so harsh
00:39cuts will have to come.
00:42A number of staff at museums all across the country have already been made redundant,
00:45but there is a real risk that more jobs and possibly the museums themselves' days are
00:51numbered.
00:52Just before the summer recess, members of the Senate discussed the future of museums
00:55in Wales after a petition was tabled to increase, not cut, spending on the national museums.
01:02But it is notable that there is very significant support from the people of Wales for our national
01:08institutions, iconic arts, music organisations and education programmes of Wales.
01:16They are indeed the backbone of our nation and the beating heart of our international
01:20reputation as land of song, of poetry and culture, in short, brand Wales.
01:28Culture and the arts are essential to our well-being and valuable in their own right
01:34as uniquely irreplaceable human activities.
01:38That is why protecting access to our cultural national bodies is so important.
01:45The Welsh Heritage Group has said that it would be impossible to see an operational
01:49future for the Royal Commission following such a severe cut.
01:54The genial former chief librarian at the National Library of Wales has said quite firmly and
02:01strongly why is the Welsh Government at war with culture?
02:05The Scottish Government is already well aware of this fact and have tailored their policy
02:11to reflect this reality.
02:14As has been said by other Senate members today, our national museums, our national library
02:18and the Royal Commission are the gatekeepers of our national collections and our national
02:23memory.
02:24But they not only safeguard the collections for future generations, but also bring the
02:29collections to life in the here and now.
02:32And crucially, they make them relevant and relatable to more people than ever before
02:37through fantastic outreach and education work.
02:41The Welsh Government has said that in order to help the NHS and transport all across Wales,
02:46then the difficult cuts to museum and arts funding is necessary.
02:50What this truly means is unsure at the moment, but the risk is real.
02:54Will our museums be here in years to come?
02:57Only time will tell.